PARACIDE

Chapter 5: Old Haunts

The sting in Sam’s forehead hit him unexpectedly, a sharp jab right between his eyebrows. He winced, rubbing the spot, hoping it was just a fluke—a tension headache or something from bumping his head earlier. It had to be. But the dull, persistent ache didn’t fade. It pulsed, coming and going like an annoying reminder of something deeper.

He ignored it.

Sam lay on the bed in the room he had been staying in, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts kept spiraling back to the nightmare he’d had that morning. Why was it always the same? It wasn’t just fear anymore—it was a warning. A sign that something inside him was breaking, festering. But the pain in his head was just that—a headache. That’s what he told himself.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. “Sam, you awake?” Jen’s voice came through the wood, hesitant but loud enough to break through the haze.

He groaned, pushing himself off the bed. “Yeah.”

The door creaked open, and Jen poked her head in. “My mom wants me to go to the store and get a few things. You wanna come?”

Sam hesitated. Being around Jen was... complicated. She wasn’t bad, and her snarky attitude wasn’t the worst part, but something about her made him nervous. She didn’t pry too much, but she also had a way of looking at him like she saw more than he was willing to share. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for that kind of attention.

“Yeah, sure,” he said before he could change his mind. Maybe it was better to distract himself, get out of his head for a while. Besides, it wasn’t like he had anywhere else to be.

---

The store was a small, local place, the kind of spot where everyone knew each other’s faces, if not their names. It was a far cry from the supermarkets in the city, and as soon as Sam stepped inside, the smell hit him. The familiar mix of fresh bread, produce, and old wooden shelves.

It was the same store his parents used to take him to when he was younger. Back then, they’d come here on Sunday afternoons after lunch, stocking up for the week ahead. His mom always had a list, neatly written out, while his dad would throw in random snacks or extra ingredients just because they looked interesting. Sam had tagged along, bored but happy, not realizing how much he’d miss the simplicity of those moments.

He wasn’t sure why the place felt so heavy now, like the weight of those memories was pressing down on him. The headache pulsed again, sharper this time. He ignored it, shoving his hands into his pockets and following Jen through the narrow aisles.

“You okay?” Jen asked, glancing at him over her shoulder as she grabbed a basket.

“Yeah, why?” Sam forced a casual tone, not wanting her to pry.

“You look... tense. Like you’re ready to bolt.”

He shrugged. “Just thinking.”

She didn’t press, thankfully, and instead handed him the basket. “Well, help me carry this stuff, at least.”

They moved through the store, Jen tossing items into the basket while Sam quietly followed along, half-present. His mind kept drifting to the past, flashes of his parents laughing over something stupid his dad said in the store, the way his mom would roll her eyes but smile anyway. They’d been happy. Or at least they seemed happy then.

And now, he wasn’t even sure what they were.

“Sam, you listening?” Jen’s voice broke through his thoughts again.

He blinked, realizing they were standing in the middle of the frozen food section. “Uh, yeah, sorry.”

Jen smirked. “You space out a lot, don’t you?”

“Guess so.”

She tossed a frozen pizza into the basket. “Whatever. Just grab me some apples or something before my mom freaks out about us being gone too long.”

Sam nodded and made his way toward the produce section, leaving Jen behind. The sting in his forehead flared again, and he winced, rubbing the spot absently. It wasn’t anything. It couldn’t be anything. He just needed to get through this, get the food, and get out of here.

But as he picked out a few apples, memories kept pushing their way into his mind. He could practically hear his mother’s voice reminding him to pick the firmest ones, to avoid any bruises. Like she was still standing next to him.

Sam clenched his jaw, dropping the apples into a bag and shaking his head. It didn’t matter. Those days were gone, and there was no going back to them.

When he returned to Jen, she was waiting by the register, scrolling through her phone. “Took you long enough,” she said, not looking up.

“Sorry,” Sam muttered, dumping the apples into the basket.

They paid and left, the sunlight outside almost blinding after the dimly lit store. The headache pounded again, but Sam bit down on his frustration, determined to ignore it.

“Hey, thanks for coming with me,” Jen said after a few minutes of walking in silence.

Sam glanced at her, surprised. “You don’t seem like the type to care if someone tags along.”

“I don’t,” she said with a shrug. “But I figured you could use the fresh air. Or, y’know, an excuse to not look so miserable.”

Sam couldn’t help but chuckle, despite himself. “Thanks, I guess?”

Jen shot him a sideways grin. “Don’t mention it. Just try not to freak out so much next time. It’s just a grocery store, not the end of the world.”

Sam nodded, but the weight of the place, of the memories, still lingered with him, the pulsing ache in his head a constant reminder that no matter how far he ran, there were things he couldn’t escape. Not from his past. And not from himself.