Blocked

Six

     As I pulled into the parking lot of the supermarket, I heard Ben groan in the background.

     "I thought we were getting something to eat," he complained. I rolled my eyes as I eased into a parking spot.

     "We are. You don't expect me to take you and Izzy to McDonald's, do you?" I questioned, putting the car in park and cutting the engine.

     "I don't see why not," he answered, unbuckling his seat belt.

     "I'm not feeding an eighteen-month-old baby fast food, Ben. If you want McDonald's, fine. You can start walking," I said, and smiled to myself as he groaned again and got out of the car.

     "You can pick out one thing you want me to make you personally. Izzy and I are picking out the main course," I said, getting out of the car and heading to the backseat to get Izzy.

     "I'm not eating gross baby food," said Ben, slamming the back door.

     "We're not picking out baby food, stupid. And you used to eat all the baby food in sight when you were a baby, Ben. So I wouldn't talk," I said, getting Izzy out of her car seat and closing the door. I locked the car with the remote, and stuffed it back into the bag.

     Walking up to the grocery store was quiet, but not awkward at all. It was pretty late, so there wasn't many people shopping at this time. Maybe twelve, fifteen cars were in the parking lot. And that included the employee's cars.

     "So I can get whatever I want?" Ben asked, as we walked through the automatic doors.

     "Yes, Ben. But nothing big, something small," I said, and grunted as he ran off somewhere.

     "Ben, stay close!" I called out, and rolled my eyes.

     "Whatever. We can leave without him when we're done," I said.

     "So what should we get, Izzy? Your choice," I said, heading over to the freezer section. I wasn't sure why exactly I was asking the toddler, who most likely wouldn't be able to eat whatever she picked out, anyways. I wasn't all that hungry, though, so it didn't matter to me what was for dinner tonight.

     "Ah, great choice, Izzy," I said, as she pointed her tiny finger out to boxed lasagna. I couldn't complain. I liked lasagna, almost loved it. The fact that it wasn't homemade, and came from a box didn't bother me much. It all tasted the same to me.

     "Which one?" I asked her, taking a step closer to the freezer door so she could choose precisely. I reached out and pulled the freezer door open, grabbing the box she chose and dropping it into the basket. I closed the freezer door and, absentmindedly, continued staring at the fogged up glass. I really wish I hadn't. In the reflection, I saw a very familiar face.

     The same one I had seen earlier at the library. The same one that wouldn't leave me alone.

     "Not this shit again," I mumbled to myself, and turned around to face him. To my surprise, no one else was standing behind me. Actually, no one else was even in the isle.

     I sighed to myself and brought my hand up to rub my sweaty forehead. I was going crazy. I swear, though, I saw his face in that glass...

     Izzy's cooing suddenly brought me back to reality. Her gaze was focused on something else. I looked in the same direction she was, and I felt my heart almost break through my ribcage as I saw Cameron walk past the isle.

     So, I wasn't going crazy. This lunatic was following me.

     I breathed out slowly and placed the basket on the ground, then started walking toward the end of the isle, opposite the side I saw Cameron. Forget dinner. I was getting the kids out of here before he started asking questions about Ben, too.

     Speaking of Ben. Where the hell was he? I definitely wasn't going to pull another scream fest here, like I had at home. But I needed to find the kid before Cameron found me.

     "God dammit, Ben, where are you," I mumbled to myself, walking through all of the freezer isles. He wasn't in any of them. I went over to the toy isle, and peeked into it. He wasn't there, either. This is where I started to panic.

     God, I could never be a mother.

     "Izzy, where would Ben be?" I asked her, walking past all the isles and looking into them. Ben wasn't anywhere to be found. I swear, this kid was like Houdini. I looked at Izzy to see her shake her head.

     "Ugh. This is not good," I whispered, walking over to the other side of the store. He couldn't have just disappeared. Last time, he was in the bathroom.

     Maybe...

     "That's it," I said, adjusting Izzy on my hip and making my way to the back corner of the store, towards the restrooms. I walked up to the bathroom door gently knocked on it. I heard a flush, and let out a sigh of relief. The door opened, and ruining my moment of relief, some old guy stepped out.

     "Oh. I'm sorry. I'm looking for my little brother. Um, have you seen him around here anywhere? He's about this tall, light brown hair, kinda' long?" I asked, tightening my grip on Izzy. The guy looked like he was seventy, maybe eighty-years-old. I felt kinda' bad for rushing him out of the bathroom.

     "Oh, yeah. He was over by the magazines. Running around, playing with some young kid, about your age. They were making a lot of noise," he said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

     "Oh God," I mumbled, holding onto Izzy. Ben was with Cameron.

     "Thank you so much, I'm sorry for bothering you," I said, and quickly walked away. The magazines were all the way on the opposite corner of the store. By the time I got there, Ben could already be in the trunk of his car.

     "Ugh. What are you saying, Hailey? He's just a teenager who just so happens to be in the same places as you, at the same time. Strictly coincidences. Nothing to worry about," I said to myself. But that's when something hit me.

     My driver's license was upside-down in my wallet. That thing was impossible to get out of my wallet, unless you physically pull it out. The last time my wallet was actually out of my bag was when I dropped everything at the library. And Cameron was there, helping me pick everything up.

     The fucker was stalking me.