ALIVE

6

Shawn POV

I've been trying to make time to finally break up things with Gwen. She deserves to be with someone who's in love with her. I don't want Gwen as a life partner but as a dying companion which ain't right.

"Did you get that babe?" I heard which snapped me out of my thoughts.

"What?" I asked all dazed and confused. I looked at my surroundings and I was with Gwen in the grocery store. "What was that?"

Gwen sighed. "Can you please go over to that aisle and get some BBQ sauce and some ketchup," she said warmly with the list in her hand.

I shook my head. "Yah sure," I said walking away.

"Thank you baby," I heard behind me.

I walked over to the aisle and immediately spotted the ketchup we use but the BBQ sauce was a bit tricky.

"Which one is it by the way?" I asked myself as I looked at the numerous brands in front of me. "I guess I should pick-"

I was cut mid sentence by a body slamming into me.

"I'm sorry sir," this boy said as he was on the floor with box of frozen pizza next to him. "I hope I didn't hurt you. I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," he said getting up with the box of frozen pizza in his hand.

Am I really that strong such that the poor boy fell when he hit me?

"Its no problem fella," I smiled at him. "Why were you running in the first place?"

"My mom said I can pick out any one item I want," he smiled.

I see, grocery shopping with your mom sucks most of the time. I love it when she'll give you permission to pick out whatever you want. It makes the gruesome shopping worth it.

"I'm Ryan by the way," he extended his hand at me.

I smiled and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you Ryan, I'm Shawn. Now hurry back to your mom before she changes her mind."

I let go of his hand. "You're right. I should bounce," he said walking away. "It was nice meeting you Shawn," he smiled at me as he walked away.

I watched as he got to the end of the aisle, took a right and disappeared into another aisle.

He's such a well mannered boy.

"Mom, I settled for some frozen pizza," I heard someone talking in the next aisle.

"Awe, I see my baby boy is happy. Now let's go check-out all of these things," I heard.

Wait, that sounded a whole lot like...Beyonce.

"Hurry and push the shopping cart baby. I wanna take us to lunch," I heard the same female voice.

"Beyonce?" I said lowly.

How is this possible? Am I going insane? I'm pretty sure I just heard the voice of my dead ex-fiancée. Twice.

I made my way out of the maze of people and went to the next aisle and it was empty. There was literally no one there.

I then saw one of the workers and I went to him.

"Excuse me but have you seen a woman and a child in this aisle by any chance?" I asked.

He looked at me and slowly shook his head. "No sir. No one was in this aisle," he said.

"Thank you," I said.

How could this be? I literally heard voices coming from this very aisle like twenty seconds ago.

Am I going crazy?

"What's the hold up Shawn?" Gwen said. "Why do you look like you've just seen a ghost?"

More like heard a ghost.

"I'm not feeling well. Imma go to the car," I said walking pass her.

I definitely need to lie down. I feel like I'm losing my mind.

I grabbed a bag of chips then I went to the check-out aisle.

"Help me get these back to the car," I heard the female voice again.

I tried looking around to see her but I just can't see her.

What is happening here? Why am I suddenly hearing Beyonce's voice? Is it that there's someone out there with the same voice as Beyonce?

I grabbed my bag and I jogged outside to find this woman.

"Shawn, we can go," Gwen said touching my arm as my eyes scanned the full parking lot.

"Beyonce," I said under my breath.

"Beyonce? What's wrong with Beyonce? She dead," Gwen said walking away while carrying the bags.

I shook my head. "Yeah she's dead," I said lowly as I walked behind her.

***

"You what?!" August yelled as he paused the video game we were playing.

I put the joystick on his living room table. "I'm serious man. I heard Beyonce's voice when Gwen and I went grocery shopping today," I said then I took a sip of my beer.

August ran his fingers through his hair. "Nigga, how is that possible? She kicked the bucket ten years ago," he said then he ate some of the chips that I brought to his crib. "You sure you ain't smoking something?"

"I'm serious man. I heard her and I heard her three times," I defended myself.

"So you're trying to tell me that you're hearing the dead now?"

I shrugged. "I guess...unless," I said lowly.

August furrowed his eyebrows. "Unless what?"

"What if Beyonce never died? Think about it man, her body was never found. It is possible that she's still alive," I said.

He shook his head. "I don't know man. Anyways, have you talked to Gwen yet?"

I slouched on the couch and rubbed my temples. "Not yet but imma tell her soon because I can't keep living like this," I said.

August then took a sip of his beer. "Some shits are fucked up man," he said then he took another sip of his beer.

"Hey Shawn," Nicki said as she entered the living room carrying a bowl of grapes.

"Hey Nicki," I smiled at her.

August held her hand and pulled her closer to him. She stood in front of him. "Am I invincible to you now?" August smiled at her.

"Boy bye, I seen you. You're just being dramatic," she said and she popped a grape in her mouth.

"Can I get me a grape?" He licked his lips. He pulled her closer and she straddled his lap.

"Nope," she said and she popped another grape.

"Why you gotta be so difficult ma?" He smiled and he started tickling her.

"Fine! Have some grapes!" Nicki said through her laughter. He stopped and she fed him some grapes. "You're such a big baby Mr Alsina," she said as she continued feeding him.

"Nah, you're the one with the baby Mrs Alsina," he said rubbing her flat stomach.

She chuckled. "Nigga, I ain't pregnant," she said.

"You will be very soon," he wiggled his eyebrows and he smashed his lips onto hers.

"And that's my cue. Imma leave before y'all do something nasty," I said getting up.

August gave me a thumbs up as him and Nicki continued sucking each other's faces.

I swear those two are forever stuck in the 'honeymoon phase'. They make marriage seem easy.