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Sarah ran until her chest hurt. She wasn’t even sure where she was going, and she was positive that both David and Benjamin would continue to chase her until they got what they wanted. She needed a way to get them out of her world. But how?

As Sarah passed the derelict supermarket, she noticed the front door was propped open just enough for her squeeze inside. The store had been picked clean fairly early on after the blackout, and Sarah was nervous who or what might be inside. She needed some place to hide, though, and the supermarket was large enough with plenty of shelves and back rooms for her to stay covered. At least for a few minutes.

The market was eerily quiet. Carts were strewn about, and the faint scent of aging produce still lingered. Sarah noticed that some of cash registers were broken, and it looked like all the money was stolen. She laughed to herself. Even though the currency was useless people still wanted to have it.

Sarah headed toward the back of the store where the refrigerated items were kept. The freezers and refrigerators were empty and there was a sourness in the air from spilled, aging dairy. Sarah thought back to the early days of the blackout. She and her father had come to the supermarket to gather supplies. They witnessed at least five fights over milk, cheese, and even frozen waffles, and the remnants of these battles still coated the tile flooring.

There was a store room near the back corner where the employees used to enter and exit with piles of freshly packaged meat. Sarah didn’t want to go into the butchering area, but she felt like it was the farthest point from the front door and gave her time to run if someone approached. As she made her way into the back area, she was pleased to see an emergency exit that probably opened into a parking lot or loading dock. She chose right.

Sarah pulled out the pager and clicked it on. She knew that using it would be a beacon for both Benjamin and David, but if they were able to enter her world, there had to be others like them who might be able to help her.

“They must have a boss or something,” she whispered to herself.

The pager’s welcome message scrolled across the tiny screen. As soon as it cleared, Sarah began typing.

“Take them back,” she keyed. “David and Benjamin are off course. Take them back.”

Sarah stared at the screen, hoping for a response. She had no idea if this would even work. For all she knew, only Benjamin got the messages.

The pager was blank for a long time and Sarah’s heartbeat seemed to echo throughout the empty butcher work area. She began typing again.

“Mission is over. Take them back.”

Just as the tears began to well up in her eyes, the pager flashed.

“Have they gone rogue?”

Sarah frowned not completely understanding what that meant.

“They are chasing me,” she typed. “I’m scared. Make them go away.”

“Don’t move,” the reply stated.

She heard a door screech open.