A story from my friend

While this story is short, I figured you guys would like this.

I think everyone has at least one friend in their group that always says completely ridiculous shit. That was Mackenzie for us. We live in a small, really redneck southern Alabama town where weird shit constantly happens but no one bats an eye because it at least gives us something to gossip over other than someone else's personal business. While I have several stories to recount from my friends (and even my own personal experiences); this one is the most fresh in my mind. Every weekend, my friends and I meet at someone's house to toke and catch up on what we've been up to since we rarely see (or speak to) each other during the week. The best part of these weekend meetings is hearing the weird stories my friends tend to come back with; especially Mackenzie. Known as the wild card, nothing she says really surprises anyone anymore. What really caught my attention about this story in particular is not how scary it is, but more of how realistic and unsettling it is. Mackenzie is the only friend of ours who is still in high school; and has a yearly sports banquet she has to attend since she plays softball. For said banquet, she went dress shopping at a smaller store on the outskirts of town known for its cheap prices. This is how she describes the experience, put in her own words as best as I possibly can:

Pulling up to this place itself gave me the creeps. Everyone told me to go for the prices so I figured I might as well check it out. It was a solid 30 minutes from my house, and I had completely free schedule with it being Saturday and whatnot. There wasn't a single car there. Weird, I thought to myself. Maybe the people working park in the back to keep parking spots open. As I approached the door, wind outside rapped against the windows and just set the mood of just... I don't know, creepiness. I went ahead and went inside. It was eerily silent, and the lighting was totally shitty. I went around the first and felt my heart drop into my butt when I caught a glimpse of what I thought was a person, but was actually just an extremely creepy mannequin. "Hello?" No answer, of course. I turned again to find myself 6 feet away from an extremely pale woman, with a jet black pixie cut and a sullen face. She didn't say a single word, until I managed to croak out, "Um, sorry, I'm a bit jumpy. I'm just here to find a dress for my banquet at school. Is there a clearance rack here?" She blinked, before saying in a deep, raspy tone; "You can browse upstairs." Erm, alright. A chill ran down my spine when I realized how stiff she was, and how I never fucking heard her walking towards me. I walked into the back section of the store, with the overwhelming feeling of just getting the absolute fuck out of there. A feeling lingered in the air, like... I can really only compare it to how being watched feels, even though that sounds ridiculous. I wasn't even in this woman's gaze and I still felt her beady eyes on me. I browsed a few more sections before making my way to the other racks across the room, and locked eyes with that freaky fucking woman. She had not moved a single inch. She had a weird smile on her face, like she was aware of how much she was weirding me out and liked it. She only moved to rotate; to keep eyes on me as I made my way to the other dresses. "What color do you think would look best on me?" My attempt to make small talk was futile. She just stared, with that same fucking smile. She was so fucking creepy, y'all. I asked again, thinking maybe she didn't hear me the first time. Instead of a verbal response, she fucking blinked at me. Again. Whatever," I whispered under my breath. Creepy old bitch. At this point, I swear to you, I heard a clicking noise. Like the kind you can make with your tongue when you suck air back and pull you tongue back down quickly from the roof of your mouth. Something in my head told me not to turn around. At this point, I knew deep down, she was not human. At this point of the story, everyone in the room stopped Mackenzie's story.

"There's no fucking way," my other friend Rachel interrupted. The rest of us agreed. "How do you know someone isn't a human being?" "You wouldn't get the feeling until you've felt it yourself; you just know. Now shut the fuck up and let me finish my story;" Mackenzie then continued:

Anyway, I immediately felt sick. I wasn't sure what she/it was, but I knew it wasn't good. I turned slowly, and the clicking stopped as soon as we made eye contact again. I felt bold; so I asked her: "What are you?" Her smile grew wider. Her response chilled me further; "I am human." I felt sick. There was no way in goddamn hell that she was. I clutched my phone as I headed towards the door; hearing that fucking clicking noise. "Goodbye," she called after me, her voice sounding strained, as if she were choking for air. The clicking got louder. I didn't turn around; I got in my car and hauled ass back home. And that's how I ended up wearing the same goddamn dress to banquet two years in a row.

We all laughed, except for my friend Sienna, whose normally cheerful had turned white and full of dread. I must've been the first to notice, because once I asked her what had her looking so terrified; everyone else drew their attention to her as well. "Mackenzie, that place you went to... Well, I've been before. And I know the schedule. They're closed on Saturdays."