22 days in...

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The sound of a single shopping cart echoed through the desolate aisles as an unknown entity pushed it along.

'How long has it been since I arrived in this strange place? I'm slowly starting to lose track of time. It's been 22 days and 8 hours so far, as for minutes and seconds… The time itself may be uncertain. I never feel hungry, don't need to drink to function, never sleep, always awake.'

The entity pondered as it strolled through the market. It stopped to stock the empty shelves.

Gently gripping a glass bottle from the cart, a faint reflection danced on its surface. The entity gazed at its obsidian-like visage, its thoughts delving into the abyss of uncertainty. Then, with a deliberate grace, it returned the bottle to its place. The process repeated until the shelves were full.

'I do not know who or what I am. Where am I, or who brought me here? How did I get here? Questions and more start to surface the longer I stay here. I should be insane by now, but... something or someone is keeping me sane. Telling me what to do. It's as if my body is at their command, and I follow up on their request.' The entity continued to restock the aisle until only one bottle remained, which it picked up and carefully positioned in its rightful place.

Seeing that the shelf was complete, the entity guided its shopping cart to the next destination. The cart's wheels echoed softly on the floor, and later, entering another aisle, this one was lined with mirrors. The figure came to a halt, compelled to inspect its own reflection.

The black shadow-like figure had the body of a male human, though ridiculously tall. Its height measured a staggering 14 feet tall due to its abnormally long limbs; its physique leaned towards the skinny side of the scale, with ribs evident if it were to remove its attire. A void-like absence replaced its facial features, giving it an eerie presence.

The entity wore a light blue polo shirt coupled with a pine green apron that had a singular Blank name tag on its left chest. Completing the uniform were black pants and a pen securely fastened to a pocket.

With a smart phone held by its long, claw-like hands, the entity stared at its reflection, a ritual it had performed countless times before. 'I often come here to check on my appearance; it remains unchanged. The only thing that I know is that I was brought here to work and manage the place.'

Raising the device, the entity checked its tasks. Two were marked as completed, including the most recent of restocking an empty shelf. It's next task is organizing the products by brand on an aisle.

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The humming sound of the shopping cart continued until the entity left it in the cart corral, no longer needed. He walked to his next destination as two more tasks were left.

'I tried escaping once but the doors won't budge, I tried every method to break that motion-sensored glass door, but my efforts were futile. I tried to find other escape routes only to know that I was led to even more aisles. The more I walked, the more it led me to even more sections with an abundance of unknown and bizarre items that I cannot recall from the faint memory that I have. I kept on walking for hours, and there was no end to it. That confirmed the suspicion that I was trapped, all alone.'

Arriving at the disordered chip aisle, a mishmash of colors and brands awaited. The meticulous work of organization commenced, starting from the right and progressing methodically to the left.

'So far, I've seen a few that have entered this place from that unbreakable door. Four is what I can tell from memory; their appearances differed; some were strange, while some looked human. For me to see it as normal tells me that I, too, was once a human.'

The entity tried to recall the appearances of past visitors. The first newcomer was a peculiar one. A round human with a brown beard, wearing a white polo shirt and jeans. Strangely, he had an aluminum pan on his head and spoke incoherently. The strangest part was that the entity could understand him as if he spoke the language himself.

The odd guest, without a single inquiry into the worker's identity, placed an order for a taco. The entity guided him to the appropriate aisle, wielding the same device. As far as he knew, this gadget was used to appraise or find a specific item's location as its current functions.

Without any warning whatsoever, the man reached out to devour the taco. An obsidian hand shot out and intervened just in time, blocking the way to his mouth and preventing him from indulging prematurely. The entity gestured for him to pay, to which he readily agreed.

They made their way to the cashier's counter, where the unruly visitor was asked to drop off any valuables that he might have on him as payment for his item. What he had was a few scraps, a map that led to somewhere, and a few silver coins. These offerings mysteriously vanished, replaced by an approving mark displayed on the cashier machine's screen. It seemed enough to cover the cost of a simple snack.

The person then left through the door with a simple taco in his hand. Leaving the store clerk alone with his thoughts once more, the entity pondered upon the purpose of the map that was left behind. It was a mystery, one he was curious to know more about.

The remaining two visitors, however, reacted differently, fleeing in alarm upon catching sight of the gangly clerk who could only watch their retreating figures. Their appearances were indeed peculiar. They arrived a few days after the initial customer, each at a distinct time.

The first visitor took the form of a flower. It possessed yellow petals, a green stem, and a white androecium adorned with distinct facial features. An initial smile graced its countenance, which then turned to fright.

The second, an even stranger sight, resembled a small pink dog. Its terror was palpable as it emitted a loud scream before bolting away in frantic haste.

The fourth and latest of visits was quite something. He was a handsome young man with brown hair that fell just below his brows and eyes of a similar color. His attire consisted of a white winter coat over a shirt, complemented by formal beige khaki pants. He had an above-average height and was decent in terms of physique for a human.

The encounter was quite the surprise for him, though he was not as shocked as a regular human should be, perhaps he might have seen stranger things than a 14 foot tall hypermarket attendant? The man had his pen drop, hitting the ground, followed by a piece of paper sticking out of his coat pocket as he fell on the ground.

The entity's gaze shifted towards the paper that was peeking out of the pocket, it had something written on it, but he could only make out three letters.

'Nao, I wonder what that could be.' He couldn't help but wonder about the significance of "Nao." But he set his curiosity aside for the moment. Instead, the store clerk extended a helping hand to the fallen man, who surprisingly accepted the assistance.

As he was pulled upright, silence enveloped them for a full 15 seconds, the only sound being the subtle ticking of the newcomer's watch, its delicate clockwork keeping time in this strange domain.

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Tick. Tick. Tick.

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Breaking the lingering quietude, a courteous welcome was extended to the man, a melodic voice echoed through the heavy atmosphere of silence that had fallen upon them. The entity's tone was calm and measured, aimed to avoid startling his guest. He placed a hand gently on his chest and offered a slight bow, a gesture of respect. The man observed the tall creature's actions with caution, which was evident in his scrutinizing gaze.

"Welcome to the Market. How may I assist?"

"This place, what exactly is it?" the guest inquired, his voice betraying no trepidation.

"From what I have experienced, this is an Endless market. Is there anything you wish to look for?" he replied, returning from his bowing gesture.

The man stood quietly for a couple of seconds, "What exactly are you?" he questioned, his gaze boring into the clerk's featureless face.

"I, myself, do not know; perhaps at a later time, I might find out," he replied.

Contemplating the response, he continued with another query, "An endless market? If I were to guess, this place may consist of abnormal and peculiar items. Your uncertainty about your identity implies that you are a servant, or one amongst the servants, entrusted with managing this strange place." His eyes scanned their surreal surroundings especially noticing the odd horizon point at the end.

A gentle nod acknowledged his perception. "You are correct," the worker affirmed, "this place harbors an array of bizarre items, ranging from basic to extraordinary. As for being a servant, it is true, but to whom I serve, I do not know. I merely adhere to the directives given to me."

A few seconds of silence took over before the man asked "Is it possible for me to return if I were to leave this place?"

"I am uncertain. As of now, those who left have yet to return. You are the fourth visitor I have encountered."

Turning away, the man retrieved his fallen pen, tucking it neatly into one of his coat pockets. He approached the entrance, seemingly ready to exit. However, before leaving, he glanced back, turning his head slightly to the side. "I look forward to meeting you at a later time." prompting a single nod from the entity.

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The sound of the final potato chip wrapper being carefully positioned filled the otherwise undisturbed air of silence. The entity then rose from his crouched posture, marking the completion of the third task on the device. As he was prepared to read the last task.

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Beep beep.

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 An unexpected noise sounded from the entrance.

 'A visitor. I wonder who it might be this time.'

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