Thread by @Airdorf

You get a temp job at a big Halloween supply store, the kind that always takes over empty retail space. Around 4:00p on the 31st, you arrive to start your shift. You know it’s going to be a big night, but there’s hardly anyone in the store.

You and your co-worker are standing around by the cash registers, occasionally helping the rare customer but mostly joking around and checking your phones. You think it’s kind of cute how she sings along to “Monster Mash” which plays on the store sound system.

Actually, the store music playlist is kind of limited so you end up hearing “Monster Mash” several times every hour when the playlist loops. It becomes kind of an inside joke, with you and your co-worker singing along and doing cheesy dance moves every time it plays.

After a while, however, the shift drags on, and you get less and less enthusiastic about hearing “The Monster Mash” yet again.

But she doesn’t.

Every time the song comes on she dances more and more energetically and imitates the vocals with greater authenticity. You start to get weirded out as her movements become more grotesque. It’s like she goes into a trance whenever the song comes on.

The next few times the song comes on her dancing becomes almost awkwardly contorted. You try telling her to chill but she either ignores you or shoots you annoyed looks. Afterwards she complains that her neck hurts.

At this point you’re actually trying to avoid being near her whenever you know the song is about to play on the ever-looping store playlist. Then you find her in the middle of one of the isles, staring at a plastic butcher knife, softly whispering the lyrics to herself.

You grab her shoulder which kind of snaps her out of it. She looks pale, like she’s going to be sick or something. She says something about restocking some items and rushes into the stockroom.

You go back to the register, a little weirded out by what just happened. A few minutes pass by... then you hear a strange muffled sound.

You turn the volume of the store sound system down (stupid Monster Mash) as you listen carefully. Yes, you can definitely hear something coming from the stockroom. Is that your co-worker?

You make your way to the back, where you can hear what sounds like display shelves falling over and merchandise being flung around. You can hear your co-worker more clearly now.

She’s screaming the lyrics to “Monster Mash”.

Should you go back to the register? Call the police? Get your phone out and film her? You step into the aisle where all the horrible noise is coming from. You catch a glimpse of your coworker in the dim fluorescent light. You let out an uncontrollable gasp.

Your co-worker’s limbs are impossibly bent, warped, and crooked. Her forearms dangle from broken elbow joints. Her head is stuck at a right angle from the base of her neck. Her knees are double-hinged.

She shuffles toward you with surprising speed.

You run with all your strength out of the stockroom, through the aisles of leering Halloween masks, costumes, and decorations. “Monster Mash” is playing so loud it’s deafening. As you reach the exit, something smacks into your shoulder from behind.

You turn around briefly, your heart pounding. It’s a fake plastic butcher knife.

You reach your car and drive home. You call the police who search the Halloween store. It’s a total mess, but they find nobody inside. Nothing appeared to be taken except the CD which had the store playlist on it. 🎃