//5:15 PM//
Leo and his mother found themselves in their usual supermarket doing the weekly groceries. Aisle after aisle, the shopping cart filled up more and more, crossing items off their shopping list. Leo was desperately anticipating the candy and sweets aisle. He knew his mother always lets him choose one type of candy he wanted to take home for the week. Thinking about liquorice, gummy bears, and even chocolate candy bars. Leo just could not wait to be at the candy and sweets aisle. Seconds felt like minutes, and Leo nearly imagined all the types of candy he could choose to take home. [[The candy and sweets aisle]] //5:20 PM//
After what felt like an eternity Leo and his mom finally arrived at the candy and sweets aisle. Leo kept second-guessing his final decision while looking at the majestic wall filled with delicious sweets. 'If I choose a pack of wine gums, I have way more than one candy!' thought Leo. 'But I like chocolate so much though...' thought Leo when he looked at a big Mars bar. In the same manner, Leo went over all the candy in front of him. Leo found himself not being able to choose and decided to do what he always does when he can't choose. 'I'll just ask Mom!' said Leo out loud. Usually, when he says this phrase out loud, his mom would immediately say: 'You have to learn to decide for yourself Leo. Think it over once more.' [[Leo realises what has happend]] //5:22 PM//
'Huh, she didn't respond, so she might help this time!' thought Leo. Snapping out of his hyper-focused gaze on the wall full of candy, Leo turned around to ask his mother what he should choose. Leo noticed his mother was not behind him, and he got confused and a little irritated. 'Where is she? I thought we had everything on our shopping list.' mumbled Leo softly. In search of his mother, he gazed left and right, but his mother was nowhere to be found. Leo tried to remember if his mother had said something to him while gazing at the wall full of candy. But he could remember no such thing. 'Ah, she must have forgotten something and is probably picking that up right now. She'll be back soon.' Leo thought. [[Still no sign of mom]]//5:30 PM//
Leo told himself to wait a few more minutes. 'She'll be back soon. I should not start wandering. Otherwise, she won't be able to find me.' Leo again turned around to check out all the candy since he had more time to think about his impossible choice. Leo quickly looked to his left and to his right to see if someone was watching. 'No one is here! I should taste one candy. I have never seen that one before.' Leo thought. He quickly rips open a bag of candy and takes one out. The moment he started chewing Leo suddenly hears someone moving a shopping cart right around the corner. 'Finally, that must be her!' Leo mumbled while chewing on his candy. He looked to his right and anticipated seeing his mother coming right around the corner. [[The shopping cart]]
//5:31 PM//
The sound of the traveling shopping cart suddenly vanished, and no one appeared around the corner. Leo suddenly got an eerie feeling as he noticed no sound at all. Some minutes ago, the supermarket was bustling and noisy, but Leo did not see a thing earlier. After all, he only thought about the delicious goods still waiting for him. 'Mom?' He softly whispered with a quivering voice. It must have been at least ten minutes since he entered the candy and sweets aisle. Leo got anxious and decided to walk to the next aisle, hoping to find his mother. Or anyone, for that matter, since it seemed like there was no one in the supermarket. [[The next aisle]]//5:32 PM//
While walking to the next aisle, Leo also looked at the reflection of the mirrors that he noticed were hanging at the butcher's spot. Leo could look at the next aisle through the mirrors and saw a glimpse of something moving. Leo could not make out what it was that he saw moving. Even more anxious, Leo carefully walked around the corner to walk into the next aisle. While walking around the corner, he noticed the big sign that hung above the aisle. The next aisle was the non-foods aisle. [[Non-food goods]]//5:35 PM//
Expecting to see someone again, Leo walked into the non-food aisle with a sense of relief. His sense of relief quickly turned into anxiety again when he noticed that there was no one in the next aisle. Leo picked up his pace and ran through the whole non-goods aisle. 'Where is everybody? There were at least ten people in front of us!' Leo thought. Leo saw no trace of anyone in the non-goods aisle and started to run through the whole store. He was desperately hoping to find his mom. 'Is anyone here?!' Leo screamed while running through all the different aisles. [[The last aisle]]//5:50 PM//
Eventually, Leo found himself at the end of the supermarket's final aisle. Leo stopped walking and started to feel very anxious. 'Come on mom, it's not funny anymore. You can stop playing hide and seek now!' Leo screamed anxiously. The moment Leo finished his sentence, all the lights in the store turned off. Leo was shocked and stood still like frozen water. A few seconds later, different lights turn on. Leo noticed that the lights were dim, just like stores have at night. Suddenly Leo started to hear a soft sound, reminding him of mice gnawing on something. [[Gnawing]]//5:51 PM//
Leo decided to investigate the sound as it was the only sound in the store at that moment. He turned around and slowly started walking back down the aisle again. A couple steps later, he could hear the sound crystal clear. It indeed sounded like a rodent gnawing on something. To his left was a rack that had all different kinds of nuts. It seemed like the gnawing sound came from a bag of pecan nuts. Leo climbed up the lower shelve to get a better look at the bag of pecan nuts. Leo saw that the bag was slightly moving, and he was positive something small was inside it, eating the nuts. [[Grabbing the bag]]//5:55 PM/
As curious as Leo was, he decided to grab the bag of pecan nuts from the shelve to see what was in it. As he pulled the bag out of the shelves, he was startled by the movement inside the bag and dropped it. Quickly Leo jumped down from the shelves he was standing on and kneeled down next to the bag of pecan nuts. Suddenly, a small mouse ran out of the bag and started to run further down the aisle. Leo tried to follow the mouse and ran to keep up with it since it was almost out of sight. As he followed the mouse, he walked past the entrance door of the supermarket. He snapped out of his goal to follow the mouse and realized his mom could be outside waiting for him. [[The front door]]//6:10 PM//
While looking at the mouse, Leo noticed that the mouse took a few steps forward and looked back at Leo. It seemed like the mouse wanted Leo to follow him. So Leo stood up and annoyingly said: 'What are you trying to show me stupid mouse?'. The mouse ran a bit further while still looking around to check if Leo was following him. [[Where to]]//6:00 PM/
'Mom could be waiting at the car!' Leo suddenly shouted. He was positive she would be there and thus tried to open the front doors. Leo was shocked when the doors did not budge. They appeared to be locked. When Leo realised there was no one inside the store and there was no way out, he panicked and started crying. But then, a few seconds later, he noticed the mouse sitting right in front of him. The mouse was just sitting there, looking at Leo. As Leo was frustrated, he slammed the ground to get rid of the mouse. But the mouse sat tight. It almost looked like the mouse was trying to communicate something by squeaking at Leo. [[The mouse]] //6:11 PM//
As the mouse ran further down the store, Leo noticed they were headed to the candy and sweets aisle. Leo shouted to the mouse when the mouse stopped right in front of the shelves where Leo was previously admiring the candy. 'Why did you bring me back to the place where I lost my mother! She is still not here.' [[What now]]//6:25 PM//
The mouse just stood there, looking at Leo with his black marbled eyes. Leo felt his stomach rumble. 'I haven't eaten anything since breakfast, no other than that stupid candy I tasted.' Leo thought. Leo was hungry, and right in front of all the candy he so much loved, and decided he was going to eat some candy to relieve himself from the hunger. First, Leo ate a Mars bar since that was the one he enjoyed the most. After that, he dove into a bag of liquorice. But then suddenly, he noticed the bag of candy he had opened earlier. [[Stupid candy]]//6:27 PM//
He grabbed the bag of candy he had opened earlier, and right then, at least fifty other mice came running towards him from all directions. Shocked by what was happening, he dropped the bag of candy. All mice stopped around Leo and just looked at him. Leo then looked onto the ground, where he dropped the bag of candy. He noticed that it had dropped and saw an illustration of a mouse on the back of the bag. While inspecting it more closely, he saw text written under the illustration. 'ANTI MOUSE CANDY', the text said. 'Anti mouse candy? It seems more like mouse appeal candy.' Leo thought. [[ No candy do ]]//6:30 PM//
Leo wondered about the connection between this candy and all the mice around him. 'Why does this candy have anti mouse candy written on it?' Leo said to all the mice as if they could understand him. One mouse suddenly jumped on his leg as if trying to reach the bag of candy. Leo was startled and dropped the bag of candy once again. This time, some pieces of candy fell out of the bag and dropped to the ground. [[Mouse candy]]//6:32 PM//
Suddenly, all mice ran to the pieces of candy on the floor, and they started gnawing at them. Almost instantly, the mice that ate the candy all turned into humans. The people that turned were shocked as they did not know what had happened. Leo realised what the text on the candy meant and quickly ripped open the bag of candy. Leo was shocked he did not see his mother as all mice were turning into people. [[Mom candy]]//6:40 PM//
Not seeing his mother in the crowd full of people in the candy aisle, he heard the same noise that he had heard earlier. One more mouse was waiting at the store's front door, gazing outside. Leo picked up the mouse and ran it straight to the sweets and candy aisle. 'Only one piece of candy left, please be mom.' Leo whispered to the mouse he was holding. Leo put the mouse on the ground and gave it the final piece of candy. [[Final piece]]//6:45 PM//
'Mom!' he said when the mouse suddenly turned into his mother. Dazy and confused, she asked Leo what had happened. 'I turned you all back into people mom! I saved all of you!' Leo said. His mom confusingly said: 'I do not know what happened, but no more candy for you Leo!'. Leo noticed the regular lights were on again, and music played through the store speakers. 'It doesn't matter, I found mom again.' Leo thought. 'Lets finish the grocery list Leo, it's time to go home.' his mother said. 'One more thing mom!' Leo shouted. Leo picked up the empty bag of anti-mouse candy and stuffed it in his pockets. [[End linear]]
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/pMaWXNP.png" width="500" height="700">
In this short story we follow a narrative in three different ways:
//Non-linear, Semi-linear and Linear//
Follow each narrative to explore what type of style is the most enjoyable to you.
This is the last version of this story.
This is the //lineair// version.
Happy reading!
[[Groceries with mom]]
Everything should have clicked now right?
Could you please fill in a survey regarding your experience on the different storylines?
[[Survey]]
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