The aisles of the IKEA store were empty and silent. Row upon row of appliances and furniture sat neatly arranged, but for whom? No one had been in or out for years. Despite this, everything seemed properly maintained. Most of the store was dimly lit, with only a few aisles fully illuminated. The footsteps of four teens echoed through the empty space as they moved cautiously, not wanting to disturb the eerie stillness. The air was stale, carrying the kind of emptiness found in places untouched by living things—a dulling, suffocating silence.
A young girl with blonde hair tucked into a skull cap and hoodie crept forward, wielding a flashlight. She was followed by three other teens around the same age. One of them whispered to her urgently, "Amber… Amber!"
"What?" she snapped, turning sharply to look at the anxious boy behind her.
"What exactly are we looking for? And how long do you think it'll take to find it?" The boy was a stack of cards ready to crumble, his flashlight beam jittering as he scanned the surroundings.
Amber huffed at the question, peeking around the corner. "Look, if you're scared, then go back and sit with the adults. They've all given up anyway. I'm gonna find a way out of here. I'm done listening to that prick, Ash."
"He's only trying to keep us safe, you know."
She scoffed. "More like keep us trapped here. If we keep taking orders from him, we'll never get out. Besides, he used to work for those SCP folks, didn't he? For all we know, he's been ordered to make sure we never leave."
Another teen stepped ahead to catch up with Amber. "She's right. All the adults are too scared to actually try anymore. If we don't do something soon, we'll all die in here."
"But—" the boy began, but he was cut off by the teen at the back.
"Guys?" she called, her flashlight beam fixed on the aisle behind them.
Amber turned around, frustrated. "What is it now?"
The boy shone his light down the aisle behind them. Nothing seemed out of place, yet a sense of dread crept over them all. The other girl approached cautiously, shining her flashlight in the same direction. "We just came from the electronics section, right?"
Amber paused, sweeping her light around the area in disbelief. She pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket—a makeshift map. Examining it with urgency, she glanced up occasionally, her brow furrowing. "This can't be right."
"What do you mean? You said you'd been out this far before."
"I have!" she snapped, throwing her hands out in frustration. "I just… I just need a minute."
With each glance at the map and their surroundings, her frustration grew. It seemed the store had changed. The section they had left moments ago was now filled with lighting fixtures. The other girl hesitated before speaking again. "We aren't… lost, are we?"
The boy panicked, throwing his hands over his head. "I knew we shouldn't have come out here! We don't even know how to get back."
"Would you calm down? We've still got time to get back, but this'll be for nothing if we don't find something that can get us out."
Suddenly, there was a loud chum.
They froze, watching as a distant light flickered off. Then another. The boy turned to Amber, his face pale with dread. "This is bad… They're closing the store! We shouldn't be here!"
The lights continued to shut off one by one, darkness creeping closer with each extinguished aisle. The echo of each chum grew more rapid, and they all glanced upward as the lights directly above them went out, plunging them into pitch blackness.
Silence enveloped them, each teen trembling as they clutched their flashlights. The anxious boy crouched, his hands over his head. "We're gonna die here. It's only a matter of time until they find us."
Amber kneeled in front of him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, we can figure this out. We just gotta go back the way we came. They can change the aisles all they want, but I know which direction to go. If we move now, we should be fine."
"Then we need to move… now," said one of the other teens.
Amber stood up, adjusting her satchel. "Right…" She extended her hand to the frightened boy. "C'mon. We've gotta get moving."
He took her hand and stood, composing himself as best he could. Though still frightened, Amber's words seemed to have steadied him. They slowly made their way to the end of the aisle, when they heard a noise from a few rows over—sluggish, heavy footsteps. The boy at the front immediately turned off his flashlight and crouched low to the floor. "It's one of them!" he whispered urgently.
They all switched off their lights and huddled together. The boy was about to scream when another footstep sounded. Amber clamped her hand over his mouth, her own fear rising. A creature resembling a human in an IKEA uniform shuffled slowly past the end of the aisle. It had no face, and its arms were unnaturally long, with large hands that almost dragged along the floor. The uniform seemed fused to its skin. It didn't appear to notice them, muttering in a twisted, unnatural voice, "The store is now closed. Please exit the building."
The boy's breathing quickened beneath Amber's tightening grip. One of the teens suddenly lost their nerve, standing up with panic in their eyes. "Screw this, I'm out of here," he blurted, turning to run in the opposite direction—only to realize someone was behind them.
His flashlight clattered to the ground, illuminating a towering figure—a featureless face loomed over him. The creature tilted its head slightly. Then came the loud, distorted voice, "THE STORE IS NOW CLOSED! PLEASE EXIT THE BUILDING!"
It grabbed the boy with its large hands, lifting him off the ground as the others watched in horror. An unseen slit opened across the creature's face, revealing bristle-like teeth. The boy struggled, reaching out desperately. "I can't get loose… It won't let go! Help—"
His plea was cut short as the monster opened its mouth wider, biting his head off. Blood poured over the remaining teens as the boy's body went limp. The other boy screamed, scrambling to his feet and slipping in the blood as he ran. Amber stood frozen, covered in blood, her mind unable to process what she had just seen.
Another scream echoed. The boy who had run fell to the ground in an attempt to stop. At the end of the aisle, another faceless creature peered around the corner. "The store is now closed. Please exit the building."
The boy tried to crawl away, but the creature's hand reached out, grabbing his foot. "Billy, NO!" the other girl shouted, lunging to help.
But it was too late. The monster dragged him around the corner. His cries for help echoed down the aisle, abruptly silenced by a sickening crunch and splatter. His severed body parts were thrown carelessly to the floor.
Amber and the remaining girl sat back-to-back, trembling as two more monsters closed in. One creature's arm morphed into a spear, the other's into an axe.
"Billy… Max… they're both…" the girl whimpered, her voice breaking.
The creatures drew nearer. Amber was paralyzed, but something snapped her back to reality. She grabbed the girl's arm and yanked her to her feet just as the first creature struck, missing them by inches.
"We have to go, Liz!" she shouted, pulling her friend away.
They stumbled through the aisles, desperately trying to find the shelter. All around them, it was just more furniture, more appliances… and more monsters lurking at every turn.
"This is bullshit! It's like they just appear out of nowhere!" Amber cried as they ran.
Suddenly, something yanked them to a halt. Amber's hand slipped from Liz's grasp as she fell to the floor. "Liz, come on! We can't—"
Her voice died as she looked up to see Liz standing motionless, a flesh-colored spike jutting from her chest. Blood gushed from her mouth as she was hoisted into the air, tears streaming down her cheeks as the life drained from her eyes.
"Liz!" Amber reached out, but the monster flung her friend's body aside and turned its attention to her. She was surrounded. There was nowhere left to run. She closed her eyes and screamed as one of the creatures reached for her.
"You should keep your hands to yourself!"
A voice rang out, followed by the sound of metal slicing through flesh. Amber opened her eyes to see a figure with a tattered red sash and long brown hair standing in front of her, wielding a large weapon. He had cut down the monster before it could reach her.
A woman's voice echoed from the distance. "Eradicate them all!"
A devilish grin spread across the man's face as his body glowed with a red aura that pulsed down to his weapon. "With pleasure," he replied, lunging at the incoming creatures.
…
She watched in confusion and shock. She should have been dead by now—how had they found her? Amidst the chaos, she spotted the woman giving orders, accompanied by a man with mechanical arms. He walked toward her, calm and composed, while the other man continued to wreak havoc. Kneeling in front of her, he extended a hand.
"Are you alright, miss? You're not hurt, are you?"
She couldn't respond. Tears welled in her eyes, and her face was smeared with her friend's blood. She stared at him, speechless. The woman spoke again, her voice authoritative. "Cain, make sure no harm comes to her while we clean up this mess. Abel should be able to handle this on his own."
And handle it, he did. The monsters charged at him one by one, their limbs twisted into makeshift weapons. As one approached from behind, swinging axe-like blades, it managed to land a cut on his back. The wound only seemed to enrage him. He turned slowly to face the creature, his eyes now glowing like pits of burning red. With a vicious swing of his sword, he cleaved the monster in two.
More of the creatures closed in, some even climbing the shelves to get a better angle. It didn't matter. He cut through them with powerful slashes, reducing each one to lifeless remains. In moments, he stood alone in a field of their corpses.
Amber could hardly believe her eyes. She had thought the IKEA monsters terrifying—until the real monster showed up and annihilated them all. Abel made the creatures seem as fragile as mannequins. As the immediate danger passed, the reality of her friends' deaths came crashing back into her mind. Every gruesome detail flooded her memory, and she broke down into uncontrollable sobs and screams.
Amalia placed a hand on Amber's shoulder, crouching down to meet her eyes. She gave Amber a moment to catch her breath. "I know this is overwhelming, but I need you to focus, okay? We're not out of the woods yet."
Amber tried to steady her breathing, but the weight of grief made it hard to speak. "I—I watched them all die… right in front of me," she said, clutching her satchel so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Cain stepped closer, urgency in his voice. "We should hurry. I doubt that was the last of them."
"Let them come," Abel cut in, his eyes burning with lingering fury from the fight. "I'm just getting warmed up!"
Amalia shot him a sharp, irritated look before turning her attention back to Amber. The girl was fragile, on the edge of breaking. Amalia leaned closer, speaking gently but firmly. "You need to calm down, sweetheart. I have questions, and we don't have much time."
Amber took a shaky breath, gradually slowing her breathing until her trembling lips stilled. Her grip on the satchel relaxed, and soon she was able to speak without choking on her words. "O-okay. What do you need to know?"
"First, are there others here with you? And if so… where can we find them?"
Amber hesitated, locking eyes with Amalia. She could sense that Amalia was from the Foundation, but oddly, distrust never crossed her mind. Realizing she had paused too long, Amber shook herself back to the moment. "There's a shelter—a place those monsters never go. That's where the others are hiding."
"I see," Amalia said. "Can you show us where this shelter is?"
Amber shook her head. "I drew a map to help us find our way back. But it's not reliable. The store—it changes."
She handed Amalia the map. Amalia and Cain studied it while Amber slowly got to her feet, still shaken by the trauma. Amalia frowned, confusion clouding her expression. "This map—it's nonsense."
"That's what I mean," Amber explained. "They change the layout to keep us lost. No one's ever escaped. No one."
"What kind of shelter is it?" Cain asked, eyes still on the paper.
"It's an old janitor's closet. They never go there. It's been our refuge since Ash found us."
Amalia's curiosity piqued. She turned to Amber, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "This Ash—who is he?"
Amber looked surprised. "You don't know him? Isn't he one of yours? A Foundation member?"
Amalia quickly scanned her clipboard, flipping through files until she found what she was looking for. Her eyes landed on a record of a Class-D operative sent into the IKEA months ago. "Asher Cruz," she muttered, enlarging his photo. "Ex-mercenary. Sentenced to death for grand terrorism, but recruited by the Foundation just before his execution."
Cain's expression darkened. "The Foundation uses condemned criminals as expendable resources—test subjects and labor."
Amalia turned back to Amber. "So, Ash has been keeping you all safe?"
Amber shrugged. "If you can call it that. But I don't know how to get back now. And I'm not sure I even want to, after what happened to my friends. They'll blame me… for leading them out here."
Amalia's gaze softened as she placed a comforting hand on Amber's shoulder. "You acted on what you thought was best. Your friends believed in you; that's why they followed."
Her words seemed to bring Amber some small comfort though she still seemed shaken up. Amalia took the map from Cain and handed it back to her. "Can you use this still? It's imperative that we find the others."
"I can try." Amber replied—looking around for a place to start. "It's this way."
She slowly began walking as the others followed behind her. Abel was reluctant to leave and possibly miss out on a round two with the IKEA monsters, but none had showed up yet. After an hour of walking they found themselves at what seemed like the back of the store. It looked like a fortress of shelves and furniture had been gathered in front of a door. Amber stopped for some reason, but Cain and Abel continued forward. She then yelled out to them in a whisper. "Wait!"
It was too late. Cain's foot tripped a wire causing the shelf to their right to come falling down in their direction. He quickly braced himself as the shelf fell—spilling appliances all around him. Another shelf was rigged with a wire that was tied to a large couch. It snapped causing the couch to come flying at Abel. He quickly summoned his blade and cut the couch in two before it could make contact with them. Suddenly beams of light began shining down on all of them. There was a silhouette of a man atop one of the shelves—holding what looked like a makeshift bow with a flashlight attached.
"Not another step!" The man yelled out.
Amber steps forward waving her arms. "Wait!" She yelled. "There with me, Ash!"
The man lowers his weapon—squinting his eyes at the group until he saw the girl. Once the light was no longer facing them, they could make out the figure. It was man with almond colored skin—covered in what looked like battle scars. He had dark and messy hair that stopped at his neck, with bangs that fell just below the eyes. His brow began furrow once he notice who she was.
"Amber, is that you?" He asked. "I'm surprised you made it back alive—sneaking off like that. Where are the other kids? It was four of you missing."
Her head immediately dropped—her eyes now beaming at the floor. Her fists tightened as she braced herself. She knew he would be furious once he heard her answer. "They—they didn't make it. We were attacked by those…things. I wouldn't have made it back if these people didn't show up."
His eyes widened with rage. "Are you fucking kidding me, Amber?! I warned you about this, and now people are dead! What are you going to tell their parents? Did you even think about that?"
"I…" She shuddered. "I thought that…"
The man saw the terror in her eyes as she struggled to explain herself. He realized in that moment that whatever happened out there—whatever she saw, must have been truly horrifying. He took a deep breath to calm himself. He was suddenly overcome with pity for the girl. Despite her constant disobedience and rebellious attitude, she was still a child—a child who just been through a living nightmare. Amalia stepped forward to speak. "And you must be Mr. Cruz, I presume."
"Yeah that's me," he responded while taking out a cigarette and lighting it. "And you are?"
"My name is Amalia Van Leewen. I'm with the foundation."
"Is that so?" He pondered. "You three must be on the foundations shit list if they sent you in here. Sorry to say…but there's no getting out of here now."
He then looked out at Cain and Abel who were surveying the immediate area. He noticed the collars around their necks—the same ones placed around him and the other Class-D operatives sent into the SCP months ago, but something was different about them. They did not bare the look of death row prisoners, nor that of anyone from this time period for that matter. "And those two," He said pointing in their direction. "Who are they supposed to be?"
"They're with me. For now let's consider them fellow operatives." She answered—slightly annoyed at all the questions. "I'm sure you know the risks of us standing right outside your hold. Could we maybe continue this inside?"
He took a moment to think it over. He didn't like the circumstances, nor was he enthused about more mouths to feed, but this had the makings of new opportunities and possibilities. That alone was too much to ignore given their current lack of options.
"Fine," He said—releasing smoke from his nostrils. "But I'm only doing this because you saved our Amber here. I should let you know,…no one here, including myself trusts or wants anything to do with the foundation."
Amalia smirked slightly, knowing this was the most likely disposition to have in his predicament. "I completely understand darling, but I'm sure we'll all get along just fine."
Chapter end—