Fever dream

The fluorescent lights of the grocery store hummed, casting a sickly yellow glow on the empty aisles. Hayden Marks pushed through the automatic doors, a paper bag rustling with his sisters' forgotten lunch. He squinted, his eyes adjusting from the bright afternoon sun.
A few steps inside, he froze. Near the self-checkout, a group of stern-faced men in dark suits stood, their presence too sharp for the mundane setting. In the center, a man with cold, calculating eyes surveyed the scene, his gaze unwavering. And then Hayden saw them.
His sisters, Beth and Annie, and their friend Ruby, stood pale and trembling, caught in the harsh spotlight of confrontation. The paper bag slipped from Hayden's fingers, hitting the tiled floor with a soft thud. His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat echoing the sudden, chilling realization: this wasn't just about a robbery. This was about something far more dangerous.