The Paper Trail of Carrie R. Bag

Carrie R. Bag had always been known as the queen of bargains. Her friends joked that she could smell a sale from a mile away, and her meticulously organized coupon binder was the stuff of legend. To Carrie, shopping was more than a necessity—it was an art form. Every week, she would spend hours scouring flyers, clipping coupons, and plotting her shopping trips with the precision of a military strategist. She delighted in her ability to save money, and her enthusiasm for deals was contagious.

But one fateful day, Carrie's love of bargains led her down a path she could never have anticipated.

It began like any other Saturday. Carrie woke up early, poured herself a cup of coffee, and settled at her kitchen table with her binder and a fresh stack of coupons. This week's deals were particularly enticing, and she had her eye on a few items that were practically free after discounts.

The excitement built as she planned her route through the supermarket, aisle by aisle. By mid-morning, Carrie was ready to embark on her mission.

Carrie arrived at the supermarket, her binder tucked securely under one arm and her reusable bags in the other. The automatic doors whooshed open, and she stepped inside, her heart racing with anticipation. The fluorescent lights hummed overhead as she grabbed a shopping cart and headed toward the first aisle on her list.

For the first hour, everything went smoothly. Carrie ticked items off her list with practiced efficiency, maneuvering her cart like a pro. She greeted the staff and exchanged friendly nods with other shoppers. But as she moved deeper into the store, something began to feel...off. The hum of the lights seemed louder and more oppressive, and the air grew colder. Shadows flickered in her peripheral vision, and she felt the unmistakable sensation of being watched.

Shaking off the unease, Carrie pressed on. She wasn't about to let a case of the jitters ruin her shopping spree. Her cart was nearly full when she reached the canned goods aisle, and her binder was noticeably thinner. Then she spotted it: the deal of the century. A small display at the end of the aisle advertised an unbelievable sale. Her heart skipped a beat as she hurried toward it, her shoes squeaking against the polished floor.

The lights above her flickered violently as Carrie reached for the last item on the display. A chill ran down her spine, and the store seemed to blur around her. Before she could react, everything went dark.

When Carrie opened her eyes, she stood in the same aisle, but something was terribly wrong. The supermarket was eerily silent, the shelves stocked with items she didn't recognize. The labels were faded, the logos distorted, and the air carried a faint, musty smell. Her cart was gone, and her binder was nowhere to be seen.

"Hello?" Carrie called out, her voice echoing through the empty store. She began to walk, her footsteps reverberating in the oppressive silence. She turned a corner and saw a group of shadowy figures huddled near the bakery section. Their outlines were faint as if they were barely clinging to existence.

One of the figures turned toward her. It was a woman, her features pale and spectral. "You're new here," the woman said, her voice soft but hollow. "Welcome to the Othermarket."

"The Othermarket?" Carrie repeated confusion and fear mingling in her chest. "What is this place?"

"It's where shoppers like us end up when we're taken," the woman explained. "The deals, the sales—they're traps. Bait to lure us in."

Carrie's mind raced. She had always joked about being addicted to bargains, but this was something else entirely. "How do we get out?" she asked, her voice trembling.

The woman shook her head. "No one knows. We've been searching for a way out for as long as we've been here."

Determined not to accept her fate, Carrie decided to investigate. As she roamed the aisles, she noticed strange patterns in the store. Certain items glowed faintly under the flickering lights, and the faded labels seemed to shift and change when Carrie wasn't looking directly at them. She also discovered a scrap of paper in a ghostly cart: a receipt with cryptic numbers and symbols scrawled across it.

Carrie's curiosity turned to determination. She began gathering clues, piecing together the mystery of the Othermarket. Initially wary of her enthusiasm, the spectral shoppers soon joined her efforts. They formed a team, each member contributing what they had learned while trapped in the store. Together, they deciphered the receipt's code, which seemed to point to a specific location in the store: the stockroom.

The journey to the stockroom was fraught with challenges. The store seemed to resist their progress, aisles rearranging like a labyrinth. Shadows flitted through the corners of their vision, and an oppressive presence seemed to follow them. But Carrie's determination never wavered. She led the group with unwavering confidence, her keen eye for details guiding them through the maze.

When they finally reached the stockroom, they found a locked door guarded by a towering, ghostly figure. Its eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, and its voice rumbled like distant thunder. "Only the one who holds the receipt may pass," it intoned.

Carrie stepped forward, clutching the scrap of paper tightly. "I'm not leaving without my friends," she said firmly.

The figure regarded her for a moment before nodding. "Then prove your worth," it said, stepping aside to reveal a series of riddles and puzzles. Carrie's mind raced as she solved each challenge, her years of bargain hunting and quick thinking serving her well.

When the final puzzle was complete, the door creaked open, revealing a swirling portal. The spectral shoppers hesitated, but Carrie's confidence reassured them. "This is our chance," she said. "Let's go home."

They stepped through the portal one by one, their forms becoming brighter and more solid with each step. Carrie felt a rush of warmth and light as she passed through, followed by the familiar hum of fluorescent lighting.

But something had changed. Carrie was no longer just a bargain hunter. She had become a Baggley ghost, her paper bag disguise, a reminder of the Othermarket and her determination to help others avoid the same fate. From that day forward, she roamed the living world, her quirky charm and mischievous spirit bringing a touch of humor to the afterlife.