The Jester at the End of the Lane: A 5-Minute Freewrite
Lara was in line in front of a checkout area at her local grocery store when she observed a man at the end of the lane immediately alongside hers. The man drew her attention since he was dressed differently. To be more exact, he is dressed like a jester.
Yes, a jester. Not a clown, but a jester. You know, like in medieval movies or plays.
Although she felt it was peculiar, Lara didn't think much of it because she understood that some people dress strangely and even have strange interests. Perhaps the man was a cosplayer, dressing up as a jester.
Having said that, she did find it weird that no one seemed to notice the oddly dressed man. Normally, a person as oddly dressed as him would be the focus of attention, especially inside a grocery store where he was the only one dressed as a jester. Despite this, no one seemed to be paying any attention to him. It was as though he didn't exist.
What was even stranger was that, despite the fact that the checkout lane where the man was was far shorter than the other lanes, no one was lining up in it except the other customers already in that lane.
Lara tried to glance at the man's face, only to be surprised when she discovered that the man was gazing at her as well, with a peculiar smile on his face, causing her to automatically shriek.
Lara's shriek confused everyone, and they all turned to look at her. The attention bothered Lara, so she apologized to the other customers hurriedly. She explained that she had been startled by something and that there was nothing wrong with her.
Lara then turned to face the curiously dressed man, only to find him gone. Yes, he vanished as if he never existed. Lara returned home not long after, but the bizarre occurrence in the grocery store continued to frighten her.