Hero - No Money No Hero by Jennifer

2L of whole milk, 1L of skim milk and bread. 2L of whole milk, 1L of skim milk and bread. 

Susan recites her shopping list in an earnest bid to win over her forgetfulness. The doors slide open, and she slips past a middle aged man clutching onto his bicycle, who, unperturbed by the numerous pairs of questioning eyes, chants distant murmurs.

Onto the platform. Up the stairs. Past the ticket barriers.

The glowing green 'Woolworths' sign greets her at the other end of the station complex. Above the bustle of peak hour shopping, the sign emanates an aura of consumerised civilisation.

She shuffles toward the automatic barriers at the supermarket entrance. Susan wonders for a moment how the barriers see the world. A binary perspective - presence or absence. No individuals. Every passer-by is the same, a mere presence. No more than any other inanimate object. A signal to do work. Work. Work. Work.

The milk section is at the very back. Of course. Susan makes her way to the very back, passing by the countless discounts positioned to prey on the indecisive consumer.

2L whole milk. 21 March, 21 March, 24 March, 22 March. She opens the fridge door briefly and takes out the milk expiring on 24 March. Into the green basket. She glances back to ensure the carton behind it didn't expire on the 25th. Also 24.

Time to move on to 1L skim milk. Susan lets out a sigh of exasperation. Some stocking staff thought it amusing to place all the milk cartons with their expiry date backwards. Or maybe it was on purpose.

After trying to view the expiry dates at an angle to no avail, she reaches in and takes out a carton at random. 25. Good find. She places it in the green basket. Susan stands around for 10 seconds, then reaches in to take out another. Also 25. Probably the best right now. Susan tries not to look sheepish as she places the second carton back.

Into the bread aisle. She passes the sign warning of loose grapes on the floor posing a safety hazard. A bombardment of discount tags. Wonder White 2 for $6. Buttercup Country Split 50% off. Tip top 2 for $7.

Dilemma. Actually, multilemma.

A sign catches her eye.

Heroes. Susan is reminded of the literature piece she has not started. She takes a second glance. Maybe her brother would be interested.

Her focus shifts to the upper right shelf. Something here too catches her eye.

Tempting. Should she choose the hero card or the cheaper option? The hero or money? Fantasy or reality?

Susan pats the bread to test its softness. She checks the expiry date. Then she whisks the buttercup country split into her green shopping basket.

She shuffles toward the automatic payment terminals, leaving the hero behind her.

Author's Note: 474 words. A rushed stream of consciousness piece with close to no motive or purpose. Good night.

P.S. this is as close as a true story gets to being true.
P.P.S. i'm going to schedule this post for 10pm Sunday. hope it actually posts successfully.