Back to the mall

Chapter 5
“How Do These Things Usually Turn Out?”

     When his eyes opened he was rewarded by the smiling face of his wife Molly.
     This, at least, was something good. They had been together since college and, along with their daughter Shannon they made up an island of trust in the world.
     Somewhere far away he heard Shannon’s voice ask, “Is he alright?”
     “I think he’s gonna be okay,” Molly said, “But I think he bonked his head when he fell.”
     TD was suddenly aware of the crowd he was encircled by, and he was the only one looking up at all of them.
     “The toys!” He sputtered as he shot bolt upright, looking at the Circle J.
     Molly jumped up with him, saying, “The toys are just fine, how are you?”
     The toys were just fine. All in their regular spaces, with emotionless faces.
     “But they were all,” he began and then thought better of it.
     There was a ripple of silence infesting the group. These merchants and friends were staring with concern.
     “Boy,” he feigned laughter while rubbing his noggin, “Musta smacked the old melon pretty good”
     Everyone let out a relieved laugh.
     Then he remembered what brought him out here in the first place.
     “I still have to call 911!”
     Before he took a step Topzepopoulous grabbed his arm, “You don’t need to.”
     He looked at the older man, who said, “We were wrong.”
     “Wrong?” He echoed?
     “Just after you left we found out we were wrong about the old man.”
     “Huh?” He stammered.
     “He wasn’t dead!” Said Bob, “He just got up and walked out.”
     That may be, thought TD, but he WAS dead! As a Physical Education minor in high school and college he had taken enough first aid classes to know when someone was without a pulse. He had tried to revive him and that old man was dead.
     “Are you sure?” He asked.
     “Dead men don’t get up and walk out!” The Greek popcorn merchant stated, “No matter how bad the show is!”
     Everyone but TD laughed.
     “No,” he agreed, “No they don’t. Did he say anything?”
     “Not a word,” said Bob, “And after a second when we all just sat there, a bit taken aback, we all rushed out to ask him what he was about to say before.”
     “Yeah,” urged TD.
     “He was gone. Not only was he not dead, but he must have run out of the mall to get away that fast. So he must have been in pretty good shape.” Said Bob.
     “Or able to disappear,” Added TD.
     Nobody laughed.
     “I think it is time we all went home,” said Molly.
     “Me too,” said Shannon.
     “You guys go home,” said Jackson, kissing his wife and then his child. “I’ll lock up and be right behind you.”
     Bob clapped him on the shoulder, “You sure you’re alright?”
     “Yeah,” Assured TD, “You go home too. All of you.”
     There was a round of “Good Nights” as TD moved to his place of business and secured it all without incident.
     As he was closing the front door he was aware once again of a gust of bone-chilling cold air like the one he had experienced earlier in the evening. He looked around, hoping to find some sort of malfunctioning air vent, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
     He turned back to lock his own front door and, reflected in the glass, saw a face. It was a terrified face that didn’t move a muscle.
     Standing behind him in that reflection of the old man.
     The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.
     He jumped around to confront the old guy, but no one was there. When he turned back to the door, there was no reflection of the old man.
     He was scared.
     Then he saw something that scared him even worse.
     The old man’s reflection was gone from the glass window, and so was his!
     He glared into the glass a realized that he, too, was gone.

(c) copyright 2004 C. Wayne Owens