Until I Die(18+)

In Which She Shops

        NEITHER DAD OR ERIC wake me to take watch. I'd be annoyed, but I'm grateful for a full night's rest. Without sleep I was a cranky sod, something none of us needed a morning experiencing.

        We eat breakfast with the other mall residents at the same restaurant where they'd questioned Dad about us. There are a few cooks in the back who whip up some eggs, toast, and a side of oatmeal. I'm not sure how considering this place didn't have any electric, but I wouldn't question a good thing.

        Me, Ben and Dad gulp down the food greedily whilst Eric showers. We save him a plate. I finish first and decide the constant chatter around us was starting to do my head in, so I push back from the table.

        "I'm gonna take a look around," I say before Dad can ask. "Too many people." Making a gun with my fingers, I place it against my temple.

        Ben nods, eyes wide in that way he does whilst nodding in his over-the-top fashion. He gets what I mean.

        Dad looks hesitant. "Okay but stay away from the store with the shutters down on the ground floor. The soldiers from last night are in there. Just a precaution, make sure they ain't bit. I can't remember the name of it. . .Curtain world, or something."

        "That's a shame," I say, keeping a straight face. "I feel a bit stressed out. A curtain store sounds exactly what I need to pull myself together."

        Ben groans, laying his head against the table. I laugh, and so does Dad. He thumps the table with his knife.

        "That was a good one," Dad tells me. "You had me hanging by a threat."

        Oh god. What have I done? He won't stop now. Poor Ben. I snort and back away. "See you in a bit."

        Dad's voice follows me out of the restaurant. "I am sew proud of you!"

        "Oh god someone make it stop!" Ben's words are muffled.

        Since most of the stores at the top of the mall were people's homes, I venture downstairs. We would be leaving soon. Most likely after Eric was finished with his shower and food. There were a few things I wanted to grab before we went.

        I stumble onto an electronics store. Perfect. In the middle sits tables full of dead display laptops and iPhones. The walls lined with plastic packaged wires and adapters, and it doesn't take me long to find a car charger compatible with my phone.

        I'm not sure if Google Maps would still work, but it was worth a shot. I also wouldn't mind flicking through some of my old pictures. I had a few of Mum on there which Dad might appreciate.

        Onto the next store. A clothing one where I pinch myself a backpack and rip open packets of undies and socks, rolling them up to fit as many as possible. As I do that, I find myself wondering if Eric still has his phone and if so, what kind of pictures he had. I didn't see him as much of a photographer. I bet his screen cover had been the default one. Or a gothic skull of some kind.

        Dad didn't have his phone anymore, neither had Mum. Ben sounded surprised to see mine when I'd first pulled it out in front of him so I'm guessing he'd lost his in the beginning. God knows how. My phone was like an extension of me. Despite it being dead, I still found myself feeling for its outline in my pockets or trying to turn it on when curious about the time.

        Before I leave the shop, I decide to do the same for the men in my group. I go with large boxers since I didn't know any of their sizes and figure it was better for clothes to be too big than too small. A big part of me feels weird for doing it, but it seemed selfish to just think of myself when we needed to watch out for each other.