Saturday morning dawned, and Mariah arrived at Lisa's apartment with Ella in tow.
"Thank you so much," Mariah said, handing over Ella's bag.
"All for your date. Go have fun! I'll take care of her."
Lisa smiled.
"Ella, behave, okay?" Mariah reminded.
Ella rolled her eyes,"I'm not a kid, Mom. Go get me a dad! Bye!"
Mariah chuckled,"Okay."
As Mariah walked away, she turned to her and whispered"Is your neighbor around?"
Lisa shook her head,"No, he's probably at work."
Mariah nodded,"Okay."
"I'm off now. Bye!!"
"Bye!!" Lisa and Ella bid in unison.
As Mariah disappeared from view, Lisa turned to Ella,"So, what's the plan?"
Ella's face lit up,"I have a list!"
Lisa's eyes sparkled,"Let's get to it, then!"
Together, they stepped into the apartment, eager to start their adventure.
Five hours later, Lisa and Ella strolled through the gleaming corridors of the newly opened mall. Ella's eyes widened as she drank in the sights.
"Watch your step, dear," Lisa cautioned. "Don't bump into anyone."
Ella's gaze darted around, her excitement contagious.
"What do you say we grab something to eat?" Lisa suggested.
"Yes!" Ella squealed.
The air vibrated with laughter and smiles, oblivious to the impending danger.
Meanwhile, in a hidden maintenance room, two workers exchanged concerned glances.
"Can you sense something?" one asked.
"What?" the other replied.
"Like fish cooking...or something," the first worker trailed off.
The second worker chuckled,"You're just hungry."
They exited the room, unaware of the catastrophe unfolding.
In the shadows, a faint humming noise grew louder, signaling the beginning of destruction.
.
.
.
.
"Who's hungry?" Captain James asked, and the team raised their hands in unison.
"What's cooking?" Alex inquired, savoring the aroma from the kitchen.
"Natalie's making mashed potatoes and gravy with steak," Joe replied, his stomach growling.
"Ooooo! I'm literally watering," Joe exclaimed.
Just then, the alarm blared,
"WAAWWWWW!! WAAWWWWW!! ALERT! ALERT! FIRE DETECTED AT NEW MALL! ALERT! ALERT!"
The team sprang into action.
"Let's move it!" Captain James barked.
"YES CAPTAIN!!" they chorused, scrambling into the truck.
As they sped away, Captain James radioed headquarters,"What's the situation?"
"A power switch malfunction caused a fire outbreak," the dispatcher replied.
"Has it spread?"
"Affirmative."
YOU ARE READING
BLOOD OR LOVE
RomanceAfter witnessing his family's brutal slaughter at the hands of a high-profile man eight years ago, Dean was trained by his mentor to seek justice against notorious figures masked with their fame and prestige who preyed on the innocent. Now, dri...
