The Stigma (by Koltin Scott)

Chap. XX

"Illness strikes men when they are exposed to change."

~ Herodotus
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Elizabeth

"It's SO FLUFFY!"

"Sarah," Walker said, "we're not going to get that for you."

"But Thready!"

"Don't call me that!" She chastised.

"Maybe some other time," I said.

"Does she annoy you?" 'Thready' said out of Sarah's earshot,

"Not usually but today..."

I shook my head.

"You just want her to shut up?"

The smirking glance told her everything she needed to know.

"So," I asked her while Sarah was looking at clothes, "how's the married life?"

She smiled more to herself than anyone else, "It's great, you see that guy at the hat store?"

I hope I didn't blush, but I think I did, she must have noticed how I was trying to not look at him,

"You should go talk to him."

"What? No..."

"C'mon! If anything just make his day, just for fun!"

"Guys!" Sarah said, "I gotta go pee!"

"Remind me to remind the Baron,"

Thread Walker whispered in my ear,

"that I DO not want kids."

I smirked and took Sarah to the bathroom. Once she was contently humming in the stall I went to go wait with Thread Walker. Once outside I stopped...

She was deathly pale and staring at a tuft of hair on the ground that was her hair color...

Her hair was falling out...

"Are you okay!?"

"Oh yeah!" She lied with a forced smile, "Perfect!" She picked the tuft up and threw it away just before Sarah came to meet us,

"Let's get something to eat!" Thread Walker said and we went to the food court.

"You go and order okay!"

"Aww, but you were the one wanting to eat!" Sarah said.

"Sarah," I said, "let's go order."

I got some food and said to Sarah,

"Me and Walker are going to talk about big-girl stuff so you can sit at the play area."

"Can I play when I'm done?!"

"Of course Sarah."

"Are you going to be talking about boys?"

"Maybe," I said to purposely turn off any interest, "maybe we might talk about kissing."

"Eewww..."

I left her with that and went to the blank eyed Thread Walker who was undoubtedly texting the Baron.

"Thread Walker?"

She didn't reply but about raked her hands through her hair before stopping herself.

"Thread Walker!"

She still didn't reply...

I took her forearms, put them on the table and held her shaking hands.

"What's. Going. On?" I asked seriously but quietly.

"You just saw what was going on!" She nearly sobbed.

"Ar-are you dying?"

She looked down, and Sarah started coming over,

"What's going on?!"

"Sarah! Stay back!" I said firmly with the gravity in my gaze that worked surprisingly well...

A TV flickered at the Best Buy to my right...

"If he finds out after I'm gone," I could tell from her tone that she meant something else, "tell him that I love him, I really do, and that he was worth it and I would have never changed the circumstances if I could have."

"Find out what?"

"Give me my backpack," Sarah said from behind me like a ghost, "get Fluffy."

I looked at her and she was pale as death but was staring at the TV that was flickering. I looked at what she was looking at and looked at myself through the security camera from inside the Best Buy. Half the screen was black before credits started popping up like some movie:

"Provided to you by: DeadLead-"

I acted as it kept going, and gave Sarah her backpack and told her to hide. Me and Walker shot up-

"Starring... the provider, duh/
Featuring Viral Taze, Gekko, New York Typewriter, and... 'friends'..."

Someone screamed as the lights were cut off and the steel garage doors closed on all the exits (yeah... ALL). The only light was that of the TV's and the sunlight filtering in through the windows.

"A Dragoon production-" then a bunch of useless copyright information.

Then it started...

On all the entrances only one door opened to let in large mobs of goons in but that was what I assumed because it was happening here. I saw a man among the small army with a bulging trench coat, fedora and cigar in his crooked evil smile and knew it was New York Typewriter. He has the ability to give any weapon he holds unlimited ammo and goes around with a Tommy Gun. He adopted his name after appearing on the cover of New York Times blowing someone's leg off with his explosive cigars.

Today he let his men get behind him as a group of civilians were locked fearfully in place. He then reached in his coat...

And pulled out two Tommy Guns...

I grabbed Sarah and began to run after making an unnoticeable gravity shield for bullets behind me. Walker found cover in another direction as the quiet before the storm was destroyed by the thundering from Typewriter's guns.
I peered out at Walker after moving my gravity shield to my face. A bullet was redirected away from my face and Walker noticed me.

"Go!" She tried to scream over the screaming of people and the maniac's guns and she waved her hand in the motion as well, "Go!"

I dragged Sarah with me and ran through the darkness and screaming people. I ran into a restroom and then took Sarah's shoulders,

"Sarah, stay here."

"What!? But Fluffy can take them-"

He probably could...

But I interrupted...

"Call reinforcements and STAY safe! Only use Fluffy if you need to okay?"
She didn't answer, to overcome with emotions,

"Okay!?"

She nodded.