The Ruins

Chapter 56

There was a huge Ferris wheel over past the bushes, the golden yellow lights glowed through the dark; everything seemed to be alive again, just like when there was light. She gasped, standing in awe at the sight in front of them.

Negan grins, "Told ya." He walks over to dust off the front of the control panel. "Wanna go for a ride?"

"Yes." She replied, climbing over the metal fences, hopping onto the carousel and sits on top of the white porcelain horse. She never been on a ride and when she was a child she wanted to go into one of these. Now her dreams are coming true. She jumps up and down on the horse like a two year old.

He smiles, his fingers hovering the panel and pushes the button and the carousel begins to power on, the metal squeak noise echoing in the vacant mall. The carousel moves as the horse goes up and down. The carousel picks up speed, spinning a full circle around and comes back to face Negan who is genuinely smiling at her. "Come on, join me." She insisted excitedly.

"Alright, wait up." He gets there, jumping on the horse beside Mal, but the machine starts to slow down.

"No, no, no, no. Ah fuck, I just got on." He whines, grabbing the and wiggling his arms around it as if he could make it work just by doing that. "Lift you sonofabitch!" He groans, pulling against the pole as they come to a complete stop.

"Well, I loved it." Mal said.

"Good to know, yet there's more."

"There's more?" She gasps, a happy smile broaden her day, and when he saw that excitement he laughed how happy this girl is.

They climbed out and jumped the fence. She followed him down a set of steps and at the bottom is a small structure of a box, shining bright neon blues, pinks, and purples, reading all-might photo booth. She'd seen some but never with power.

"The photo booths on. C'mon now, lets take a picture so we can remember our pal dates." He exclaims, giddy with excitement. He then shoved her into the privacy curtain and he climbed in, even it was a tight fitting, close enough their shoulders are pressed together. "How does this work?" Mal asks.

"Let me do the work." A blue screen before them has a huge 'START' written across it, arrows point down into pink buttons on the bottom. He presses the start button, the screen changes again. 'Choose your theme'. Love, funny, or cool were the options.

"Pick your stick, Mal," Negan said. "Unless you to choose the love theme to hint out the hot chemistry between us. You emotional horny teen."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll pick cool." She press the button and the screen showcased a turtle wearing sunglasses, and presses the button again. She positioned herself accordingly. "Okay, smile Mal. Don't be a dick." The machine went to a countdown and flashes at them.

They moved towards the screen closer. "Okay, something creepy." Negan said.

They growl like the Infected holding their hands up in claws, painting menacing expressions. The pictures takes and they scoot back on the booth seat. Negan points upward. "Oh, look! It's a dinosaur." He sarcastically gasps and Mal follows along, pretending to see a dinosaur and the camera flashes.

Negan softly elbows her arm. "Ohh, let's make an ugly face."

"Okay." She agrees, the machine behind to ding again. Mal pulls her lips tight together and crosses her eyes. It was very hard not to laugh at his face; his eyes bulging out, tongue out as a dog, and cupping his ears outward, and the camera flashes. "Ah it's all done."

The screen showed a digital a photo film of all the pictures they took. "Alright, these are perfect." He claps his hands, a satisfied grin on his face. He presses the button to print the photos when a bunny on the booth asked a question about 'Facebook'.