The Day an Idiot Robbed Wal-Mart

-Chapter 8-

Chapter 8

Lacie, chill.

Don't think about it.

Don't think about it.

Screw this, I was thinking about it. I was thinking about everything, and I was thinking about it a lot. The situation, the promise I had just made Cat Boy, and the nagging feeling that I was going to die tonight.

It felt foolish, and it was foolish, especially since it had been made clear these robbers weren't here to hurt anyone. I had to consider, though, that a gun had just gone off, and it could easily have been me in front of that bullet. It just might very well have been someone else, too, which was what Cat Boy and I were on our way to inspect.

He seemed so confident and sure about his decision to sneak out of the toilet paper aisle, and I wish I felt even an ounce of that bravery in this moment. Truth be told, I was just doing this because I would have felt guilty otherwise. If there had been a good enough reason to stay back, I would have taken it. I wasn't a brave person, and I wasn't pretending to be. I just happened to be a concerned and guilt-ridden soul.

There was no use trying to hide my nerves; it wasn't like I had anyone to impress anyway. I was way beyond impressing Cat Boy, and, to be honest, that was an extremely minor issue at this point.

Cameron took my shaking hand, accepting my timidity without comment. "Thank you for coming with me, Lacie." He was so dead serious, I had to wonder for a moment if he saw my decision as courageous. Even the tiniest bit. I could only nod, afraid my voice would crack if I tried to speak.

We could hear the voices again now; the five robbers were calling out to each other. It didn't sound like they were coming after us, so maybe they had moved on. Perhaps, they were finally getting to what they had come here for. Cameron glanced back at me, as if checking to be sure I hadn't disappeared. Who knows, with all this shaking I'm doing, I just might.

We were close now to the section of women's clothing that I had been held captive in. There was my mess - the clothing racks I had toppled over.

They'd abandoned the area. Of course, it was pointless to remain at a prisoner's spot when they had no prisoner any more.

Even though there was no sign of the men, Cameron took every precaution in moving forward. He was sure to keep his head ducked below the top of the racks, and I followed his lead. We moved quietly throughout the clothes, our very breaths the loudest sound our ears picked up. The store felt deadly quiet, with no air conditioning running and no rain pounding the roof.

No rain.

Maybe help would finally come. I tapped Cameron on the back and he paused, turning his head slightly around.

Not wanting to speak, I motioned for a phone, holding the hand shape up to my face and mouthing the words, "Cell phone." He understood, pulling his cellphone out of his pocket. I had misplaced mine ages ago, along with my purse.

My hope was beginning to build, hope that maybe he could find a signal now that the storm seemed to be abating. Then his face painted the picture for me: failure. His shoulders slooped, and his mouth twisted upwards. He turned the screen of his phone towards me and I glanced at the reception. Not even a single bar. The power lines must have been really screwed up in the storm.

I let out a sigh; louder than intended. We began to move again, in the direction we had heard the gunshot. We had reached the end of the clothing section now, and there was an open space before the school aisles. Cameron pulled me up with him, so that I wasn't lagging behind, and scanned the area. I didn't see anyone around. I could hear a couple voices now from our far right, but that wasn't enough to account for all five men. One of them could still be hanging out with the school supplies.