Shot to the Heart

Chapter 4- Too Close 4Com4t

They didn't run too far. Alex had seen the bodies of a few unfortunate workers sprawled in the entrance of the Payless Store. Assuming that he had already visited that store, Alex guessed that he wouldn't reenter a store he had already, er, checked off his list. The two ran straight to the back.

"Crap!" Jayla went sprawling. She crashed into a shoe display, which rained down boxes and tennis shoes like manna from the heavens. Sharp noises cracked through the air; Jayla figured the stand had hit the wall or something.

"Shh. Shh." Alex frantically hissed, looking desperately around. She had made a huge mess, one that was easily noticeable from the entrance. They were sitting ducks if they stayed.

"Get up. We have to go. Now." He yanked her up, pulling way too hard. There was horrific, white hot pain piercing through her shoulder and arm. Jayla mashed her lips together to avoid squealing. Her shoulder didn't feel right. At all. But they had to go. Alex pulled harder, tugging still on her surely injured arm. They fled the scene, racing down the pathways, keeping to the walls.

Distantly, Jayla noticed the entire mall was quiet. There was no one, except for a dead body strewn here or there. Dear God, had he really killed everyone? Were they the last ones left? She was wearing red now, lots of red. Was she always wearing red? No, no, that was blood. Blood from the store. From that worker. The workers. She was holding a shoe, or maybe it was tangled around her? It was a grandma shoe, white. The brand was on the side, 4Com4t. That's not spelled right, she thought vaguely. White pain pulled her back into focus. Alex was tugging on her arm.

"Stay with me, Jayla. Come on. Don't get distracted." He pulled her into the Macy's, on the complete opposite end of the upper floor from Sears, and hopefully the shooter.

"It's a big store; lots of room. Come on, just a little bit farther. I know exactly where we can hide. The mattress section, it's kind of close to the door. Come on, come on."

Jayla followd him, dazedly. It was very hard to concentrate. Pain was streaking through her entire right side now, terrible pain. But she had to fight, right? Why did this hurt so bad, anyway? She fell on something. Maybe she dislocated her shoulder. Or displaced it. Did she bruise it? Why did this- Alex interrupted her train of thought.

"Look, we're here. We're close to one of the exits, so once they open the doors, we're golden, see? And these mattresses are big and easy to hide by, see?" He stopped and looked at her again, closer. "Are you okay? Jayla?"

She nodded. Or did she? She couldn't remember. Nodding hurt. Moving hurt, now that she thought about it.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Lying was easy, easier than it should have been. She shouldn't lie to her boyfriend. But telling the truth. That would hurt him, right? Hurting is bad. Not when he needs to help her. Because she can't do this alone. Okay, yeah. Lying is best. "Just maybe need to lie down." Lying down is good. Lying down is better then lying. Lie down, not lie. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Alex was concerned. She could see it in his face. He helped her lie down, in a corner obscured by a king size plush double layer mattress.

Jayla was shivering, that much she knew. But lying down helped. It was easier to breathe. And think. Also she was lying on her arm that hurt, whether by intention or accident, and although it hurt, it made it easier. That was weird.

"Where does it hurt, Jayla? And don't lie. You're in pain, I can tell. Where does it hurt?"

"Sh-shoulder."

"Left or right?"

"Right."

"Then why are you lying on it, you idiot?" Alex laughed, but the strain on his face still showed through quite clearly. He helped her roll off it.

"I can't see anything with all this, um-" he paused awkwardly, avoiding the word blood, "stuff, can you take off your jacket?"

"A-alex Braun, are y-you asking me to strip for you?" Jayla choked out a laugh, but began to shrug out her jacket. There was a lot of blood in her jacket, that was odd. She had fallen on the blood, so it should only be on the jacket, right? Unless...

"You've been shot?!?!"