I walked down the aisle, giggling excitedly as I tried to find the shoes I'd been saving up to buy. My brother Oliver trudged behind me, groaning about how much girls obsessed about their wardrobes.
I laughed and punched his arm, still scanning the shelves for the beautiful cheetah print wedges I'd been eyeing. Finally, I spotted them.
Pulling grumpy Oliver by the arm, I went over to the beauties and gently took them off the shelf, cradling them in my arms for a second.
Oliver snorted. "Are those the shoes you've been crazy about? Olivia, I care zilch about shoe shopping, and I even I can tell they'd look horrible on you".
I stuck out my tongue at him.
"I'd rather not take advice from the guy with zero fashion sense" I retorted, returning my attention to the shoes. He hooked an arm round my shoulder.
"Whatever, grouch. Just hurry up so I can spend my birthday money". Oliver was fourteen and the only thing he ever wanted to buy were videogames. He could spend hours playing them, once for so long that mom had to force him into the bathroom.
I smiled at his impatience.
"Fine, Oliver. We can leave now. Just have to pay for this". His eyes lit up as he tugged me out of the aisle.
As I gingerly took hold of the shopping bag and we made our way towards the exit, a blaring alarm went off.
I could hear loud screams on all sides. As my brain threatened to crack open from the noise, Oliver grabbed my arm frantically. Something was wrong. He started to sink to the floor.
Around us, kids were doing the same. The sprinklers hadn't set off, so I doubted it was a fire alarm. Ditching my shopping bag, I put my arm around Oliver's waist and helped him towards the exit.
My vision blurred, and I was struggling to support Oliver's weight on my thirteen year old body. I focused on my breathing, moving slowly towards the exit.
The automatic doors shut and locked. Oliver collapsed, and I followed suit. Feeling the throbbing in my head intensify, my eyelids fluttered shut before I blacked out, I heard the alarms slowly die out and the sound of a deep voice,"Round them up".
YOU ARE READING
I Mean It
Adventure"If we don't leave now, right now, we'll lose it all." "Where are they?" she screamed, blinded by her own tears. Zac turned around to face her. She grabbed his hoodie and yelled in his face. "You could have helped. I know-" "Shut up, Olivia."
