What We've Become

Memory

Children scrambled every which way, squealing and hollering, having the times of their lives. That was the point of the Kings City Playroom Plaza, a place where children and teens could go to have fun and stay out of trouble. It was the most popular location in the mall, and there was really no need to dislike the place. It served good food, and took the attention of kids in order to give their parents a slight break.

There was one kid, though, that sat far away from all the other kids, not having any fun: a young boy with a golden head of hair and sorrow-filled grey eyes. He didn't want to be there in that awful building. It brought back far too many memories of his mother, who had worked there before she had her accident.

On the opposing side of the circular table the boy sat at was a man, his father, who looked very different from him apart from the grey eyes. His father paid no mind to him, more focused on flirting with the much younger woman who had taken a seat beside him. The boy ignored them both, especially the woman when she'd make an effort to talk to him.

"James, talk to her! You might find that she's better than your mom!" His father roared with laughter at the lady who beamed.

James growled and pulled the hood of his black sweatshirt over his messy, golden hair. He couldn't believe that his father could replace his mother so shortly after her death, as it had only been twelve short months, but at the same time, it didn't surprise him either. Though he was only eleven, James knew his father didn't truly care about his mom. He was never home, and on the rare occasion that he was, he was either drunk and passed out or asleep. On the slight occasion that he WOULD be home, and he would be watching after James while his mother worked to keep them all fed, he would pay the child no mind, and he'd have a 'friend' over. James was accustomed to young women at the house while his mom was gone, and he could hear strange noises behind the closed door they would be behind, and he hated it.

When the lady his dad was flirting with burst out with laughter, and James's feeling of loneliness and unwelcomeness was overbearing, he stood up with a scowl. He grabbed the back of the chair he had been sitting in and shoved it into its place pushed into the table with all his might, causing a loud THUNK. Everyone in the restaurant went silent and turned their heads, staring at him, though his dad never once turned his head.

The flaming hot rage that bubbled and burned in James's stomach had finally overflowed, and he let out a shrill, venomous cry before he darted for the door, unable to stay in that horrible place any longer. Hot tears streamed down his cheeks on both sides, leaving their warm trails of agony and hurt before they greeted each other at his chin and fell to the floor. He grabbed the door knob to the exit and his mind drifted back to the memories...

"Where are we going?" James asked with wide eyes.

The middle-aged woman in the driver's seat of the small, old car giggled. "You'll see buddy. I think you'll like it."

When the car came to a stop, there was a huge, brick building ahead of them, with a sign that read "Kings City Mall" in big letters.

"The mall?" Little James asked, enthused.

"Yep! There's something new inside that I think that you'll enjoy."

On the walk inside, James hung his head, already feeling the total boredom that was awaiting him. His mother led him through the hallways of the mall, eventually coming to one of the stores. Though, instead of a store, it was something different... something new!

James's eye lit up as he stared at all of the multicolored lights that flashed everywhere, and the pings and music of the little arcade games. "Whoa...." He whispered in awe.