Elsy Tran's Story

Elsy sighed and looked around. She was in the middle of the mall. She'd just been here for a week and she'd barely slept this week. Her nights were plagued with nightmares. She would imagine her mother's cries in her sleep. She saw a figure sometimes... She was never able to make out the face but she was certain it was the crank. Elsy idly shook until she came back to her senses. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and forced herself to move on.

Elsy walked down the hall and looked around. She didn't know what to do. She saw a group talking by the red chairs but didn't know if she should go talk... Elsy was shy... She bit her lip.

"C'mon Elsy! Go talk to them! Don't be a woos!" her inner voice told her.

Elsy started forward but couldn't get herself to continue on. She was nervous. She shook her head. She couldn't do it. She barely knew them... Elsy was too fragile... She couldn't approach people... She was just too nervous... To get a word out of her, you'd have to be the one to approach her. Elsy started to shake. She shook her head. "No!" she whispered and ran off. She ran past the gym and she glanced and saw a boy and a girl but she didn't dare slow down. She needed some alone time. She ran to the only place she knew she could be alone. She ran to the supply closet. She closed the door behind her and let herself slide down the wall into a sitting position. She looked down at her wrist. She stared longingly at the charm bracelet that had belonged to her mother once upon a time. She wiped a tear from her eye as she remembered that her mother was no longer with her. It was hard to believe some times but Elsy needed to get over it.

Elsy sat in the storage room, trying to slow down the hiccups that came with crying... Elsy sighed and wiped her eyes with her shirt sleeve. Elsy got up. It was time to face everybody else. She couldn't hide from everybody for long..... But again she didn't HAVE to talk, She patted her pants to get the dust off and walked out of the supply closet.

Elsy walked down the hallway passing the gym.. Elsy looked around. Maybe she'd go wander around since she'd only been here for a week. Elsy continued walking down the hall until she saw the food court at the far end. She looked around and spotted the weapon supply room. She looked around to see if anyone was looking and dashed over. She looked in the window because she was unsure if she should go in. She bent over and reached into her boot and pulled out one of her knives her friend had given her last summer. She looked at the worn blade and looked up. She saw knives, guns, crossbows and basically anything that would harm you. She saw shiny blades and wished she could have one badly... But she still didn't know how things worked around here. She took one last glance at her knife before putting it back in her boot.

Elsy figured she would love to do some target practice but she didn't know where to get a target... Well... Anything would work. Cardboard... A poster? Elsy looked around. Maybe she could ask? Elsy started for the food court.

Hazel waved farewell to Ade then left the daycare. She hummed a hymn under her breath as she made her way to the food court. The mall felt so...big and empty, but she tried to forget about the eeriness of her surroundings. It didn't take long for her to arrive at the food storage room. She grabbed a bag of microwave popcorn then used a microwave at the food court to pop its content. As she waited, Hazel leaned against the counter, her green eyes skimming the area. She saw movement from the corner of her eye. He spotted her roommate, Elsy. They haven't talked much since her arrival, but she seemed nice.

Hazel waved her hands in the air in an attempt to get Elsy's attention. "Hey, Elsy."



Snow rested the bat on his shoulder as he walked down the hall. He was still limping, but he was slowly growing accustom to the pain. It wasn't until he heard his name being called. He turned around, seeing Ashley standing on the other side of the hall. Snow quirked a dark eyebrow as he listened to Ashley's request.

"Yeah," he replied with a shrug. "Sounds good. I have to do my rounds, come with me."

He twirled the bat in his hand, licking his lips as he waited. Was it strange that he was happy that she asked to have pie? No, but it was strange that he wasn't that excited about the pie.

Elsy walked a couple steps before she heard someone call her name. Elsy looked around until she saw her roommate, Hazel, who was looking straight at Elsy. Elsy forced a smile and waved back. Elsy walked over to her roommate... She couldn't just avoid her... And it would probably be for the best to get to know her. Elsy walked over towards Hazel. She looked a bit younger than Elsy but she was pretty. Elsy pulled her hair to one side and approached Hazel. "Uh... hi." Elsy said, looking down. She couldn't look up and face who she was talking too. Elsy was just too shy. "So your my roommate right?" Elsy said looking up finally to look at Hazel.

Mommy wasn't coming to look for him, Flynn had figured it out the morning of the fourth day he was alone at the mall. Of course not, he thought bitterly, Mommy doesn't love us. She hasn't loved us since... since... always! Of course it was just the childish side of him acting out, but he didn't know that. Flynn thought he was just like every other adult, just as good as those older kids. He wasn't, but who would break a little kids heart and tell him otherwise? Since last year, it seemed like he just wanted to hurry up and grow up. Be an adult, just like everyone else. In a way, his mother had let him. Pretended to let him make the decisions, to hear his opinions and all that. It was just to please the little boy though, once he pulled the pouty face and stuck out his bottom lip, Mommy would feel bad and try and make him happy again.

He was always quite stubborn, for a child his age. Especially since he always seemed to think he was right, though half the time he wasn't. Things had to go his way, if they didn't, he would get upset. Then he would probably refuse to do anything else. It had gotten so bad once that they ended up just picking him up and carrying him, since he wouldn't get off the ground. Strangely enough, it was like a game to him. Everyone knew that a little brothers job was to aggravate the older kids, attract the attention to themselves but make sure that the others got in trouble for it, or at least that they ended up having to clean up afterwards. Though it had gotten boring after awhile, and he calmed down a bit after that. That was when he took up running out of the house and into the woods, hiding in the trees until he felt like coming back down.

Finally, he stopped bouncing up and down on the bed and settled with crossing his arms and looking unhappy. They had stuck him, a seven year old boy, in a room all by himself. And it wasn't even close to anyone elses room! He was all by himself. Arms still crossed and pouty face still present, he left his room and stomped to where he had recently seen people gathered in the social area.

"Yeah," Hazel beamed just as the microwave beeped. She gave Elsy an apologetic smile. "Give me a second please." She scurried to the back, grabbed the hot bag of popped corn, and jetted back to Elsy. "So, how are you liking the mall?" She noticed that Elsy wouldn't look at her. Her shyness was quite cute and it made Hazel want to get her to open up. If she needed a friend then Hazel would be there for her.



Snow sighed, taking the final bite of pie. He wiped his mouth of crumbs then patted his belly. He stretched his arms with a small yawn. He laid on his side while facing Ashley as his hand supported his head. He pondered his feelings towards him love life. "I never truly thought about my love life," he shrugged. "I mean, yeah, some of the girls here are pretty, but I haven't really thought about making a move on any of them. At the rate I'm going, I'll probably end up alone." He kept his face neutral, but on the inside, Snow actually felt a bit lonelier than usual.

He downcast his eyes a bit, but then quickly brought his walls back up. He chuckled a bit without much humor at Ash's comment. "Yeah, teach me the way of the teen. How do I talk to a girl? Why is there hair growing on my body? Is it normal that I like when girl's eat elongated foods?" He said sarcastically. "Please, guide me, oh great one."

Elsy was nervous as Hazel replied. She watched Hazel quickly dash off to the popcorn and she came back with a bag of it. Elsy licked her lips. She didn't remember the last time she had microwave popcorn, well let alone popcorn at all. Elsy looked back up at Hazel. "So, how are you liking the mall?" Hazel asked Elsy.. "Good I guess... Its better being with company then being alone.." Elsy sighed looking around. Talking to people she barely knew made her nervous. "Are you uh watching a movie or do you just have a popcorn craving?" Elsy whispered quietly as she pointed at the bag of popcorn.

Hazel wiggled the bag in her hand with a smile. "I'm glad that you're enjoying yourself, Elsy." She glanced at the bag then looked back at Elsy. "Both," she shrugged. "My friend, Ade and I were going to go the social area to watch The Titanic. You should join us. It would be fun, besides everyone deserved to a bit of Leonardo DiCaprio. Plus, this popcorn has extra butter, so you cannot refuse this offer."



Snow's lip twitched, almost smirking. "You really have that much faith in me?" He shook his head in slight amusement. "Cute, but I have as much chance with the opposite sex as people in hell receiving cold water." He raised his bronze eyebrows in faux-interest. He pantomimed taking notes and when she was done, he raise his hand like a student in school. "Professor Ashley?" He said. "I believe my happy trail shouldn't be a concern, but thank you for caring. Now, enough about my love affairs. What about you? There is probably one person here that you want to wrap your arms around."

Elsy smiled and nodded at what Hazel was saying. "So... A movie?" Elsy asked. Elsy tried to think... When was the last time she'd seen a movie? It'd been a while.... Back when her mother was still alive. Elsy choked down the urge to cry. She didn't want everybody to know she was weak.. She needed to be strong.. "So Leonardo DiCaprio? I think I heard someone talking about him once... I've never seen the Titanic.. I never had time for movies... I guess I can catch up now?" Elsy grinned. "Its a deal... I will look forward to the uh movie!" Elsy smiled. "What time do you guys plan on watching the movie? I wanna be sure that I have the best seat in the house!" Elsy smiled.

With a quirk of his eyebrow and a swift look, Snow barely held back his amusement. "You have got to learn the art of sarcasm, 'Professor'," He shifted his position so that he was lying on his back, but his face was turned towards Ashley. "I suggest you don't get use to the name." He shook his head fondly, then half-smirked at her. "If I didn't know any better, Ash, but I'd say you were flirting with me. At least, that's what the media has taught me." He stared right at her, his eyes were unblinking. "



Hazel squealed happily and grabbed Elsy's hand. "Ade is probably there right now, waiting for me. I just came to get the popcorn and refreshments. She jumped over the counter and was at Elsy's side in no time. She practically dragged Elsy by her hand to the soda machines. Hazel kicked it four times, resulting in three cans of Mountain Dew to drop out. She handed one to Elsy then gestured for the girl to follow her. "This move will make you brawl your eyes out, so we have tissues on deck. You'll love it!" This was a start. She had a feeling that soon, Elsy would be breaking out of her little shell. It felt good to help someone.

Elsy tensed up as Hazel grasped her hand. She'd never touched someone before... Well at least not often. Elsy couldn't exactly say it was unwelcome but it was very odd and new for Elsy. Elsy forced a smile at Hazel. But as Hazel dragged Elsy she had to run to keep up. Elsy was startled when Hazel pulled her along so she ran and tried to compose herself, acting like nothing was wrong.

Elsy stopped at the drink machine... She hadn't had a good soda in a while. Elsy smiled gratefully at Hazel as Hazel handed her the soda. Elsy grinned as Hazel told her about what to expect. "Hmm... I'm thinking I won't cry but by the end of the movie I'll probably be in tears and you'll tell me "I told you so!" so I'm gonna trust you." Elsy laughed.

"C'mon, Elaine. It's just twenty minutes! I'll even do your dishes tomorrow, just let me go early. Leonardo Dicaprio is waiting for me!"

The shift leader, Elaine, sighed wearily. "Stop with the dramatics, Ade. I don't want you anywhere near my dishes--God knows you'll break them all, given half a chance--so just go and try not to drool over Jack too much, okay?"

Ade grinned, lunging forward to give the shift leader a squeeze before taking off. She posted a quick note for someone to check up on Hannah Morgan tomorrow morning, washed up and tossed her scrubs into the hamper before leaving the Infirmary area to make a quick stop at her room. As usual, her roommate was nowhere to be seen, but the bed was neatly made up and items carefully stored away in appropriate places--a complete contrast to Ade's side of the room, which was littered with clothing and crumpled sheets.

She made a beeline for her unmade bed and picked up two large, fluffy pillows (she contemplated 'borrowing' her roommate's pillows too, but then decided against it) for comfort purposes, because watching the Titanic required cuddling, and since she was seriously lacking a boyfriend right now, a pillow would have to do. Ade glanced down at her father's cracked wristwatch and winced; Hazel was probably wondering where she'd gotten to. She grabbed a box of Kleenex from her nightstand and slammed the door behind her, jogging down to the small theater room.

---

The sound of a lone guitar strumming to the tune of 'Hells Bells' echoed down the empty hallway. Christopher sang the accompanying lyrics in a low voice, plucking at the strings of his acoustic skillfully as he did so. His fingers roamed over the body of the guitar with confidence, yet also a startling gentleness that he rarely expressed in his behavior anymore.



A bucket of soapy water rested a few feet away with a damp mop leaning behind the bench where Christopher was sitting. This was a part of the mall that no one really visited because the contents of these stores weren't very useful, but Chris was keenly interested in the small instrument shop located beside the postal office so he returned whenever he had time. It was the only place he felt comfortable enough to play his guitar in solitude, which was why he'd taken a little 'break' in the middle of his shift to play a bit. It wasn't often that he could find such a perfect opportunity; either he was always working, or there was someone patrolling the area so he couldn't play without someone getting curious about it. Now, though...

Hazel's eyes sparkled as she led Elsy to the Social Area. "This is going to be awesome," she grinned. "So, tell me about yourself? Is there anything that you like to do?" It didn't take long for the two of the them to arrive at the Social Area. It was a quaint area that Hazel really enjoyed spending time in. She saw that other people were there too, but she didn't mind. Her eyes searched for Ade, but she wasn't in sight. Figures, Ade was always late.

Elsy enjoyed this new found friend... After her father had left her and her mother, Elsy felt like she couldn't trust anybody... Sure she knew not all human beings were evil, just her dad. Elsy hated to think about that so she focused on Hazel. Hazel was a great... Hmm.... Elsy struggled what to call Hazel. Hazel was sweet and nice... But Elsy didn't want to be quick to call her a friend.... Elsy had just started talking to her and it would take more time to tell what their relationship was. Elsy decided to think about it later.

"You want me to talk about myself?" Elsy asked Hazel. Elsy couldn't believe Hazel had just said that.... Elsy had never talked about herself to anyone.... Because Elsy had never had someone care that much about her to ask about her life. Elsy thought of what to say as they walked to the Social Area. "My favorite color is blue." Elsy said once they got there. Elsy thought it was simple to start with and they could reveal more as they became greater friends. Elsy enjoyed the idea of having a friend. "And I like to read.... It lets me escape this horrible world... Lets me think freely..." Elsy smiled shyly at Hazel.

Hazel shook her head fondly, allowing Ade to steal a kernel or two without protest. Sharing was caring, after all. She turned her head back to Elsy. "That sounds interesting. I would share some info about myself, but the Titanic calls." She ushered Elsy to the media area. She took a seat beside Ade, offering her pillow to share. Before popping some popcorn into her mouth, Hazel glanced at Elsy then patted the spot beside her. "Okay, I am mentally prepared to fall in love with Jack. Let's do this! Ade, turn on the movie."

She chewed her popcorn and sipped her soda, with her gray eyes glued to the blank screen. She turned back to the rest of the people that were present in the room. How could she have been so rude? She could practically feel her mother scolding her from Heaven. She waved them over. "Hey, guys," she beamed like the sun. "If you want to watch the movie with us then feel free."



Snow turned in his sleep, groaning and mumbling.

"Run! Sam!" he screamed as he fought off a Crank. He thrust kicked the beast away before turning to the person beside him. "What the hell are you doing here? I said go! I'll hold them off, just get out of here." There stood, a blond hair boy with wide brown eyes and a freckled face. He was shivering with fear on the pavement of the dark parking lot.

"I'm not leaving you!" The boy cried.

"This is not a democracy, Sam. GO!" Snow slammed his shovel against the Cranks head, causing the senseless monster to fall to its death. Another ran towards him, but he held his ground, planting his feet and readying himself to swing.

He heard the cry before he was able to turn his head. "SAM!"

Snow didn't realize that he was really screaming the name until he was on the brink of tears. He shivered in his bed, clutching his sheets as if they were going to save him somehow. His bright eyes were wide and his skin was clammy, but he didn't care. The only thing on his mind was the little blond boy that haunted his dream. "Sam..." he breathed.

Elsy stood waiting patiently for everybody to arrive to the Social Room and get the movie started. Elsy watched as a girl ran into the room saying apologies and mentioning pillows? Elsy curiously watched the girl walk into the room. Elsy suddenly was ambushed with a pillow and she was taken aback that she almost fell over but she steadied herself quickly and she clutched the pillow gratefully, smiling at the girl who had just entered.

She'd seen her around before earlier on in the week but she'd never learned her name... Or wait... She thought hard. Wasn't it Adelaide? Elsy remembered Hazel mentioning her name. Elsy walked with Hazel to the media room and sat down on the ground and she wrapped her arms around the fluffy pillow as she waited for the movie to start. Hazel chatted with Ade and motioned for Elsy to come sit with her so Elsy got up and sat with them. Elsy smiled as they waited for the movie to start.

"... I hate myself," Adelaide said glumly, stuffing a fistful of popcorn into her mouth and chewing morosely. "Why else would I suggest watching Titanic if I didn't hate myself?"

The movie wasn't even finished, yet Adelaide was already in the middle of her waterworks. A small cluster of discarded tissues lay at her feet as a testament to her emotional state right now. "I can't believe Leonardo DiCaprio never won an Oscar," she said mournfully. "Look at him! Look!" She pointed at the screen accusingly, where Jack wooed Rose with his kindness. "Oh my God. He's so perfect. I need a Jack of my own, honestly."

The idea that her commentary would disturb Elsy and Hazel hadn't occurred to her yet. It was a quirk: she tended to comment on everything during a movie, voicing her opinions quite vocally to the annoyance of others. She just couldn't help herself. Many people found it irritating, which was why she usually torrented movies on her laptop and watched them by herself so as not to disturb anyone else... and chances were that the two girls sharing the couch with her right now had learned their lesson, and would never make the same mistake twice.

---

"Nut uh. You make the pretty music, so I came. I mean to come here."

"Haven't you heard about how curiosity killed the cat?"Chris asked impassively, dipping his mop into the soapy water. Did kids like this even exist anymore? It just figured that he'd be stuck under the same roof as the last of the Brady bunch, wouldn't it? He exhaled and brought the mop up again, slapping it onto the floor and pushing it downwards. Wet streaks trailed behind him as he moved steadily towards the right, further and further away from the girl. Kids scared him--they were too fragile, and he never knew what to say or do around them so he just tried to... scare them off, usually.

"I'm Mikayla. What's your name?"

He suppressed a wince. Damn, this one was insistent. "Dean," he lied, moving his mop under the bench to wipe the floor underneath it.

Hazel blew her nose as woeful tears racked her body with trembles. She grabbed more tissues, wiping her puffy eyes and sniffling. Her heart went out to the characters that were soon going to face immanent death. It was sad, knowing their fates before they, themselves did. She knew that Jack-the man with the beautiful heart-was going to meet his end and that is what made her cry the most, knowing that the love between him and Rose would never prevail. They will never be married, never have children together, and never be able to say 'I love you' to one another. That was what made Hazel's heart ache and her tears flow freely. She could relate to Jack, she knew that she would never be able to have children, a family, and she didn't even know if she'd die tomorrow.

She nodded at Ade's comments in agreement. "He is perfect!" She wept, holding onto her pillow and stuffing handful after handful of popcorn into her mouth. "Why does the good die young?" She asked, wiping her eyes.

Elsy smiled as her friends started to cry. Elsy understood it was sad but the tears just weren't coming... Was something wrong with Elsy? No. She'd just experienced things way worse than this... She didn't need to waste her tears on a movie... She had real life problems... Like her father... And her mother... And the cranks... Without knowing Elsy started to cry... But it was okay because Ade and Hazel would assume its from the movie.. But Elsy was crying because she missed her mom... Elsy hoped they wouldn't mind and grabbed a bunch of tissues from their stock pile. She wiped her eyes but the tears wouldn't stop. She began to hiccup and no one cried this much during this movie... "Its just so sad!" she cried hoping they would believe she was crying because of the movie. Elsy didn't want to cry anymore though so she tried to force herself not to cry but it was hard. She wiped her eyes again. Her vision was blurry from the tears and she could barely see. Soon her breathing began to slow and she became slightly calmer. She hiccuped every now and then but it was better. "I wish I had a guy like that..." she gave her friends a smile. "This is fun... We should do this more often." she said.

As Elsy continued to watch the movie, it got more depressing. Elsy almost couldn't help it. She looked over to her friends who were sitting on the couch. "I'm going to go for a walk." She whispered as she got up. She didn't feel particularly well leaving her friends but she needed a walk.. And after her breakdown, she didn't think it was best to continue watching the tragic movie. She walked out of the social area and down the hall. She still had no idea where she was headed... But anywhere from that sob fest in the social area. She decided to go to the food court... She needed some fresh air... But that couldn't happen since the cranks were out there... So the food court would probably have windows so that was the next big thing... A window. She could just imagine she was outside... And she blushed, thinking of how crazy she sounded.

Elsy finally made it to the food court. Old Stands were getting dusty from not being used. She carefully went through the maze of tables and stands and made it to the far end of the food court and sure enough there were windows. She looked outside and gasped. The street was deserted, the sky a purple, predicting a coming storm. Elsy sighed.. She missed the sunny days that her mother would take her to the outdoor pool. But those days were long behind her. Elsy felt like she'd cry. But no. She was better than this.