It was almost the bewitching hour and Mia found herself in a mall. It was empty other than herself but the lights were on, almost too brightly and in the glare the clothes were limp on the racks. At first it was silent, then steadily the music grew “If you want to be happy…” It was colder than usual and she could feel a draft on her face and smell something that reminded her of dark wintry nights. She was about to start walking when her eyes caught glimpses of ghostly forms. She looked harder. Either they were there or not. As she stared their outlines became more solid, like chalk people on a sidewalk and Mia almost cried out in alarm.
Mia pinched herself hard, “Wake, wake!” she commanded herself, but when she opened her eyes the shoppers looked ordinary - not anyone she knew, but that was normal life in her city. They were all shapes and sizes, all ages. Some looked happy, some tense, some in a hurry. She breathed a little easier. Then she noticed something odd, something she first thought was a figment of her imagination - each one had a black fuzz bubbling around their hearts, like tar candy floss. In panic she looked down at her own heart and patted over the top, no fuzz. After a time Mia decided to move, she couldn’t stay rooted to the spot forever.
She walked into a perfume tinctured store and next to each rack was a woman or child in rags, some burnt, some skinny, all miserable. They were chained to the rows of pristine clothing, shackled. Around them buzzed the shop staff, coiffured hair and perfect teeth and skin. They smiled without warmth and said nice things they were paid to say, compliments to manipulate lonely shoppers with hearts in black fuzz. Mia looked again at the assistants, their hearts were just as trapped. “Robots” she thought, “they’re like robots.” Mia jumped as an irritated shopper reached passed her to a rack of shirts.
The shopper shot her the “evil eye” and began searching for a size. Mia turned back to the chained woman to find she wasn’t there anymore, instead was a plastic mannequin, size 00 with a wig of nylon. She turned back to the shopper, her skin was turning a greyish hue and her eyes were more dull than cold coffee. Mia screamed. In an instant the shop switched back to “normal” and all eyes were on her. She stumbled backwards and ran out. “Home,” she thought, “I want to go home.”
To get home she’d have to pass through the supermarket, almost at a run she set off, weaving through the crowds. The supermarket was reassuringly normal. No happy faces, just irritating music and special deals everywhere. “I must be crazy,” she thought, “or this is one hell of a bad dream.” She passed the electronics section and stopped, she liked gadgets. One foot into the department and everything to her left became a glade more beautiful than she’d ever seen with a clear running stream. She smiled and stepped inside, the blades of grass were soft, bluish-green, and beaded with dew. Then she turned to see a sign in the ground “Bought by A. Mining Company.” She blinked and everything was gone, torn up, destroyed. There was no grass and the air stank of fumes, she took a step backwards and the department swam back into view.
The zombie shoppers were back, drooling over the electronics, dragging their limbs and staring with dead eyes. “Rare earth minerals” Mia thought. Mia’s head spun but she walked in anyway like she was going to war. “Stop!” she yelled, “Don’t buy it, the earth is being destroyed!” Again, faster than a blink, the shop became normal and the people stared at her. A few laughed. Then the security guard moved toward her, a six foot wall of muscle. Mia ran.
Mia hid behind a chocolate display, the guard went passed, talking into his radio. “We’ve got a live one in here, on her trail.” Mia took off her jacket, it didn’t change her much but they were after a girl in a blue jacket and she was now in a white shirt. Time for the exit, no more detours. She stopped at a display of plastic trinkets that had a group of shoppers entranced. They were a “special deal.” Mia stopped. The trinkets had no use at all. Mia's nose began to wrinkle, she could smell something foul, like rotten eggs. She cast her eyes around for the source. All around the feet of the shoppers the tiles had become black and sticky, a deepening pool of crude oil and Mia began to choke on the fumes. The shoppers were now dressed in rags, their skin greyed and torn in places. Mia screamed. Again everything snapped back to normal. The shoppers gave her a wary look, as if it was her that was odd; but they were the zombies! Then Mia’s heart sank as if a concrete block had been tied to it and thrown in the Hudson. She was the odd one out. They were the zombie shoppers, directed to consume until the planet was dead. As the realization shock wave almost knocked her down, a meaty hand fell on her shoulder.
Without turning she knew who it was. “You need to come with me, now.” Mia ducked down fast to release his grip, she was small, agile, that was her advantage. She ran again, weaving between the zombie shoppers until at last she was sat bolt upright in her bed. The window was open a jar, her room was too cold and her blankets were in a mess. She knew Mama would want her to go back to sleep but somehow she didn’t want to take her chances again. It was time to be awake and the dawn would bring a brand new day.
Mia pinched herself hard, “Wake, wake!” she commanded herself, but when she opened her eyes the shoppers looked ordinary - not anyone she knew, but that was normal life in her city. They were all shapes and sizes, all ages. Some looked happy, some tense, some in a hurry. She breathed a little easier. Then she noticed something odd, something she first thought was a figment of her imagination - each one had a black fuzz bubbling around their hearts, like tar candy floss. In panic she looked down at her own heart and patted over the top, no fuzz. After a time Mia decided to move, she couldn’t stay rooted to the spot forever.
She walked into a perfume tinctured store and next to each rack was a woman or child in rags, some burnt, some skinny, all miserable. They were chained to the rows of pristine clothing, shackled. Around them buzzed the shop staff, coiffured hair and perfect teeth and skin. They smiled without warmth and said nice things they were paid to say, compliments to manipulate lonely shoppers with hearts in black fuzz. Mia looked again at the assistants, their hearts were just as trapped. “Robots” she thought, “they’re like robots.” Mia jumped as an irritated shopper reached passed her to a rack of shirts.
The shopper shot her the “evil eye” and began searching for a size. Mia turned back to the chained woman to find she wasn’t there anymore, instead was a plastic mannequin, size 00 with a wig of nylon. She turned back to the shopper, her skin was turning a greyish hue and her eyes were more dull than cold coffee. Mia screamed. In an instant the shop switched back to “normal” and all eyes were on her. She stumbled backwards and ran out. “Home,” she thought, “I want to go home.”
To get home she’d have to pass through the supermarket, almost at a run she set off, weaving through the crowds. The supermarket was reassuringly normal. No happy faces, just irritating music and special deals everywhere. “I must be crazy,” she thought, “or this is one hell of a bad dream.” She passed the electronics section and stopped, she liked gadgets. One foot into the department and everything to her left became a glade more beautiful than she’d ever seen with a clear running stream. She smiled and stepped inside, the blades of grass were soft, bluish-green, and beaded with dew. Then she turned to see a sign in the ground “Bought by A. Mining Company.” She blinked and everything was gone, torn up, destroyed. There was no grass and the air stank of fumes, she took a step backwards and the department swam back into view.
The zombie shoppers were back, drooling over the electronics, dragging their limbs and staring with dead eyes. “Rare earth minerals” Mia thought. Mia’s head spun but she walked in anyway like she was going to war. “Stop!” she yelled, “Don’t buy it, the earth is being destroyed!” Again, faster than a blink, the shop became normal and the people stared at her. A few laughed. Then the security guard moved toward her, a six foot wall of muscle. Mia ran.
Mia hid behind a chocolate display, the guard went passed, talking into his radio. “We’ve got a live one in here, on her trail.” Mia took off her jacket, it didn’t change her much but they were after a girl in a blue jacket and she was now in a white shirt. Time for the exit, no more detours. She stopped at a display of plastic trinkets that had a group of shoppers entranced. They were a “special deal.” Mia stopped. The trinkets had no use at all. Mia's nose began to wrinkle, she could smell something foul, like rotten eggs. She cast her eyes around for the source. All around the feet of the shoppers the tiles had become black and sticky, a deepening pool of crude oil and Mia began to choke on the fumes. The shoppers were now dressed in rags, their skin greyed and torn in places. Mia screamed. Again everything snapped back to normal. The shoppers gave her a wary look, as if it was her that was odd; but they were the zombies! Then Mia’s heart sank as if a concrete block had been tied to it and thrown in the Hudson. She was the odd one out. They were the zombie shoppers, directed to consume until the planet was dead. As the realization shock wave almost knocked her down, a meaty hand fell on her shoulder.
Without turning she knew who it was. “You need to come with me, now.” Mia ducked down fast to release his grip, she was small, agile, that was her advantage. She ran again, weaving between the zombie shoppers until at last she was sat bolt upright in her bed. The window was open a jar, her room was too cold and her blankets were in a mess. She knew Mama would want her to go back to sleep but somehow she didn’t want to take her chances again. It was time to be awake and the dawn would bring a brand new day.