LOST IN THE FOOD COURT

by Heriberto Rodriguez

Where did my mom go? Where is she? Why did she leave me alone? Where am I?

I saw the new version of the monopoly board game that commanded me to step into KB Toys. Then I saw all the cool video games that had just been released. Time flew by like an escaped canary fleeing its cage as I mentally sorted everything that I wanted for Christmas. I forgot all about my mom.

Eventually, I walked back to the same store we were in, and she had vanished. I was so startled to not see my mom next to me that I stood completely still like a windless tree.

What do I do now? I guess anyplace is better than being here, since she won’t go into a toy store to shop for clothes. It’s time leave.

As I walked confusingly around the mall, there were some things that I found interesting. I saw little kids crying for candy from the vending machines, a man in a nice expensive suit reading a rather thick book in a chair, and a janitor cleaning a big mess of advertising papers that were left on the floor. The view of senior citizen women chatting with each other, enjoying their salads, and little kids pleased to receive a happy meal toy with their kids meals told me that I had entered the food court.

At the time the spooked feeling made me very hungry like how Grendel feels once the sun falls. It felt like something was eating my stomach from the inside. The room was overflowing with the odor of delicious cheese.

I’m so hungry, this cheese actually smells very good.

My stomach growled as I saw the large bulky man attack his deep dish multiple topping pizza with a passion. Trying to avoid noticing the pizza anymore, I turned my head away like a lost hungry puppy craving for pity.  As I did, I glimpsed at the window and gazed at the sky which was darker than a cave.

It’s getting dark outside, I have to find my mom soon or I don’t know what will happen.

Worrying about not finding my mom, fearing being alone, and crying out of fright, I wondered if I’d ever see her again. Running mindlessly out of the food court with tears in my eyes, sprinting with great fear, and dashing through the crowd, I disappeared from the food court to find my mom.