8 x 8 = N64, the best console ever. Speaking of which, my 360 died. So I've been emulating Nintendo 64 games while I send it off for repairs. Man I missed Zelda.I've gotten e-mails. Actual e-mails about my story, not just PMs. I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed Evolution and encourage more people to review as well. Even a "Great job, can't wait for..." is great to read.

..:: Evolution Chapter 8 – Shopping ::..

"We used to build civilizations. Now we build shopping malls."

— Bill Bryson

"So what do you think of this?" I asked Alex.

"It is anotha sweata mon, you have like, twenty of the tings." Alex replied.

He doesn't understand! This one has a furry inner lining. It feels amazing on my skin! It is even lined in the hood with short but smooth... well fur-like material. It feels so warm and fuzzy! It is black with the word 'Hilfiger' on it and during last year it was off for 50%! Wait. Why did I know that? This is really strange. "Alex, what store are we in?"

"Tommy Hilfiga', why?"

"What mall are we in?"

"Square One. Why?"

I took the wallet that I kept on me at all times. It was my connection to who I was. I looked through the cards until I found one that was white and the emblem matched the one on half the clothes. Damien Parker, Assistant Manager. Tommy Hilfiger, Square One Mississauga. Canada.

Holy shit I worked here.

"Alex, what if I told you that before being a hunter, I was the assistant manager of this particular store."

"I'd say you was a crazy hunta that should lay off tha Docta Peppa mon."

"Then I need to lay off the Dr. Pepper. Look at this."

I gave him the card as I looked around for anything that would give me a bit of my past back. I tore out a few drawers before I noticed a few of the cards laying on the ground. Damien Parker, Assistant Manager. Tommy Hilfiger, Square One Mississauga. Canada.

This is starting to freak me out. I clawed off a cupboard door and took out what was labelled as a 'Staff Binder'. Flipping through it I found my name along a whole bunch of numbers. I sold a lot of stuff. Hmm the only one that was close was a Curtis of some sort. I ran my claw lightly down all the names. Chloe Anderson, Steve Write, Aldrena Muhhamma-whatever, Jessica Miskovsky, Fred Roderick, Francis-

Whoa, wait a minute. Jessica Miskovsky? Holy fuck what happ.. enn...ed.. oh my head... hey the floor... really comfortable... just sleep for... while... bacon.... Dr. Pepper....

There was a knocking at the door. Why was there a knocking at the door? I am trying to nap here; they shouldn't be knocking at my door. "What is it?"

"Damien, apparently a customer wants to speak with you." Voice is female, who was it? Ah Claire.

"Why?"

"She wants to complain about why a rack of 40% off polos are beside a rack of polos that are regular price."

"Fuck, did you tell her that they are spring items and it is only the winter items on sale?"

"Yes, she still wants to talk to you"

"Told her it isn't up to us where we put the things? Polos are with polos, her fault that she couldn't read the fucking sign?"

"Yes Damien, still wants to talk to you."

"Fucking hell. Alright coming."

I got up off my seat and looked in the monitor for the cameras. Oh there she is, yelling at my staff. Fucking black woman too, oh this was not going to end up well. Alright, time to work.

"Ma'am how may I help you?"

Oh god, she's really actually complaining about the damn shirts. Alright, what to tell the angry bitch now. Hmm, she is really annoying. Okay, so you think it is a bad business policy that we put misleading signs around. Well maybe if the human race weren't fucking idiots we could make the signs more clear that the rack is not on sale. Hey, that girl looks familiar! It's that seasonal hire, Jessica. Damn she's cute, but like, 4 years younger than me. She got me a cool metal guitar keychain for me during the Christmas exchange. She is looking at me, wow she is totally trying not to make it obvious. I love the mirrors in this place. Oh she is totally checking me out. Alright I can play this. Wait, the whale is saying something.

"Then she tells me I have to stand in line again... are you even listening to me?! Are you even fucking paying attention?!"

Alright, do a cool pose. One hand in pocket and use the other for a calm, and cool movements to embellish words so it looks like I'm calmly addressing the customer. Alright, now it just looks like I'm calmly addressing the bitch in the cameras that were focused on my back... now... go! "I'd have to tell you that I actually wasn't listening because this is totally not my problem. The rack beside has a sign and the other one doesn't so that common sense – something you appear to lack – would tell you that they are not on sale. If you were unclear, like some people are, you would go up to the guy that works here that is standing right beside the rack and he would tell you that the rack is indeed, not on sale and that you'd have to find shirts similar to the ones that you were going to buy. Instead you harass my employees, disturb the store and generally make yourself look like a fucking bitch. Please get the fuck out of my store and never come back."

Oh she's mad. She is going to pop! Alright, let her bitch and...

"You can stop there because I clearly don't give a shit. Go ahead and call head office, see if I care. They send me a letter saying that a customer has a complaint and that I have to deal with it. I deal with it by taking a thirty minute nap in the back room while drinking a Dr. Pepper. So get the hell out of my store."

She's throwing the polos across the store, oh nice catch Curtis. She's gone? Alright damage control.

"What I just did to her does not reflect our Tommy goals of customer service. I believe that respect must be shown to every single human being, and that if you don't show it, you should expect the same back. I know that many of you are of different faiths and some, like me, none at all. We can all learn from the golden rule in which Jesus taught us which was basically 'Treat those the way you would like to be treated.' In saying such I would like to treat all of you to 10% additional off all the items you are purchasing today, just say to the cashier that you like apples. That is the codeword. Apples. Thank you and I do hope that you do come again. If you do have a question or a concern, please do so in a respectful manner and we'd help you out. If she didn't scream at people, she'd probably get a shirt free. Treat people how you would like to be treated. Goodbye."

"Damn I love working here!" Jessica said to Claire.

Damn. I love being an assistant manager. Especially with a manager that never shows up most of the time. I'm pretty much the manager of this joint. I wouldn't mind if I actually became the manager too. Was that screaming? Holy shit that guy is punching the hell out of that crazy black woman! Wow, Karma is a bitch isn't it? Isn't it? Isn'...t... iiitttttt?

Karma is a bitch, isn't it?

Fuck where am I? Apparently I am located on the floor. There is a gun in my face. Alex had his gun pointed in my face. Why does he have that fucking gun in my fucking face? "Why do you have that fucking gun in my fucking face?"

"'Cause you were actin' very hunter and very not-Damien" he replied.

"Well, I'm better now, just my mind gaining something like usual. Just about fifty times worse."

"Can ya stand mon?"

"Yeah, I can gimme a sec okay?"

I slowly stood up, my usual headache clearing up as I regained the ability to think. Alright, so that was me. That was the last normal minutes before infection, and I knew Jessica. Is that the reason why she was attracted to me or why I could approach her? What happened to us both? Well obviously we died but... what happened? I looked around at the blood on the floor. I flicked a wet finger on the dried blood running to the back room and raised it to my tongue, to Alex's slight disgust. Fuck him. The blood tasted like mine, but slightly different. It could have been mine before the infection, I only knew what mine tasted like thanks to the slightly more attuned senses that my hunter-self has.

It led to the small kitchen area and further to the stock. It led to a door with a numeric lock, I raised my finger and hit the buttons... 4... 5... 1... the lock clicked. I turned the handle and looked inside. Nobody was here and there weren't any bodies. There was blood, and quite a bit of it pooled near the chair. I looked to the ceiling, the upper panels were torn away with bloodstains around the edges. Either something came in, or something came out.

I think it was me.

I looked at the computer, the monitor was cracked and I couldn't see a third of it, but apparently there was what Alex called a 'U.S.B.' attached to the back. I felt along the back of the computer lightly with my claws, trying not to damage it in any way. I felt a long stick mixed with a rush of heat from the cooling fan in the back of the tower. Removing it I felt something else on the stick. Pulling it free I opened my clawed hand... it looked so familiar...

"Merry Christmas!" Curtis yelled, "Now who the fuck is gonna come under this mistletoe and give me a kiss?"

Wow, he really is drunk. "I don't know about the girls... but what about you Rayne?" I yelled to the only bisexual-probably-gay guy in the stock-room.

"Damien, if I kissed him I'd probably go with females for the rest of my life." Everyone laughed while Curtis called him a fucking faggot, to which Rayne offered him bumsecks if he didn't stop drinking.

Now who'd ya drag around my door? If I keep it cracked they won't be there no more.

Music was great, I loved Big Wreck. Needs more Nirvana, hey! There is Jessica, time to make an ass of myself. I love doing this. I jumped up onto the table. "Throw the rocks and break the glass!" alright, sweep to the knee and face her, point at her now. "I'll get down on my knees and kiss your ass. 'Cause you're the one to be in my dreams."

Holy shit she got up here with me. "It never was and isn't what it seems." She sang back.

I'll go with this. "My luck is wasted." Hey she's singing with me. "I'm on the run somewhere. My luck is wasted. I'm on the run somewhere!" Alrighty, air guitar solo time. Hey she's taking the minor role, this is fun.

After the song she came up to me and handed me my gift. It was in a tiny box. Better not be a bracelet or some shit. It.. I picked it up. It was a guitar with wings; one side was angel wings while the other was more demonic. It probably was the perfect keychain, metal and everything.

"Like it Damien?"

"Sure do Jessica; I love it so much we're singing Karaoke."

"What?"

What?

The pain was subsiding. I was able to stay standing this time. I opened my hand. The USB was there, lying below a guitar that had two sides. Just like me.

"Damien."

I turned to the door. Alex was standing there, leather trench coat and all.

"Yeah?" I said, rather softly too.

"You okay?" he said, his usual Jamaican accent making me reflex into a smile.

"Yeah. Let's go to another store shall we? I want a coat like yours."

With that, I left Tommy Hilfiger, and my past life behind me in a silence that I almost couldn't bear, with lyrics in my head. But I told her I'm sorry. I never wanted it this way. Yeah, I still need her, but the mess won't go away.

A few minutes later I heard Jessica and Rebecca's voices. They were apparently discussing something in a store called "La Vie En Rose". La Vie En Rose, French for "The Life In Rose". Probably "The Rose in Life" would be a more accurate translation. I wonder what they'd be doing in this store. Hmm female clothes are everywhere. Weird. Wouldn't a store make more money selling to both sexes? "What do you mean you're having trouble?" I heard Rebecca say.

I crouched into Hunter stance, I heard trouble. There wasn't any cries of help or something, nor screams from zombies, what kind of trouble could they be talking about? "Well, I never really had to well... my claws are in the way... could you help?"

"Sure, what do you mean you never had to... wow, I wonder how they got this way."

What the hell were they talking about?!

"What do you mean?"

"Well look at mine," I heard a pause and shuffling coming from behind a curtain, "I have to wear one so they don't hit the floor if I get any older. Yours well... I guess that your unique cell structure keeps them in pretty much new and perfect condition with restructuring. You don't need one."

"Well, I wanted to impress Damien in some way you know?"

"Girl, the way that Hunter looks at you and acts around you... well you don't have to worry about it. Still fascinating though. May I?"

"Ohh... well... okay..." Jessica said with a low voice.

"Wow, definitely different than mine, see? Feel the difference. Man being infected really has its advantages."

What the hell were they talking about? Needing one? Not needing one? What was 'cell restructuring'? I'm going to ask. I opened up the curtain. "Girl what is cell res-"

I had to stop short. There were two topless girls, each with a hand on each other's chest. What the hell was going on here- "OUT!" Jessica yelled with a kick to my chest that sent my body flying across the store with a speed I didn't think possible. My legs hit the counter and sent me on an arc upwards. I sun in the air and hit the display window, shattering through the glass.

Fuck that hurt. I can barely move. I feel pain. Pain! Cuts sealing. Blood flow slowing. Screams and yells. Guns cocking. Crack sounds chest in pain. Cough, breathe. Wet on my face. Blood. I felt... I felt like I got hit by a truck. Someone wrapping their arms around me. I'm sitting? Alright, think. Note to self; don't go into anything that has Roses in its name. Jessica definitely needs to tone down her kicks.

I heard crying. The saddest, mournful sobbing I have only heard a few times before. The smell of citrus hit my nose. I opened my eyes. A pale face with beautiful white hair greeted my eyes. I moved my hand to her cheek. Her crying stopped as I smiled "I am never playing soccer with you. Ever."

She smiled back at me, she was fully dressed again as she held me to her body, cradled in her arms. I was embarrassed. With a groan I rolled to my stomach and pushed myself up. Alex and apparently Georg tried picking me up. I pushed them away and got up myself. Creaking came from my bones and I pushed on my chest. All fixed.

"Alright, now I am going into that store there." I said, pointing at a store outlined in black but had some lights and lamps flashing in the front and back.

I stumbled a bit but eventually got to walking right again. I turned around, everyone was staring at me. "I'm fine! Jessica, it is fine! C'mon, this store looks cool."

Jessica, Alex and I walked into the new weird store that read 'Spencer's Novelties'. Novels? Books? There didn't seem to be any books here. Hey that lamp is cool! It had a ball of liquid suspended in some other kind of liquid. There were a few of them. The blob on the bottom would raise up and break off into two, the higher one raising to the top as a ball fell to the bottom. Then after a few minutes, another ball raised as the old one fell to join the bottom blob again.

"You totally shoulda' been in tha seventies Damien" Alex said, "That be a Lava Lamp. You should see when I am high. Fun as hell. Starin' at that fo' a long time."

I grabbed a bag and placed a container that had 'Lava Lamp' written on it. I wanted one, so I got one. I looked over to what Jessica was looking at. It was a ball that had a ball in the center, but there was what seemed to be dozens of bolts of lightning coming from it. She gently placed a hand on the glass, the multiple bolts concentrated to one and danced along her palm. I don't know what's coming over me. I really wanted to kiss her right now. So I did. I grabbed her shoulders and pressed my lips against hers.

I have no idea why this action creates this electrifying response with me. I love it. I feel like all the bolts coming from that ball were coursing through my body. I felt like I jumped off a building into nothingness. I broke the kiss. "Jessica, are you mad at me for earlier?"

She looked slightly stunned, "You are apologizing? I kicked you through glass and broke your ribs."

A part of me thought of what to say to that. My hunter part wanted none of this, however, my human part. The one that knew her from long ago felt like saying something. "My ribs can be easily fixed, your happiness with me cannot be so easily mended."

Holy fuck I am smooth. I held the beautiful witch in my arms and closed my eyes, breathing in her scent. I looked around the shop as we embraced. There were a group of fountains still operating. One was what I read to be a vampire, holding two skulls, one in each hand. They poured a red liquid down his hands and robes as a cauldron poured the rest of the liquid over its sides. I wanted it. I gently broke from our embrace and smiled. Then I picked it up. "Let's continue shopping. We only have ten hours before the sun breaks."

"Sure. See you later." She said as she started walking out the door.

"No problem, I love you."

She paused a second and turned her head. She smiled and simply replied "And so do I."

Hours passed as Alex, George and I moved canned food into the back of a military transport that was in the lower parking levels. It took a while but eventually we got all the necessities inside. Then we started packing the extras.

"Why are you picking up a big screen HDTV?" George asked Alex.

"'Cause I wanta watch my HD porn and play my HD games in a HDTV."

"Oh... I'm getting one too then." I said.

So in the end we had the transport packed and tied down. We placed ammo and weapons in a solid position on the truck. We pretty much kept a square Donut shape, with ammo in the middle and for us to take cover in the boxes themselves.

George took me aside. "Damien I got something to show you."

I followed him to the back of the truck, we climbed up and he handed me a tube with some kind of lump at the end. "Alright. Now this is a Rocket Propelled Grenade, commonly known as an RPG. Now what you do it aim, pull the trigger and whatever you hit explodes in bits of meat."

"Only one thing I plan on using that on."

"Exactly. We are going to make a shitload of noise, this is in case a Tank makes it's own appearance"

"Got it"

"Alright, time to get some sleep." He said as he went back to quadruple-checking the equipment, he paused. "She's in the Zeller's by the way."

I smiled. "Thanks"

Tomorrow was going to be one hell of a day.

---------

People wondered why Damien's perspective changes within the first person. It is because the more injured, confused or stressed he is, it lowers his ability to think and comprehend. It goes from thoughts of the future and past to the present, and his feelings and thoughts then. Kind of like if you are sick the only thing you think of is how sick you are and your feelings attached to the present. Instead of thinking "I just did this" or "I'm going to do that" you think "I'm throwing up. Fucking headache." and "Puke". He is part Hunter, so it goes a bit more and is instinctual and primal in thought. Therefore, lower thought process during weak times.

See you in Chapter 9!