SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY! I started writing this right after the last chapter in February but then i hit a huge writers block and had no idea how to write this chapter. Whatever. Its done. I can continue writing the story now. Sorry its short as well.
The stares. He could feel their stares boring through him and into his very damaged soul. Staring at the ground did little to quiet the whispers of pity and amazement that slipped from the crowds' gossiping lips. The only thing guiding him through his journey of hell were the heels of his mother's short leather boots that stepped in and out of his vision. Why couldn't that THING just have let him die and end his suffering early. His self confidence was absolutely shattered after the long drag through the mud with his parents and now this. He felt like an animal...a monster...a freak to be pointed at and marvelled from behind cage bars. The first to disappear and the only to return. Oh how he wished he hadn't.
His thoughts were interrupted when Sherry turned around abruptly. Using all his might he managed to narrowly miss colliding with her.
"So, Dwight, do you you have any particular place in mind?"
"A-any place." He quickly responded.
"Are you sure?" She pressed her question a little harder.
"Yes! Please!" He pleaded quietly. "Let's just go into a store."
With a worried furrow of her brow she headed into the nearest clothing store, Dwight hurrying alone in his dad's flip flops behind her. The prying eyes of the mall visitors lost interest in the young man and continued along with their shopping journeys.
The store looked like that of a typical clothing store with female attire on the left and male on the right. In the far back of the store was the checkout counter with a single female employee behind the desk. She quickly glanced up from her phone but returned to the device right after.
"Welcome." The greeting was halfhearted and Sherry gave a silent sigh at the actions of the youth of today.
Starting for the men's section she waved her son over and began to view the various articles of clothing displayed on the racks. Different kinds of tops lined the metal bar ranging from knit sweaters to dress shirts, which Sherry was pretty sure should be in a higher quality section as to not get wrinkles. Both mellow and bright colours were mixed together as if they were just cramped on the pole at random, not even grouped with similar shirts. This store should be ashamed of it's employees.
Dwight tried to push through the clothing racks as quickly as possible picking out some hoodies and t-shirts that caught his eye while his mother meticulously picked out a couple of woollen sweaters. After her son nodded at the shirts she selected they moved onto the pants which were organized on a circular rack a little ways away from the shirts.
At this point the female employee had grown bored of looking at her phone and looked up at her only two customers. The woman seemed pretty normal but the disheveled young man beside her...Oh, where had she seen him from? After about a minute of squinting it hit her like a pile of bricks.
Sherry approached the counter with Dwight in tow and placed a fairly large sized pile of clothing on the table. With a roll of her eyes the employee began to scan each item, one by one. The price flashed on the register, "Cash or credit?".
"Credit, please." Sherry tried to maintain a civil tone with the disrespectful cashier.
Just as she was swiping her card the employee asked the most shocking question directed towards Dwight. "Hey, aren't you that guy who disappeared two years ago?"
He froze. What was he supposed to say? He didn't want to talk about it. He wasn't even thinking about everyone else who would've heard about his disappearance when he asked to go to the mall.
Dwight began to slowly inch away from the counter remaining perfectly silent. His mother picked up the bag of clothes and gave a loud huff.
"Thank you." She snapped sarcastically and hurried out of the store with her son.
While they stormed out the employee pulled the camera up on her phone and took a quick pic of the man in question. With a smile she began to type.
"I can't wait to post this. It's going to get me so many followers."
The two hurried to the car parked in the farthest corner of the mall parking lot. Sitting down in the silence of the vehicle Sherry spoke first.
"I'm so sorry, Dwight. Come here." Pulling her son into a comforting hug he submitted. Her warmth calmed him down a tad bit.
"It's okay. I-I'm fine."
An unnoticed tear slid down his cheek.