Even as she pushed Omid behind the wagons Sarah was dragging behind her, Clementine couldn't stop herself from eyeing the rows and rows of lavish and expensive clothing, just waiting for someone to take it. Beautiful dresses, stunning blouses, gorgeous shoes. Even the socks on display were a sight to behold, sporting colorful and creative designs and for everything from short ankle socks to ones as long as stockings. Clementine didn't know where to begin.
"You know," said Sarah. "Now that I'm thinking about it, I could really use some new shirts and pants."
"And maybe a new jacket," suggested Clem as she examined Sarah's worn blue coat.
"I want to keep this jacket," said Sarah as she tugged on the garment. "You know, because my dad gave it to me." Clem noticed the hint of sorrow in Sarah's voice.
"I understand, my dad gave me this hat." Clem adjusted her worn white and purple baseball cap. "Still, everything else we could get from here."
"Yeah. Now that you mention it, I could use some new shoes too. And socks. And underwear."
"Like these?" Sarah turned her head to see Clementine gesturing to a mannequin wearing pink lingerie.
"What? I could never wear something like that," said Sarah.
"Why not?"
"Because, only beautiful women wear stuff like that."
"You are a beautiful woman Sarah."
"I'm not beautiful like that," dismissed Sarah. "And even if I was, I wouldn't want to wear that. It looks uncomfortable."
"I think it looks cool," said Clem. "And I bet it would look really great on you."
"If you like it so much, why don't you wear it?" suggested Sarah.
"I can't wear that, I'm not a woman at all," shrugged Clem. "I'm just a little girl."
"Clem… you're not just a little girl."
"But I look like one, and I'm little like one." Clem sighed as she looked at the racks of dresses several sizes too big for her. "Let's go find the kid's aisle," mumbled Clem as she pushed Omid's stroller along.
"You know, this is a big store, they probably got a lot of great stuff for people your age too," suggested Sarah as they navigated towards the sign advertising apparel for children.
"Like what?" asked an unconvinced Clem.
"Um… well… oh, how 'bout this?" Sarah removed an expensive looking denim jacket from the rack and handed it to Clem. Examining it, she was surprised by the quality of the garment, being finely stitched with elegant metal buttons running down the middle and colorful patterns resembling flowers stitched into the fabric right below the shoulders. And most importantly for Clementine, it appeared to be just her size.
Clem hurriedly unzipped her cheap polyester jacket and tossed it aside. Slipping her arms into the denim jacket felt oddly gratifying, maybe because Clem liked the feel of the material better. Tugging at the coat, it was a little big but still a good fit, and being a bit big also meant she could grow into it. Adjusting the bracelet Sarah had given her, Clem noticed the classy button on the jacket's cuff and suddenly wanted to see what this new jacket looked like on her.
"Is there a mirror around here?" asked Clem.
"I think I see one set up by that clothing rack." Sarah collected the lantern and maneuvered to a free standing mirror set up at the end of a couple of aisles. The younger girl zipped over to the mirror while Sarah held out the lantern so Clem could see her reflection. Modeling the jacket in the mirror, Clem liked what she saw.
It didn't look like a little kid's jacket, it looked like something a grown-up would wear, a grown-up with style. Even the small colorful floral patterns across the chest were tastefully done so as not to appear childish. Her new jacket was so nice, it made the worn out jeans and ratty shirt Clem was wearing look terrible by comparison.
"I should get a new shirt and pants too." Clem looked out past the side of the mirror and discovered a wide variety of dresses and tops hanging in arm's reach, most of which also looked roughly her size. "And maybe…" Clem frowned and turned away.
"What?" asked Sarah.
"I shouldn't. I don't really need anything but a change of clothes." Clem looked up at Sarah, who had an odd smile on her face.
"Who cares what you need right now?" Sarah grabbed a bright yellow layered skirt with orange and red trim around the waist and held it in front of Clementine. "This one would look really good on you."
"I'll need a top too," reasoned Clem.
"Then get one," prompted Sarah. "Or get two." Clem happily started pawing through the racks, eyeing each and every piece of clothing with great excitement.
"I never said anything, because I thought it would sound stupid," said Clem. "But I always kinda hated that we got our clothes from an old flea market before we found that house in Spokeston."
"Well now you can get whatever you want to wear," said Sarah.
"You too," added Clem. "You should get a nice dress."
"I told you, I don't like wearing dresses."
"Why not?"
"I was always afraid someone would see my underwear if I wore a dress."
"I see your underwear every time we go to sleep," teased Clem.
"Well yeah, but it's not just that," said Sarah. "Dresses usually don't have pockets and I just always liked wearing pants better. Maybe I'll find some really nice slacks instead."
"How's this look?" Clementine held up bright yellow smocked top with a butterfly pattern on the chest.
"It looks great Clem."
Shopping for her own clothes felt quite liberating for Clementine. Before the world changed, her parents, usually her mother, always picked out her clothes. After that, she simply wore whatever was available, as how she looked wasn't all that important anymore. And yet, stopping to model a few outfits in the mirror, and deciding what she wanted to look like, was incredibly empowering for the young girl.
The store had no lack of designer clothes for children, and Clem enjoyed sampling their wares. She found herself a new pair of jeans and a dark red shirt to go with her new jacket. Taking the time to thread her holster and knife in a new belt while combining that with some brand new shoes really completed her ensemble. Looking at herself in the mirror, Clem thought she appeared confident now, maybe even a little powerful, with her new outfit being akin to her own personal suit of armor.
Clementine grabbed some spare pants, shirts, socks and other essentials before coordinating the rest of the accessories to go with the skirt and top she had picked out, wanting just the right shoes and socks to go with it. Sarah was considerably less discerning about what she wore, but Clem managed to at least convince the older girl to take a pair of stylish dress slacks and an equally fetching blouse to go with it. And even the store's more vanilla underwear selections had a designer flourish to them.
Piling their newly selected wardrobe into the wagons, along with some warmer but still stylish clothes for the coming winter, the pair had noticed Omid seemed to be getting more restless. They started navigating back towards the entrance, something made more difficult while pulling two loaded wagons.
Along the way, the pair stopped briefly to check out a bookstore. Unlike a lot of the previous stores, this one had clearly seen a lot of use, with books haphazardly stacked and scattered around the store; likely caused by the mall's former inhabitants looking for something to keep themselves entertained with. Digging through the disorganized mess of books, Clem spotted a couple of titles that looked fun while Sarah honed in on some textbooks stacked up near the back of the store.
After Clementine had dropped her choice literature on a wagon, Sarah plopped a stack of thick hardbound books beside them. Briefly eyeing the covers, Clem saw words like 'anatomy' and 'physiology'. She wasn't entirely sure what those meant, but the girl figured they were probably related to 'medical procedures', which was also printed on one of the covers. There was also a book on childcare, and, judging from the thickness, was probably more comprehensive than the one they already had that was for new parents.
With the sun setting, the dim light grew dimmer, as if nature itself was signaling the girls that it was time to leave. Their two toys wagons piled full of goods and a fussy Omid fidgeting in his stroller, the girls headed back towards the main entrance, ready to stow their plunder in their own personal pirate ship, the Brave.
Strolling through the mall, eyeing all the other stores they didn't have time to pilfer, Clementine felt a little envious of whoever lived here before. Briefly perusing just a fraction of the area had done a lot to lift Clem's spirits, and almost certainly Sarah's too. If there had been any food left, it would have been a great place to live for a while.
Sadly, food was the one thing the previous inhabitants hadn't left any of. There were no canned preserves, or sealed dried goods, or even pet food. The only edible thing remaining appeared to be some stray salt shakers spread out over a few restaurants, as even the ketchup and mustard bottles had been emptied out. Passing by a video store, Clem couldn't help eyeing the empty sales rack that obviously used to house packages of candy, and then she noticed something else.
"Sarah, look." Sarah took the lantern and moved it closer to the store. Sitting on what Clem could now see was only a mostly empty shelf was a small stack of thin red packages.
"What is it?" asked Sarah.
Clem stepped inside and collected a package. "Popcorn."
"Huh. I guess without a microwave they couldn't cook it."
"We have a microwave," said Clem.
"Yeah, but it only works if the generator is running."
"So, let's turn on the generator," suggested Clem.
"Just to make popcorn?"
"Well, what if we did something else too?"
"Like what?"
Clementine gestured to the racks of DVD's laying in front of them. "That TV in the Brave, hanging over the front seat, it has a DVD player, right?"
"Yeah, but I don't know if it works. We've never tried using it before."
"Well, let's try it now."
The pair exchanged glances, then wasted no time locating some select titles for their newly planned movie night and added it to their growing pile of spoils along with the packs of popcorn. They returned to Brave with great haste, eagerly loading everything from the wagons inside. Everything they stored felt like a little victory, and Clem found it oddly satisfying to see the drawers in the bedroom now filled with fresh clothes.
After stowing their equipment and taking some time to feed Omid, the girls set the infant in his crib before heading back outside. With great effort, they removed the generator from its compartment and pulled the power cable for it around the back of the Brave. Sarah retrieved a gas can next while Clem plugged the cable into the generator.
"It should last for at least an hour," said Sarah as she poured gas into the generator.
"What do you need me to do?" asked Clem.
"I can handle it from here. Just wait for me inside."
Clem nodded then bounded back into the RV. The girl looked up at the TV mounted in the cabinet built into the ceiling, eager to watch it. She hadn't watched anything on a TV since before the dead had come back. In fact, she'd had mostly forgotten about it until just now. But looking at her reflection in the screen, Clem thought something was missing.
The young girl hurried into the bedroom and opened the dresser drawer. Sitting inside was her new skirt and the rest of her new wardrobe. Clem hastily changed out of her work clothes and into her new skirt and top. Observing herself in the nearest mirror, Clem liked what she saw, and taking off her hat next and pulling her hair out of a bun made her like what she saw even more. She posed for herself briefly, admiring the girl in the fetching attire with the beautiful wild hair who happened to be standing in the mirror. After more than a little preening, Clementine heard the familiar hum of the generator, which prompted Omid to start crying gently.
"Hey, hey, it's okay." Clementine plucked Omid from his crib and gently rocked him in her arms. The boy settled slightly, but still seemed agitated. "What's wrong?" Watching Omid fussing with his jumper's buttons, Clem realized he'd probably like to be wearing something more comfortable. "Let's get you dressed up too."
Clem helped Omid out of his bulky jumper and into a simple onesie. Carrying the boy to the mirror, Clem found herself giggling as she looked at the lettering on Omid's clothes that read 'Little Peanut' right below a doodle of an elephant. "Don't we look cute?"
"Duh-buh-duh?" Omid reached out and touched his reflection, making Clem wonder if he was expecting to touch another baby instead.
"It's just you and me, and Sarah," informed Clem, sad to do so. "But don't worry, we're going to have a lot of fun tonight." Clementine carried Omid back into the living room as Sarah returned from outside.
"Ready for some popcorn?" asked an excited Sarah as she grabbed a bag from the counter.
"Definitely," said Clem.
"Aww, you put Omid in one of his new outfits," said Sarah. "He's just adorable," gushed the older girl as she tickled Omid under his chin, prompting a laugh from the boy.
"I changed too," said Clem. "Do… do you think I look good?"
"Yeah, you look great." Despite the compliment, Clem found Sarah's response a little underwhelming, but seeing her stick that bag into the microwave made the young girl forget all about such a minor disappointment. Sarah set the timer to three minutes and hit start.
The pair sat down and watched the microwave eagerly, almost if it was the main event. They stared at the bag through the glass door, readily awaiting that familiar popping sound they hadn't heard in over a year, and then they kept waiting. It wasn't until only thirty seconds remained did they finally hear a single pop. Then came another, and another, and then the microwave beeped. There were only three pops in three minutes.
"Did you not give it enough time?" asked Clem.
"The package said two and a half minutes," said Sarah as she stood up. "I figured I'd have to stop the microwave after the popping stopped."
"Maybe there's something wrong with the microwave?"
Sarah opened the microwave's door. "No, the bag is really hot." Sarah grabbed a couple of rags from the counter and carefully placed the bag in the sink. "Ugh, it smells horrible."
Clem inched closer to the sink, but stopped as soon as she got a whiff of something terrible. "Ew, what's wrong with it?" asked Clem as she hastily returned to the couch, Omid fidgeting in her arms as he tried to get away from the terrible odor. It didn't smell burnt but rotten actually.
"I guess popcorn goes bad too," shrugged Sarah as she covered her nose.
"Really?" asked a disappointed Clem.
"I don't know what else it could be," said Sarah as she opened the door that led outside. "But it would explain why they were left behind." Sarah pinched her nose with one hand and used a rag to grip the odious un-popped corn with her other hand. She tossed the foul smelling failure of a snack outside, slammed the door shut and locked it.
"Well, I guess that's just one more thing that doesn't stay good," figured Clem. "Just like brown rice."
"Well, at least we can still watch a movie." Sarah started digging through the stack of DVD's lying on the tiny dining table.
"Which one should we watch?" asked Clem, pushing the disappointment of the popcorn out of her memory as Sarah looked at their options.
"How about… Fantasia?" said Sarah as she pulled a movie from the pile.
"Why that one?"
"Because, there's no talking, it's just really great cartoons to go along with beautiful music, so Omid would probably like it better."
Clem looked down to find Omid resting in her arms. "Would you like that OJ?"
"Muh-buh," he mumbled softly.
"I'll take that as a yes." Clem looked at Sarah, who eagerly moved to the TV. The older girl hit the power switch, and even seeing the screen flicker on was exciting for Clem. Sarah loaded the disc into the player and started pressing buttons to skip through the menus. As a familiar logo appeared on-screen, Sarah rushed back to the couch and sat down beside Clementine.
"This is going to be great," beamed Sarah as the logo faded from the screen.
"Yeah," said Clem as she sat Omid on her lap so he could see the screen better. "I just wish we had a bigger TV."
"Maybe we can find one?" suggested Sarah. "And just plug it in when the generator is going?"
"That'd be great," smiled Clem. "Next time we watch a movie, we should totally do that."
"It's only like a week from the end of the October," said Sarah. "We should watch The Nightmare Before Christmas for Halloween."
"That'd be great." The girls watched as an empty stage appeared on-screen. Slowly, musicians began walking on stage, only visible in silhouette. Violinists found their marks behind their music stands, cellists set up their instruments, others moved their horns into position. After everyone was seated, there was a brief cacophony of instruments tuning up before fading into silence as the conductor appeared on center stage. He adjusted his music stand, turned to face the audience, and then the screen went black.
"Huh?" Sarah sprung up from her seat.
"What happened?" asked Clem.
"I don't know." Sarah started pressing the buttons on the TV, but nothing happened.
"Sarah, listen." Sarah turned away from the TV and became very still.
"I… I don't hear anything," said Sarah.
"Yeah." Sarah looked at Clem, puzzled by the girl's observation, but then it hit her.
"The generator stopped," realized Sarah.
"I guess it ran out of gas," concluded Clem.
"No, I filled it up before I turned it on." Sarah groaned then turned for the door. "I hope there's nothing wrong with it."
"Do you want me to come with you?" asked Clem.
"No, I'll check it out." Sarah opened the door and stepped outside. "You just stay with Omid." Sarah closed the door, leaving Clem alone with their baby. Looking down at the infant, he appeared no less restless than before, constantly trying to squirm out of Clementine's grip. Realizing he didn't want to sit still, Clem set the boy on the ground, who started crawling across the carpet.
"It'll just be a minute OJ," said Clem as Omid crawled towards the two seat dining area. "Once Sarah gets the—" Clem watched Omid sit up and grab the edge of the seat. Clem moved to help the boy, but then she noticed Omid was trying to pull himself off the floor.
"Whoa." Clumsily, slowly, the baby managed to pull himself into an awkward stand. "You… you stood up on your own." Clementine watched with excitement as Omid tried to take his first step, only for him to fall back onto the carpet.
Seeing Omid sit up, ready to try once more, Clementine immediately raced to the door and threw it open. "Sarah!" called Clem as she raced back outside. "Get in here! OJ is—" A strong hand clasped itself over Clementine's mouth while an even stronger arm wrapped around her neck.