Chapter7
The stair way was dark, by the time Jaz had woken up it was night. She lay awkwardly at the bottom of the stairs trying to remember what had happened. As she sat up a pounding started in her head. She remembered walking over to the stares but that was it, she must have fainted and fallen down all of them. Using her crutch to stand up she made her way to the door.
The mall seemed oddly quiet, but then again the stairs to the roof were in an unoccupied area of the mall. Jaz quickened her pace as the pain in her leg began to numb, then she stopped mid step as she heard a voice. It was deep and sounded of irritation; she didn't recognize the voice although she knew almost every kid in the mall by name.
She crept closer staying low and close to the wall. It sounded as if they were just around the corner.
"how much longer are we going to stay here? We don't need any more supplies." The low voice said.
"Honestly I would prefer to stay the night. Besides we have all the kids under control and it will be safer to leave in the morning." Someone else replied.
She crouched behind a bench as the two boys past the hallway. She didn't know either of the boys or what they were talking about, but she knew it wasn't good.
When the boys were out of site she ran across the large open area to where her store was. It was silent, her gut twisted with nerves. She peeked inside through a window and could see her group, all of them bunched together and sitting at the back of the store. Near the door were two boys. They looked kind of nerdy but they both carried hand guns.
Jaz scanned her group of kids; only 3 were missing, Jared, Michel, and her brother Justin. Her face screwed up in anger. They must have taken Jared and Michel to a different place because they were older, but why her brother?
She felt a deep erg to help them, but she couldn't, not now. Keeping low to the ground Jaz crept her way to the escalator. She guessed these other kids must have somehow gained control of the whole mall, judging by what the other boys had said. When she reached the escalator she had no choice but to go slow. Right now stairs were her worst enemy, with her leg it was nearly impossible to go down them. When she did reach the bottom she heard voices headed in her direction.
The closest hiding spot was the empty Perdy's chocolate shop. She jumped the counter and ducked down. It was another pair of boys but these ones were different. They were unarmed and had come out of the Huston's Bay, where Jordan and his group were setup.
Once they passed by she made her way to the entrance to the store.