LatinosUSA

The parking lot was empty.Estelle Lancer studied her cell phone as she stepped outside. It was 3 p.m., and there was no service. She looked up to find her vehicle, but to her amazement, there were no cars—not one. The concrete area was overgrown with weeds. Dark clouds hovered above. Did she come out of the wrong exit?

The confused older woman turned back to the mall. The doors were covered with boards, and dirt and debris were scattered on the ground. “What the…” she mumbled to no one but herself.

Estelle’s heart skipped a beat. Again, she tried to use her cell phone. No service. Instinctively, she pulled on the boarded door. Locked. She gasped for air. Her skin was clammy. For a brief moment, she thought she might pass out. Estelle leaned forward. She closed her eyes. Deep breaths. This has to be a dream!

Slowly, she opened her eyes. But nothing had changed. The calm wind made her shiver. There must be a rational explanation. Without hesitation, she hurried along the building. As she rounded the corner, another overgrown empty lot emerged. 

How was this possible? Where were all the people? Where were the cars? Her mind swirled.

“Hello? Can anyone hear me?” she shouted with a shaky voice. Nothing. Complete silence. Estelle shuddered. She was alone.

The length of the building seemed endless. Finally, she reached the front of the abandoned mall. And much to her disbelief, it looked the same. Boarded doors and an empty lot. She looked away, searching for a connection to the real world. Fields of wavy grass and clusters of trees. No other buildings in sight. Where was the road?

Her throat tightened. Once again, with a shaky hand, she checked her cell phone. No service. How was any of this possible? If she could wake up, everything would be fine.

Estelle raced to one of the locked doors. She yanked and pulled with all her strength. Maybe if she could get inside…Her thoughts stopped. What if the inside was the same as the outside?

After wrenching the rusted door, it finally broke loose. Using her back to push it open, the smell of dank, musty air permeated her lungs, making her choke. It was dark inside the desolate mall. Quickly, she used the light from her phone.

Litter and rubble spewed across the aged tile floor. “Hello! Anyone here?” yelled Estelle. “Please…I need help…anyone here?” Her strained voice echoed back. She flashed the light in front of her. Empty. The storefronts are dingy. The broken-down escalator spiraled into darkness.

How can this be? Estelle checked her phone. Still, 3 p.m. A skewed sense of time. Was it possible she could be dead? She did not believe in the afterlife. Her shoulders slumped. A tightness in her chest. A tenseness in her stomach. She held back a scream of defeat. The weakness in her legs and knees spread to her limbs. Her body quivered.

The fading light dissipated. Her vacant eyes stared into the void of emptiness. The unknown beckoned Estelle as the shadows slipped in, taking hold of her tormented soul.

~~

The two female paramedics gently pulled the white sheet and covered the body. One of the emergency technicians offered a quick prayer. They loaded the gurney into the back of the ambulance. Minutes later, with flashing lights, the silent ambulance slowly drove away from the mall’s empty parking lot.