Mother

Erin and I couldn’t believe our luck. After months of searching, we finally found a safe haven. The old mall was musty from years of neglect, but it was stocked and safe from the horrors of the outside world. I glanced over at Erin, her small frame made even smaller from our time on the street. I don’t know how we survived all that time… with them. We were safe now, with our new little “family”. As if on cue, Mother walked through the door. A pale heavy-set woman in her late 40s, she was wearing her long mousy brown hair slicked back in a ponytail today. “Mother” was the only name we knew her by. “It’z almosvt time vor dinner everyone!” Her kind eyes twinkled as she spoke to us, filling us with warmth. I glanced around the room at the other survivors. Besides Erin and I, there were about 8 other people all of whom I knew except 1. “Mother?” I asked “Did we get a new member to our group?” In the corner sat a woman who looked very similar to Mother. “Hmmm? Oh nein, zat’s Helka” And that’s all she said. We all looked at each other confused. Had Helga been here the whole time? The mall was huge so it was possible she was just staying in a different part. Did that mean other people were also in the mall? No one thought to question Mother with her thick German accent, she was the reason we were all safe. So we all just got ready for dinner.

After dinner we watched a movie on an old a projector we found. It was a classic scary movie, maybe not the best idea under the circumstances, still we watched it. After the movie, Mother announced we would be making a movie of our own. We all thought it was bit strange but again, no one questioned Mother. She said shooting would begin the next day.

We went to sleep unaware of what tomorrow would bring.

The next morning, Erin and I decided to explore around the mall. We found ourselves at the food court. We heard some fumbling around in the distance. “Who-who’s there??” I call out. I glance over at Erin, her once lustrous brown hair now sticks to her face, her eyes sunken and wide with fear. “It’s just me, Dave” a voice calls out. We look to our left and see a head poking out from an old Chinese restaurant. Dave, a guy in his mid 20’s comes bouncing towards us. “I found a cooktop guys! Going to make some food, you guys want some?” Erin nodded with a smile.

Dave was very handsome and we took notice. He flashed his pearly whites, a perfect contrast against his caramel colored skin which complemented his hazel eyes, if it wasn't the end of the world he could've been a model. He led us to one of the industrial-sized kitchens. It was still clean, as if they would open for business soon. We were sitting around like outside wasn’t swarming with those…things; it was comforting I was able to let my guard down and relax. Dave began joking around with one of the knives and I got a little nervous, we knew him to be a little clumsy, always slipping and hitting his chin. He was joking around, clearly not worried about the consequences, when it happened. His foot slipped on a pool of discarded grease. The side of his face met the flat-top like a piece of beef, searing on impact. But instead of screaming or trying to pull away, Dave rolled his face on it; almost as if he was enjoying it. I took a quick glance at Erin; she her body a statue, eyes frozen wide in horror. I made a quick dash across the kitchen towards Dave, my long legs closing the distance quickly. By the time I pull Dave’s face off the flat-top, half of it stayed. It had been “cooked” down to the bone. The scream that escapes from Erin’s throat sends a chill down my spine. I run towards the door, grabbing her arm as I drag her behind me. I turn my head just see Dave smile a crazed, half-melted smile, turn his head, and cook the other side.

We ran so fast our legs and lungs were burning by the time we reached Mother. Erin was stark white, her already pale skin even paler. I was shaking, fumbling with my words. “D-d-d-d-d-ave, D-d-d-d-d-ave” was all I could make out. “Dave? Dave? Ya vat about him??” Helga belted out. I ignore her and speak to Mother, “DaDaves gone crazy. He-He melted the side of his face....he melted the side of his face...he melt..” I was on autopilot. I just kept replaying that scene in my head, seeing that sick smile on his face as he got ready to do the other side. Did he enjoy that? How could he??

“He melted zee side of his face??” Mother yelled out, full of concern. I looked at her, so sure she would fix everything. “Pity,” her thick German accent began, “he started zee film vitzout us.”