Narrative: Christmas Shopping

It was a dreary Monday afternoon, and I was out Christmas shopping. The dark clouds that hung over head seemed to match my mood. Shopping was my least favorite past time.

The mall was filled with people doing their last minute shopping. My mother and I were among those scrambling to get their hands on the perfect gift for family and friends. We walked through the entrance of JC Penny's and instead of looking for an outfit for my grandmother; my mother went right for the shoes. Rolling my eyes, I let out a frustrated sigh and followed obediently behind her. Oddly, we were the only ones in the shoe department. My mother missed this little observation and continued to look through the clearance rack. Annoyed, I crossed my arms over my chest and prepared for the long wait.

I stood there staring at the floor when a loud commotion drew my attention away from the fascinating little spot on the carpet and I looked toward the double doors in front of the shoe department. The sunlight blinded me as it glinted off the glass doors, preventing me from seeing anything but shadows. I knew for certain that someone up ahead was causing a scene but I couldn't tell why. It sounded like a bunch of women were having a family feud in the middle of a department store. I turned and lightly tapped my mother's shoulder, trying to draw her attention away from the shoe rack. "Can you tell whats going on up there?" I asked her. Her mind was focused too intently on the display before her and my question went unanswered. She held up a pair of brown sandals, and I turned my nose up in disgust. Curious as to what was going on, I looked back to the crowd gathered at the front doors. The shouting was still going on but this time I was able to make out what was being said.

"She's got a gun! She's got a gun!" I heard a woman yell. As if a time bomb had gone off the people in front of me scattered in all directions, yelling and screaming. It took a moment for everything to sink in and when it did my stomach clenched with fear. Standing right before me was a crazy woman wielding a gun. I turned and grabbed my mother's arm, "There is a lady with a gun!" She ignored me once again and picked up another pair of shoes. Annoyed, I put my hands on my hips and glared at the back of her head. This was not the time to ignore me. To my right I saw a security guard running down the aisle. I heard him yell, "Everybody get down!" Thinking that sounded like a good idea, I grabbed my mother by the arm and pulled her behind the counter all the while shouting, "There is a lady with a gun!" Finally I got her attention.

Instead of staying behind the counter, my mother decided to make a run for it. At this point I was shaking from the fright of it all, sure I was going to be hit by a flying bullet. As we headed for the exit I stare in wonder at the scene unfolding in front of me. It was a scene from a movie, I was sure of it. There were people standing motionless, too afraid to move while the rest of the crowd ran in different directions. A woman and her small child ran passed me, both crying hysterically.

As we neared the doors there were several people standing around looking confused. We shouted at them, telling them that there was a woman with a gun and to get out. They were too stunned to move, or they didn't believe us.

Once outside we let out a sigh of relief. We had survived the horrors of Christmas shopping. My mother turned to look at me and said, "Next year we shop over the internet." I nodded in agreement