It's been about a week since the outbreak.
Jill and I had traveled from Kansas to Minnesota, met a few new friends, and even lost a wonderful place to live—all in a matter of days. And for me, being a six-year-old girl, it's hard to live in a world filled with the dead.
It was dark outside the mall. I scanned left and right, then behind us—every shadow, every rooftop. Zombies or other strange creatures could come out of nowhere. I looked through the glass doors and saw two girls watching us.
"What are your names?" one of them asked, unlocking the door.
The other stood nearby, scanning the darkness with a gun in her hand—ready, not for us, but for whatever might be following.
"My name is Natalie," I said with a little giggle. "This is my best friend, Jill." As we walked through the doors, I noticed something odd—the place was spotless. It didn't look like a single zombie had ever stepped inside.
"Hi," Jill murmured quietly. She looked nervous. I didn't blame her. After losing Zachary earlier, we were all still shaken.
"I'm Mr. Sanders."
"I'm Beverly."
"My name's Rodney, and this is my wife and three..." He paused, pain flickering across his face. "I mean, two kids—Desiree and Shakina."
"I'm Hunter, and this is my sister, Madison," Hunter added proudly.
"What are your names?" I asked the girls.
"My friend's name is Bloom Reinhold, and I'm Jamie Jacobs," the girl replied.
As we stepped inside, Jamie locked the doors and checked the others around the entrance.
I stared at the entryway, wondering if something like the Cerberus could break through.
"Watch out," Jamie warned suddenly.
Right after she spoke, an enormous metal fence with spikes dropped from the ceiling, slamming down over the entrance.
"How can a mall have those?" I asked, wide-eyed.
"They don't," Jamie said with a grin. "I added them a few days ago—with help from Bloom's mom, Claire, and my older sister, Jessica."
"That's clever," Rodney said, clearly impressed. So was I.
"Are you all staying here in the mall?" I asked, still surprised. "Wouldn't it be easier to use the hotels connected to it?"
"Yes," Jamie said. "And there are many more families here. I was the one who thought of making the mall a shelter for people who lost their homes."
I shut up. That made sense. Still, I wondered about the hotel rooms. I could ask later.
We began walking deeper into the mall. I looked around at the people inside. Some looked like they'd only just arrived. Their eyes were tired. I knew that look—we had it too.
As we passed by the doors, I glanced back—just in time to see a horde of zombies swarm the mall entrance.
We were lucky we'd made it inside when we did. The sight gave me shivers. Beverly gently pulled me away from the window.
We moved through the mall and toward an escalator that led to a lower level. It looked like it used to be some kind of water exhibit. I'd have to check it out sometime—hopefully there weren't any dead animals down there.
As we walked up another escalator, we passed shops that had been turned into makeshift homes. Each had chain gates for safety—clever. Some had children inside, playing or sleeping. Beds were set up like bedrooms. Couches and chairs made up the living rooms. A few even had TVs.
"Hey, look at that," Hunter said, pointing at one of the shop-homes where teens were playing video games.
It reminded me of the game system I used to play with back in Mantri, Kansas. I got a little excited. Maybe I could play Minecraft again with JamGirl02... maybe even reach my sister.
"It's not polite to stare into other people's homes," Beverly reminded us gently.
I noticed Bloom walking behind us. She hadn't said a word. That made me nervous.
The halls were dim. The only light came from inside the homes and the moon filtering through the skylight. I was grateful for that. Zombies were drawn to light, just like they were to sound and smell.
Even though we spoke quietly as we walked, we didn't stop talking. It helped us feel safe.
Eventually, we entered a huge room that looked like a small indoor amusement park—abandoned now. Nothing had moved in a while, probably since the outbreak started.
"Mom, we've got some new arrivals," Jamie said, stepping into a large store that used to be a toy store. A woman stepped forward and greeted us.
"Hello, newcomers. I'm Joslyn Jacobs," she said warmly, shaking our hands. "Welcome to the Mall of America... though it's not much of a mall these days. Come inside."
We followed her in. Toys were scattered everywhere. A few young girls played quietly on the floor.
"Don't mind my daughters. The toys keep them entertained."
The adults chuckled.
"I had a question," I said.
"Are you wondering why we don't use the hotel rooms instead of the stores?" she asked, smiling. "I get that one a lot."
"Um... yeah." I looked down, embarrassed.
"We considered it," she explained. "But big families would need two or three rooms just to fit. This way, everyone can stay together. And stores usually have a backdoor—hotels don't."
"She's got a point," Mr. Sanders agreed. "Back in Saint Paul, our apartment only had one way out."
"How'd you escape?" Jessica, Jamie's sister, asked, stepping into the room and startling Madison and the twins.
"We were brave," I said proudly. I pulled out my Katana and gave it a dramatic swing—well away from everyone, pretending to slice zombies.
Joslyn looked at me, amused.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
My stomach dropped. That reminded me of The Walking Dead—like Terminus or Alexandria, when people were told to hand over their weapons.
I clutched my Katana tighter.
Joslyn chuckled. "Relax, little one. We allow weapons here. Just don't play with them, and keep it to one per person."
I breathed a little easier.
"By the way, nice Katana."
I smiled.
"Mommy, I'm tired," Desiree whined.
"Do you have any rooms for us?" Rodney asked.
"Of course," Joslyn said. She handed out old maps of the mall to Rodney and Mr. Sanders. Beverly peeked over his shoulder.
"To make things easier, I'll need the names of everyone staying together," she said, looking at the Jacksons. "This your family?"
"That's right," Rodney replied. "My wife, Tia, and daughters Desiree and Shakina. I had a son, but... he died earlier today."
"I'm so sorry," Joslyn said gently.
"How come you always say Desiree before my name?" Shakina suddenly blurted.
"Because my name's first in the alphabet—and I'm older," Desiree declared.
"You are not!"
The twins started arguing again.
"Girls, shut the hell up!" Rodney snapped. "Do you want the dead to hear you?"
That shut them up fast.
I giggled.
After assigning rooms, Joslyn approached the rest of us.
"I've got a great spot for your fam—"
"My sister and I would like our own room," Hunter interrupted.
Joslyn blinked. "Oh... I assumed you were all family. I'm sorry, but we can't let minors live alone."
"Well, then we're not staying here," Hunter snapped. He grabbed Madison's hand and started to leave.
"Wait!" Joslyn called. "I think I have a solution. You can stay close, but separate."
We paused.
"Each store has a storage closet—big enough for a small bedroom. We can switch the locks so they can lock from the inside."
Hunter glanced at his sister, then nodded. "Okay. We'll do that."
Joslyn handed us a folder with the key to our new space.
We were on the third floor, near the food court. Jamie helped us find it. Bloom had taken the Jacksons to their spot on the second floor.
When we arrived, we saw a closed gate and a darkened neighboring shop. We couldn't meet the neighbors yet—but we did see a cat lounging inside.
I wish we had a cat.
Our spot overlooked what used to be a food court. It was dusty, with overturned chairs and dirty floors. Maybe Jill and I could clean it up tomorrow.
Inside our new shelter, the room was mostly empty—just a few beds.
"I guess we have to furnish it ourselves?" Jill asked.
"Yes," Jamie said. "There's an Ikea past the ice rink and water park. You can go tomorrow—but bring weapons. There might be Rotties."
"Rotties?" I asked.
"That's what we call the dead. Like how The Walking Dead called them Walkers."
"You're a fan too?" I lit up.
Jamie grinned. "You still know that show? It's been off the air over a hundred years."
"They can't get in here, right?" Beverly asked.
Jamie shook her head. "Nope. We sealed the Ikea entrances. But bring a group just in case." She checked her watch. "Anyway, I've got to go. Security is still watching the outside in case we find more survivors."
"Thanks for helping us," Mr. Sanders said. "Please thank your mom, too."
"Will do." Jamie smiled, then helped close the door. I ran over and locked it.
As she walked away, Mr. Sanders pulled down the gate.
Inside, we had two and a half beds and a couch. We gave one of the big beds to Hunter and Madison, placing it in their closet-room. We promised not to open the door until they could change the lock.
Jill and I shared a bed with Beverly. Mr. Sanders took the couch.
Tomorrow, we'd make this place feel more like home.
I should have felt safe. I really should have. But for some reason...
I was still scared.
I drifted off to sleep.
And sometime in the middle of the night, a loud, unfamiliar noise jolted me awake.