The Wounded Healer

Chapter 7: Sandy Mall

**a little board of what Evy gets a hold of later in the chapter for her journey through the scorch**

🌶️ spicy kissy scene🌶️

Evelyn tumbled down head over heels. She slammed into something that made a loud groan. Evelyn made an omph noise and lay there for a second.

"Ouch."

"Evy?"

"Tessa?"

"Where are we?"

"I dunno."

Teresa got to her feet, smacking the sand and dirt off her hands and then her pants. She turned and held a hand out for Evelyn. She hefted Evelyn to her feet. The girls stood shoulder to shoulder twisting and turning their heads. Evelyn ran a hand through her hair, trying to shake the sand from it.

"Kinda looks like we're underground." Teresa said turning.

"I think...it used to be some kind of building...the sand just piled up around it!"

"Very possible. It looks like a mall!"

"What's that?"

"A big building that has a lot of smaller stores where you can buy different things, clothes, food, shoes...that sorta thing."

The building had a few levels, a few broken escalators, many of the store fronts had big heavy metal chains and gates over the doors and windows. There was a lot of graffiti covering the walls. Many of the windows were broken and smashed out.

Teresa reached into the backpack she had and pulled out a flashlight. Flicking it on she slowly walked forward, shinning the thin beam of light all over. Evelyn looked back the way they fell, no way they were going to make it back up.

"Dammit." She cursed.

Turning back around she followed Teresa. Teresa followed a set of footprints to a store front that looked like it might be open.

"Come on, help me open this."

The girls pushed and pulled, they eventually got it opened enough so they could get through. Teresa swept her beam back and forth. The light picked up a lot of stuff piled everywhere.

"Looks like someone lived here!" Evelyn guessed, picking up a teddy bear and some children's shoes.

Teresa looked over her shoulder at the table. Her big blue eyes saddened at the teddy bear.

"What happened to them, do ya think?"

"The Flair... probably." Evelyn sniffed, she could feel tears and her wrist tingled in cold sharp pain. She dropped the bear and grabbed her wrist with a hand, rubbing it.

Teresa frowned at Evelyn., her own eyes filling with tears.

"Anything I can do?"

Evelyn shook her head, looking away, and using the back of her hand to wipe tears away. There was a loud shout and some cursing.

"Looks like the guys finally showed up." Evelyn said turning towards the door. Teresa leapt forwards and clamped a hand over Evelyn's mouth and turned her flash light off.

"Shhh." She whispered in Evelyn's ear.

Evelyn could see a twinkle in her eyes, and a mischievous smile on her face. Evelyn but her lip to keep the giggle inside.

She could hear the guys all tumbling down the sand hill, swearing and cursing.

"Shuck!"

"Dammit!"