The Bucket List [ON HOLD]

The Bucket List - Part 6

          Ian rolled his eyes. “I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to tell. You pick the next victim, it’s your turn.”

          Carmen looked around, eyes landing on a little girl in a dress who was throwing a fit. Her father looked exasperated and was looking around in embarrassment. The little girl was steadily getting redder in the face as she screamed for cotton candy.

          “Come on, honey,” her father was pleading as we drew nearer, “How about some apple juice instead?”

          “No!” screamed the child, stomping her foot, blonde pigtails flinging madly. “I want cotton candy, not apple juice! I want cotton candy now!”

          The little girl was now jumping and tearing away from her father, little fists flying.

“Excuse me,” Carmen politely interjected. The man looked up at her, a helpless expression on his face as he clutched onto his daughter’s skirt for dear life.

          “Let me try,” she offered, smiling confidently and reaching for the little girl who had now proceeded to scream in a high-pitched voice, slowly turning an alarming shade of purple.

          “Go right ahead,” the dad said gratefully, stepping back and giving up.

          “There’s no reason to get worried,” Carmen told him, “I’ve done this before, works every time.”

          “Done what before?” the father asked, frowning, but Carmen ignored him and knelt down in front of the little girl.

          “Hi, cupcake,” she said sweetly. It was a wonder the girl heard her over the sound of her own screaming. She cracked open one eye to look at Carmen but didn’t break her yelling.

          The smile slid off of Carmen’s face when the child’s foot reached out to kick Carmen hard in the shin. Pursing her full lips, Carmen reached a manicured hand and grabbed the little girl by her arm.

          The father stared with wide eyes and the little girl stopped crying, shocked at this display of power from a stranger she’d never seen.

          “Don’t touch me!” she yelled, pinching Carmen hard enough to bruise.

          “Little brat!” hissed Carmen, locking the girl’s arms together by her sides.

          Undeterred, the kid leaned forward and bit Carmen on her tanned, flawless shoulder.

          “OW!” Carmen screeched. Uh-oh. I knew that slightly manic, wild, furious look in Carmen’s eyes. That little girl had gone too far.

          Grabbing the kid by the legs, Carmen flipped the girl upside-down, ignoring the fact that her skirt flipped into her face, displaying her Little Mermaid undies.

          The little blonde girl, however, didn’t give up without a fight. Since Carmen had her by both her legs, the girl’s hands remained free. She began scratching at Carmen’s legs, her hair brushing the floor and the blood rushing to her stubborn little face.

          “I don’t like you! Let me GO!” she screamed, dangling from her upside-down position.

          “I don’t think so!” Carmen snarled, striding over to the escalators. The entire food court was completely silent, watching this with open mouths. The father seemed paralyzed by shock; only his eyes followed his little girl as she swung screaming in Carmen’s hands.