The Bucket List [ON HOLD]

The Bucket List - Part 6

          Carmen reached the balcony which divided the second floor from the first; the escalators were round on the other side and only the glass balcony kept them from tumbling over the edge and down onto the level below. I suddenly had the feeling that Carmen wasn’t entirely herself at the moment.

          Because the next moment, she lifted the still-yelling little brat over the balcony edge, allowing her to dangle, her head swaying over the water fountain on the ground floor. It was a really long drop.

          The child finally gave a terrified scream instead of the bratty, demanding ones.

          “Help! Don’t drop me! I don’t want my cotton candy anymore!” she began sobbing.

          Carmen scowled, bouncing the girl in the air and making her scream louder. Beside me, Chance caught Lacy as her legs gave out from beneath her. Ian was filming it all, but only because the camera was still on. He, like everyone else, was staring at Carmen and the blonde girl with a horror-struck gaze.

          “Say you’re sorry!” Carmen shouted over the girl’s squealing.

          “No!”

          “Say you’re sorry!” Carmen demanded all over again.

          “I won’t!”

          Somewhere, my subconscious couldn’t help but admire the girl’s stubbornness. Or was it courage?

          “Say you’re sorry or I swear I will—” Carmen began to threaten but the little girl’s sobbing broke over her.

          “Okay, okay, I’m sorry! I won’t do it again, I’m sorry!” she cried, tears rolling up her red face, dripping into her hairline. Below, terrified shoppers had stopped, gazing up at us.

          “Finally,” snarled Carmen, lifting the girl over the edge and setting her right side-up. The girl immediately stopped crying, sensing herself on firm ground once more.

          Hiccupping, she glared up at Carmen, but took her hand once she saw the older girl’s stern expression.

          Carmen marched back over to where her still-paralyzed father stood, dragging the girl behind her unfeelingly.

          “Apologize to your father,” Carmen ordered, frowning down at the child whose tear-streaked face and wild hair made her look quite adorable.

          “Sorry,” the girl muttered sullenly.

          “There,” Carmen informed the girl’s father. “A bit better. Hope you won’t have too much trouble from now on, but I wouldn’t count on it.”

          The little girl stuck out her tongue at Carmen, but the next moment she gave a squeak and hid behind her dad when Carmen reached for her.

          “Come here!” Carmen ordered, exasperated, for some reason looking at the girl’s skirt with disappointment.

          “Well. Bye,” she muttered, turning away from the frozen man and his daughter, coming up to us. “No luck, dry as anything,” she said before snapping Ian’s hand closed, taking the camera.

          “Now you pick.”

          We all followed her numbly, my mind somehow void of everything but the image of Carmen dangling the five year-old, pigtailed girl over the balcony, her skirt in her face. I suppose those Little Mermaid undies would have to stay dry for now.