"Code ninety-nine in women's apparel." an amplified voice rang out over the intercom. It crackled and scratched as it thundered across the store's aging speakers.

Kira fumbled with the phone, placing it back onto its base. Her voice broke on the last word, making it sound more upsetting than she actually felt. Kira was growing rather indifferent to the boy sitting outside the changing rooms. He looked no older than ten and was swinging his feet while he waited on the bench. His lack of concern made the entire ordeal feel strange, and Kira's nervousness started to grow. He maintained a placid smile while she checked the empty rooms for the third time.

The leftmost stall contained the only remnants of a previous occupant. A gorgeous red dress hung on the wall hook, with nothing else in the space but hangers and a side mirror. She found the dress peculiar, as it didn't make sense for the store to be carrying it, especially in the winter. Kira glanced at the mirror, catching her flummoxed expression in the reflection. Her dark hair was curling manically in every direction, juxtaposed from her eyebrows. The squashy shape of her nose didn't match the contours of her pointed eyes and chapped lips. Both of the other stalls were empty, apart from a few errant hangers she would need to collect.

"Can you tell me where your mother went?"

"I don't have a mother." the boy responded, giving a curt shake of his head. He drummed his fingers on the front of his pants. There was an odd look of impatience that overtook him before he settled back into a thin smirk.

"Okay, so where was the woman you were with? The one with the grey hair?"

"Gone."

Gee kid, I never would have guessed, Kira thought, sending a flash of irritation in his direction. In an instant the boy stood up and started sprinting toward the table of bras. She cursed under her breath, snatching the walkie-talkie from it's stand to chase after him. He weaved through the various racks of padded winter clothing. Two shoppers examining socks craned their necks to watch the child bolting away from her. Kira muttered incomprehensible gnashing as she followed him into the men's department. The spacing between the rows of clothes made it much easier to follow him.

"I'm not trying to catch you or anything!" Kira yelled, pleading for the kid's attention. A small stitch in her side was starting to form as she dashed along the sets of belts and flip-flops. She was more out of shape than she figured, even for the small jaunt between departments. "Look, I'm just trying to help you, kid."

Kira slammed her thigh into a low wooden table of folded shirts. Searing pain shot into her side as she hobbled forward. She winced as the throbbing in her ears grew worse. A rushing intake of air hissed against her clenched teeth. Within moments the boy vanished completely behind a towering row of sweaters. Kira's focus was centered on the tender bruise forming on her right leg. Gauging the damage, she prodded against the side of her slacks.

"Dale, can you look for a kid running in Men's? He's wearing a red jacket and khakis. Blonde hair." Kira breathed into the transceiver. A quick beep followed her voice as she let go of the side button. She gripped onto a rack of hoodies to ease the tension on her leg. It didn't make any sense for her to be so winded. Kira made a deliberate attempt to exercise a few weeks ago.

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"He's heading towards electronics. That or toys, I'm not sure. Either way, Jerry's on break, so you better book it. I'll keep you posted."

Figures, she thought, cursing the sales clerk for not already being there. Jerry made damn sure he went to the bathroom as much as possible on company time. Kira pocketed the walkie-talkie and cut through a gap toward the central walking lane. A woman rambling into her phone waited beside an empty cart next to the parkas. The look she gave Kira as she hobbled past seemed like rage. If anything, she looked close toward the verge of trying to trip her up.

Dull pain rocketed up Kira's side with each lumbering step toward electronics. She hadn't been running that fast, but it was possible that the table was firmer than it looked. Whatever the case, Kira figured it would be a nightmare to take her pants off later. They were slim-fit and hugged at her skin like they were super-glued on. While they certainly accentuated her, she groaned at the thought of them. It was bound to be an ordeal, especially if her thigh wound up swollen. The thoughts left her mind as she ambled past the bins of budget DVDs.

Kira scanned the aisles, angling her head to get a better look at the empty rows. Nearby Christmas shoppers were discussing options for potential sound equipment. Two young girls were arguing as they pointed out video games to their exasperated mother. A flash of red skidded to a halt on her intimidate right, grumbling as she turned to face the boy. His wiry face pouted in annoyance as he turned into a pivoting dash. The slapping sound of his sneakers reverberated across the floor. With a turn, Kira followed after him, glancing at his head over the mid-height rows.

The stitch in her side returned as she bounded past the narrow frame holding new Blu-ray films. It paired with the lessened pain on her thigh, mixing into a rough situation to deal with. She wanted to lambast the stupid kid for making her shift such a nightmare. The boy darted through lanes of various phone accessories toward the television displays. Kira panted, giving a grin as the boy sped down the row of monitors flashing advertisements. He had turned into one of the few pathways in the store with a single entry point. Just a she labeled the kid as cornered, the boy dove headfirst into a television marked for clearance.

Kira tripped, angling her left leg awkwardly in front of her in shock. She crashed face-first onto the floor, stretching her arms out to cushion the fall. Her head arched up at the display, staring in disbelief at the intact television. The boy had vanished, instead of being crumpled against a shattered monitor. It took several moments before she noticed the jabbing pain in her other thigh. She'd fallen onto the walkie-talkie, which was now pressed into her calf. In a slow, deliberate movement, Kira straitened herself as she sat on the cold marbled floor.

"Hey, you alright?" a voice asked from above her.

Kira glanced up at the tall, gangling man standing beside her. Jerry had returned from his break, sporting a lined stain next to his name-tag. There was a mild look of concern in his watery eyes as he helped her stand back up. His beard was unkempt, clashing against his pompadour haircut. The guy was oblivious to how absurd he looked with it. A stench of cigarette smoke and ricotta cheese met Kira's nostrils as she stood next to him. She continued to gawp at the television set where the boy disappeared, which displayed a new ad.

"Uh. Yeah." she muttered, struggling to find her voice. The dull pain on both of her legs went ignored. "I tripped."

"Well, they need you back at the booth. A woman wants to try on some slacks. Benny was just asking where you were a minute ago. I'd hop to it if I were you."

Jerry stood there for a few seconds before giving an awkward nod and waling away. The sound of his footsteps as he headed toward the register desk clattered behind him. Kira stood rooted to the spot, trying any theory as to what might have happened to the running boy. Nothing made any logical sense as she weighed each potential excuse. A notion popped into her mind, becoming more resolute as she mulled it over. She dug the transceiver out of her pocket to hold it up to her mouth. The plastic antenna stub on the right side was bent from the fall.

"Hey Dale. Please tell me you saw what happened with that kid."

"What?" a voice responded, coming in as the sound of dense static followed. "I told you, he was outside electronics and toys."

"You weren't watching?" Kira demanded, making no effort to hide the incredulousness in her voice.

"I was looking at the entrance in case he bolted." Dale responded. His tone was flat and "You said he was running. It's not like he had any other exit near the back, except the staff area. Do you think he's there?"

"No." she muttered, pausing after letting go of the side button. She contemplated her options, resolving herself at the thought of what to do. "Hang tight real quick. I'm on my way over to you."