Taking Life Seriously

-11-

Dylan was peeking over the banister, 'I see two.' he said.

The atrium was clear of running people now. The things were standing at the entrance to the Food Court about a hundred meters ahead of them. They were facing opposite directions and shooting randomly into shops. The floor was littered with bodies. Terrified shoppers were ducked behind banisters and corridor corners all over the atrium.

Gordon risked peeking above the banister. 'Three,' he said.

'Ah yeah, but that one's got its back to us so it doesn't really count.'

One of the things turned in their direction.

'Get down!'

Dylan and Gordon ducked and sat with their backs to the banister.

'What are you thinking?' asked Dylan.

'They're just people aren't they?'

'Yeah, they just look like guys with make up on. And those suits look like tin foil, right?'

Gordon nodded and frowned.

'What is it?' asked Dylan.

'It's... Nothing. Never mind. You ready?'

'How do you want to play this?'

'You be the piggie.'

'Why do I have to be the piggie?'

'Because you have a better singing voice than I do.'

Dylan smiled, he grabbed Gordon's wrist: 'May the gods of war watch over me this day and revel in the blood I serve to their table.'

Gordon put his hand on Dylan's shoulder, 'May our enemies eye sockets fill with piss as we celebrate over their corpses.'

Dylan stood up and walked towards the entrance of the Food Court. 'Hey there,' he said. All three things turned to look at him. The two that were blocking the entrance to the Food Court looked at each other, then they looked at him and fired. Dylan ran.

Life has taught Dylan a great many things. Like, for example, never sleep with an eighteen year old who's older brother was a pro wrestler or, never play cards with a man who's middle name is 'The Saw', or, never go into church naked and start singing 'I Have a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts'. Unfortunately Dylan was a slow learner, and as result what he knew how to do best was to run, dive, duck and dodge. And run. And he could really run. If he set his mind to it the guy could probably be an Olympic contender, but Dylan would never have put that much effort into anything.

The two things said something in a language Gordon couldn't understand, then they ran after Dylan.

'That will do piggie,' said Gordon, 'that will do.'

There was only one left now, and he was standing way over at the end of the hall and facing the other way.

Gordon took his shoes off. He got up slowly, shoes in hand, keeping his eyes firmly on the thing at the end of the hall then he started to run. He ran for about seventy meters and then let his socks slide on the marble floor. It was a beautiful slide. A legendary slide. He slid for more than twenty meters and then came to a stop just short of the doorway.

Gordon looked at his socks with incomprehension. Then he looked to his left. The thing was staring at him, gun pointed at his side. Gordon ran. He entered the Food Court, took a sharp left and ducked behind Ahmed Falafel.

The Food Court's floor was covered in glass and Gordon's feet were bleeding. He looked to his right. A terrified looking man in an apron was lying down on the floor beside him, staring. Gordon put his finger to his lips. The man nodded.

Now he could hear the thing walking around the Food Court. The thing stopped. It sounded like it was sniffing the air, then it went to the Jake's Jambalaya counter. There was a scream, Gordon couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, and then what sounded like a laser blast. Then nothing. The man next to Gordon shut his eyes. Suddenly there was a sound of running and then Dylan's voice shouting: 'Over here big boy!' then there were more laser blasts and the sound of a chase. Then quiet.

'Good piggie,' he thought.

Gordon risked a peek. The Food Court was full of dead bodies but it was otherwise deserted. 'Anybody in here?' he whispered.

Nothing.

He sat back down and had a look at his feet. They didn't look too bad. He tried to get as much off the glass as he could off his bloody socks and put his shoes back on. Then he tried standing. He could feel a piece of glass in his left foot, but it would have to wait till later. Gordon walked out into the center of the room.

'Come on people, we have to get out of here. You'll all be safer at the Savemore. Where we have doors you can lock.'

The man from behind the Falafel stand crawled out and peeked from behind the food stand. Two more people stood up and looked at the carnage around the Food Court bewildered.

'Is that everyone?' Gordon asked.

Two more people stood up.
Gordon looked out the window of the Food Court at what looked like a thousand spaceships. he frowned.

'Okay people,' Gordon said, 'we're going to have to run for it.'