Pretty soon, I’m sitting behind the Guest Services desk with Alphonse, and it’s getting dark outside. Crap, I told my parents we’d be there for dinner. I live with my parents during the summer when I’m not avoiding classes. It’s a pretty sweet system, go to school a few miles away, where I live on my own, and then live rent-free during summer. It gets me where I want to go.

My dress sits in the plastic bag at my feet, probably ripped from the way the damn guard handled it. I exhale sharply, then regret it. My chest hurts really bad. Damn, I hope nothing’s bruised. I call to the guard, “Don’t we get a phone call, so someone can come get us or something?”

One of them laughs, “Hell no. You just stay here til we close.” That was three hours from now, if they went by the earliest store closing time. I reached for my cell phone. It was a big model, but still small enough to conceal in my palm. Our hands were zip-tied in front of us, so I lifted the phone to my ear. Real cops would help, right?

I dialed 911.