I slowly raised myself up and crept down the aisle, then the next one, and then the next, until I found what I was looking for. There, in the sports section of the Toy Department was a baseball bat. I grabbed one. It wasn’t stealing, really. I was a good Catholic girl and knew that to steal would be to break one of the Ten Commandments. And that was wrong and would need to be admitted to at Confession. No, taking the bat was not stealing, it was more like borrowing, I reasoned. Borrowing for my protection. Surely Mr. Marshall Field himself would want all customers to be safe! I would replace it tomorrow morning, before I left the store. So, with bat in hand, I felt a little more protected, a little more secure.
I decided to leave this floor with its creepy, dark toys and shadows, and go up to the top floor where the Furniture Department was located. I would find a comfortable bed and nest for the night. It was clearly too dark to go exploring or do any of the other fun things I had planned.
By now, my eyes were better adjusted to the dim light. I quietly left the Toy Department and headed to the escalators, whose power was turned off for the night. I would need to climb up. Feeling very exposed and more than a little nervous, I ran up each escalator on every floor as fast as I could, pausing at the top of each to catch my breath. RUN FOR MY LIFE, PAUSE AND BREATH. RUN FOR MY LIFE, PAUSE AND BREATHE became my pattern.
I finally reached the 9th Floor, the top floor, and where you could view the top of the Christmas Tree from the window. The Furniture Department would be to the right.I stared at the immense tree. Even in the dark, the sugarplum fairies ornaments and glass toy soldiers comforted me. They twinkled and winked in the moonlight that streamed through the windows. How I loved that Christmas Tree! It felt like an old friend; warm and safe and comforting. I would feel protected tonight, spending Christmas Eve near this tree.
I crossed over to the Furniture Department, and, next to a window, found a king-sized bed completely made up with pillows and comforter. It looked cozy and inviting. I crawled in and looked out at the street. Christmas Eve in Chicago. Shoppers trudged through the slush, carrying numerous bags. Cars blared their horns. I could see a light snow falling in the glow of the street lights. I had no idea what time it was. 7:00pm? 9:30pm? How much time had gone by since I hid in the Ladies’ Room? I thought about my home and wondered. Was my family back from the restaurant yet? What were they doing right now, on this Christmas Eve? No, I would not think about them. I pushed those thoughts away. It was My Great Adventure. It was My Memory of A Lifetime. Even though it was turning out nothing like I’d thought, it was still MINE, nonetheless. I lay on the bed and, feeling chilly, pulled the comforter around me. Exhausted, I dozed off.
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