They stop, narrowing their eyes in perfect synchronization. I wonder how many hours in front of someone’s mirror that took. “Come over here, please.”

“What do you want?” The blue-eyed girl asks me, “Going to attack me again? Want my blood?” Her friends laugh, and she does, too, until he flashes his badge and gestures to a chair next to me. “What can I do to help you, officer?” she asks ever so sweetly.

“What did you do to this girl?” he asks, pointing at me. I’m starting to wheeze, my chest hurts so bad. I try to talk but nothing comes out. Everything starts getting fuzzy.

“Someone call an ambulance!” Alphonse yells, bursting into my limited field of vision. “Sylvia, Sylvia! Are you ok? Can you hear me?” The cop is on his radio. It’s getting dark.

I come to on the mall floor a minute later. On my back it’s easier to breathe. The cop is arresting the girl, and the guards. Yippee. Alphonse is uncuffed and sitting next to me. “Oh God, Sylvia…” He looked so scared, what was wrong with me? Sirens blared.