I've been feeling blocked creatively since the beginning of this world wide pandemic. Anxiety has risen, fear of the future is real, and I feel I'm living a lackluster life. But here's the thing- so is everyone else and instead of waking up feeling bad for myself I'm going to try and turn my yearning for socialization into creative writing. Read my shorts or don't. Each one will be themed around areas of our lives that have been stripped from us for the time being. Today I'll start with a short story entangled around the idea going to a mall.
The mall- a short excerpt to the places I love.
It just rained. There's a robin digging it's beak into the freshly sprinkled grass in search of lunch while I walk down my driveway and get into my car. I queue up a few of my favorite songs and back out. I pause at the end of the sidewalk, letting my neighbor's kids retrieve their ball that had rolled into the street. I approach the end of my block and turn onto York Road, heading straight for the mall.
The light that separates me from Oakbrook Center and Nordstrom's building is a long and brutal one, but I patiently sing along to my song, waiting for the light to flicker green, knowing that it'll all be worth it when I finally find a place to park. First entering the mall, I notice the fluorescent lighting, the calm jazz music subtly playing in the background of the stores, and the quiet murmur of other shoppers as they pass me by.
The spaces between shops smell of different foods. Auntie Ann's buttery pretzels waft between the stationary and shoe store. The stench of Panda Express orange chicken seeps into my nose as I exit another clothing store and prepare to make my way towards the candle shops. The aroma of 10 million different candles hits my nose with piercing power. It's hard to pull myself away and carry on with my shopping. I stop in a bit longer, taking in the different smells and imagining all the exotic places that their different scents remind me of.
I stop to eat a sugary pretzel in the mall's outdoor area. There are children playing around their mother's waists. Challenging one another to walk without stepping on the cracks, racing past other shoppers as they test out who's the faster friend. Businessmen, dressed to the tee with slick suits and freshly styled hair, brisk pass, flaying their hands around as they take work calls, as if it emphasize their status of importance. Teenagers gawk at passersby, giggling amongst themselves as a "cutie" passes by.
There are people sitting near the fountains, reading their books, scrolling on their phones, or simply looking around at the other people as they go by. I too take notice of the people passing by, wondering what's brought them here today. Are they shopping for a birthday present? I wonder if it's their birthday, or maybe if they're just rich and felt bored, or maybe they just ran out of a staple item at home.
I finish my snack and get up, making my way to a few more of my favorite stores. As I stop inside Free People I can't help but feel an overwhelming need to touch the fabric of every clothing as they slip pass my hands on the rack. The soft velvets, the slippery satins, and the comforting touch of cotton.That, combined with the subtle perfume lightly surrounding the items makes them that more enticing to buy and that much harder to resist. All of them screaming for me to buy them- but not before I sneakily flip over the tag and check the pricing.
I walk through the outdoor part of the mall some more. As shoppers leave one store on their way to the other I am hit with the different clean scents of the new clothing within. Each store having a different scent to match its aesthetic and style. Some are dusty, revealing their true age among the other newer shops. Some smell like fresh linen, others smell of rustic wood, but most of all the smell just reminds me of going broke.
I pull myself out of the stores before doing any more damage to my bank account. I window shop and imagine myself wearing the elegant and sophisticated outfits that the mannequins are draped in. I think about the places I would wear those outfits- if I could even pull them off or afford them. I pretend -even if it's just for a second- that I could be as fashionable as the models in the display windows who are seen wearing the clothes.
As I make my way out of the mall I am stopped by one or two make-up artist, who pressure me to try their product or forcibly spritz me with a new and limited perfume scent. I thank them quietly and grab onto the escalator. I let my hands touch the rubber sides as it glides down to the first floor and towards parking. I look back one more time to see a toddler trying on a new pair of mini shoes, a group of girls comparing looks with one another in the Junior department, and a couple stopping by the cafe for a quick cup of coffee before continuing on with their day.
Happy with my shopping haul, I head home. In the comfort of my room I peer into my shopping bag and uncover my new finds that were so delicately wrapped with tissue paper and folded with love on the bottom. I lay them out on my bed before hanging them up and adding them to my collection in the closet.
I never really realized how much I would miss my runs to the mall. The sights, the sounds, the smells. All of it was taken for granted before this year. I will never again underestimate just how special of a place it can be to some people, including me.
What are some other memories or places you miss now more than ever? Do you miss things about the mall that I forgot to include? Got any other ideas for me to write about? Feel free to drop a comment or email me with an idea! We are all in this together.
XOXO Caroline
Reading this was like being in the passenger sit.... going to the mall and see, smell and feel with you.... you are a great writer... because we can make people go wherever you go and see what you see..... Great job!!!!!!!
Reading this was like being in the passenger sit.... going to the mall and see, smell and feel with you.... you are a great writer... because we can make people go wherever you go and see what you see..... Great job!!!!!!!