Feels Like Home

• Neil Jain, Grade 12
• Short Story
• 2013

The light above the automatic doors blinked green and the grubby glass doors slid open with a disgruntled drone. Jack shuffled softly inside and across the shining tiles. The artificial scent of the automatic air freshener was unwelcoming to Jack. His footsteps were quiet against the hum of faceless voices echoing through the fluorescent walkway of the mall. He didn't like coming here; there were too many people, he didn't like shopping, but his sister was at the movies and Jack had come to take her home. He was early.

A tall man with thick hair shouted fiercely into a tiny mobile-phone. Jack was startled as he approached the coffee shop. The man’s steel trolley was brimmed with boxes of frozen foods and overflowing with bottles of beverages. The trolley swerved insanely towards the glass counter as the man failed to control it.

Jack stepped out of away, almost jumping, quickly to avoid collision with the unrestrained trolley and its distracted controller. He looked from the side, watching as the man continued to shout into his earpiece while chasing the liberated trolley.

The sight of greenery drew Jack’s attention from the retreating tall man to an oasis of iridescently glowing plastic plants. He sat at an empty table, facing the elevator to the cinemas. Jack attempted to shift her chair from the table a little, but it only swiveled on its axis, fixed. The table, too, was bolted to the frosty tiles, immovable, unfriendly.

Jack gazed about him, from the ten lines at the fast food vendors in the food-court, rushing for their lunch to the rows of people standing in front of the customer desk. The smell of the cleaning chemicals wafted pungently out of the mall-cleaner’s trolley and blended with the stench of the over-used oil. The sound of children crying reverberated throughout the food-court, amplifying the weeping and wailing screams. Jack shivered, feeling the frosty air-conditioned gust.

A buzz from above drew Jack’s attention. Finally, the cinemas were emptying and he could take her sister home. The escalator carried laughing and chattering groups from the cinemas on the floor below, past Jack, to the food-court. He skimmed through the patrons and caught a glimpse of Sophie, beaming, her eyes shining as her ponytail swung backwards with her laughter. Sophie had one arm around the shoulders of a similarly glowing girl with shining glowing hair; in the other she held the remains of a jumbo box of popcorn.

Sophie looked down, her white teeth flashing as she caught sight of her brother. Her hand raised in greeting. Tossing her popcorn box into the bin, Sophie grabbed the hands of her companions and walked with them towards the exit, quicker than before. As she turned around and started walking towards the food-court Jack smiled, standing up to meet his sister. In moments, the wintriness of her surroundings became more temperate until Sophie held Jack’s hand and the shopping centre, where he was isolated only moments ago, felt like home.