Stuck at the Galleria

Intermission: The Division (by Tre Listman) (part 1)

"Tre? Hello?"

My eyes drifted open slowly to the sight of a warehouse roof. I felt like I was sunk into something at first, but once I lifted my hand up I found out it was just one of those Sleep Digit beds. It was pretty comfortable.

"Blergh..."

I muttered something else in a hoarse tone for a few seconds, but then I stopped when Nora showed up above me with a big, surprisingly doofy smile on her face.

"Oh... hey Nor." I dunno why, but it seems like I said it both in a disbelieving and relieved tone. It was kind of weird.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," she said to me as I lifted myself up from the bed. "You've been away for a while."

"Um, pardon me for asking but, uh, where are we?"

"Greyson City's largest furniture store," she said, showing me a red room with lights hanging from the warehouse-styled ceiling. There were a few bookcases and a big mirror situated in front of us, with a wall-sized window on the left side and a couch display to the right.

"Hehe, Mobler. I used to love this place," I said, clearing my throat to get my normal voice back. "How long was I out?" I asked, coughing a bit.

Nora checked her watch. "It's almost 12:30, so it's been about, eh, 45 minutes." she said.

"Again with the whole knockout thing! Jeez!" I rolled my eyes, then looked down at my shirt and groaned. There was a big hole torn through the lower end of the front, and to top it off the edges were stained red. "Ugh, this shirt was one of my favorites!"

"Sorry about that. But hey, at least you're alive," Nora said. She took the bag from the desk she was at and threw it onto the bed. "Hey, try these on. As you noticed, that shirt is on its deathbed and there's a huge hole in your jeans."

I got a cold chill and started to check my pants. "I don't see any hole..."

"You're sitting on it," she replied, obviously trying not to laugh.

"Oh." I squirmed a bit and quickly decided to change the subject. "You didn't... steal these, did you?"

"No, I'd never do that. I just left a few dollar bills on top of where they were, which technically is paying for it."

"Normally I'd argue with that logic, but I don't wanna flex my brain muscle too hard. Might pull a nerve on accident or something."

"You sure you haven't done that already?"

I looked out beyond her for a second, then replied, "...shut up."

"I will not!" she said, putting her hand to her mouth afterward. "I'm appalled that you'd talk like that to a lady, mister!"

"Lady?" I looked up and down at Nora, then proceeded to crack up. I literally laughed so hard that I crashed downward into the bed.

With a sigh, I was back down to normal again, and Nora plopped herself down onto the bed next to me as we both gazed up at the warehouse roof of the Mobler. "You know, most of the girls I know would think that was offensive. Except Allison, she wouldn't really care."

"Well, I'm not most of the girls you know, am I?" she asked.

"Indeed, you are not," I said as I tucked my hands behind my head. "You live in a mall, for one."

"What, that's not a thing most girls do? Pffft," she said. I smiled as she gave me a playful poke.

She smirked, then tugged on my shirt. "Go change your clothes, boy. Any longer in those and I'll make you wish you hadn't taken that shot."