Emily clutches her brother’s hand, and trembles. She hates the mall. It's too big; there are too many people.

‘Want to go home,’ she says.

Her brother, Thomas, looks at her. He’s a lot older than her; she knows it because Mommy and Daddy allow him to stay up later. His hair is sticking up; she thinks he looks funny looking like that. He promised her they were going to the play area. Why are they here?

‘We will be soon, hold my hand tight,’ he says.

Emily looks over her shoulder. People are everywhere, they swarm, like ants, there’s too much noise. She holds her hands over her ears, she smells cotton candy, her favorite, but Mommy never lets her have it.

‘Don’t like it. Want to go to the play area,’ Emily says.

Her brother isn’t here. Where is he? Where’s he gone? Tears bubble; she looks around, everything is fuzzy. Her brother isn’t here. Then she sees him. He’s talking to someone, it’s a girl; she’s pretty. Emily stops still, watches the girl, and watches her brother. She stumbles as she edges closer to him. There’s a loud, scary noise, she clutches her top tight. People are screaming. People are running. She can’t find her brother. Where is he? She’s on her own.

Emily runs as fast as her little legs will carry her. She cries hard. Where’s Thomas? Someone knocks into her. She falls to the ground, her knee hurts. Someone, a stranger picks her up. It’s a man with a beard. No, she doesn’t want to go with him. He smells yucky.

‘No, no,’ she cries, kicking at the person carrying her.

Sunlight blinds her as she’s carried outside.

‘It’s OK,’ the stranger says.

There are scary men outside, they’re carrying guns. People are still running. She buries her face into the stranger’s shoulder. She wants this to stop, she wants Thomas.

‘It’s OK, they got him, they got him,’ someone’s shouting.

‘Emily, Emily!’ It’s her brother. He’s coming. ‘Thank you, thank you,’ he says to the man. He’s crying. ‘I lost her in the panic.’

Emily cries as he takes her from the stranger.

‘You’re lucky,’ the stranger says. She doesn’t understand, wants him to go away.

‘Thank you,’ her brother says. Her brother’s phone is ringing; it’s making the buzz, buzz, buzz sound, like a bee. He answers it. ‘Hey, Mom, Mom, it’s OK, Emily and I are safe, they got the shooter. Yeah, sure, sure, I’ll put Emily on the phone. It’s Mommy.’

Emily’s crying. ‘Mommy,’ she says, holding the phone.

‘Oh, baby girl, you’re alright, stay with your brother, I’m coming to get you, OK.’

‘I will,’ Emily says.

Thomas takes the phone.

‘Hey, Emily, pinky swear you won’t tell Mommy I lost you.’

Emily’s heart thuds hard.

‘Pinky swear,’ she says. 

It’s not the first time she’s had to pinky swear not to tell Mom. She hugs her brother tight and waits for Mommy to come and pick her up.