Read Lost & Found for Free Online Page B

now
, he says loudly. The girl looks up at him from behind the coffee machine.
Shh,
Millie whispers.
    Karl sits.
Yes. Sorry about that.
He waves at the girl.
    But we should go.
    Yes
, he says, and stands again.
    They make their way to the giant undies, sticking to the aisles in between the main ones. The mannequin in the Hawaiian shirt looks down at her. Millie can’t look away.
Grab him
, Millie says.
    What?
    Proper men say, “Pardon me.”
    Pardon me?
    We’re taking him
.
    Him?
    Yes.
    Why?
    He saved my life.
    Karl looks at Millie, then at the mannequin, then back at Millie.
I will do that
, he says, too loudly again.
Any friend of yours is a friend of mine.
    Shh
, Millie says.
    Oh, yes. Right.
Karl picks up the mannequin and holds him so they’re dancing cheek to cheek.
    Ready?
Millie says.
    Ready
, Karl answers.
    They snake their way past the appliances, the cookware, the coloring books, the towels. A woman tries to spray perfume on Karl as he walks by. He giggles. The entrance is meters in front of them—it shines blindingly in the middle of everything. They’re running and causing a scene but no one seems to notice and they’re going to make it.
    We’re invisible
, says Millie.
    Yes
, says Karl.
    They look at each other and smile. They’re actually going to make it.
    But then Millie sees the Guess Who? people looking up at them, and it’s too late to say anything, and Karl’s foot catcheson their faces, and he falls headfirst into the bargain bin full of Christmas lights in the middle of the aisle. Millie falls at the same time, hitting her head on the side of the bin. Karl drops the mannequin on top of her, and a leg comes loose and skids across the floor.
    Then the three words she doesn’t want to hear.
There she is.
Helen and Stan and a man and a woman wearing fancy uncomfortable clothes coming toward them. Her New Mum. Her New Dad.
    C’mon, Karl
, Millie says, standing, rubbing her head and pulling at his arm. But he’s managed to get himself all twisted up in the Christmas lights, and his thrashing about is only making matters worse.
    Grab him, Stan,
says Helen, running toward them behind the security guard.
I think he’s. I mean. I don’t want to jump to any conclusions. But. Everybody. Based on what I’ve seen. He’s probably. Most definitely. I think.
    Karl’s arms and legs are still flailing all over the place when Stan catches up with them. He helps Karl out of the bin and holds on to his arm.
Okay, you dirty old bastard.
Stan says.
Show’s over.
    Oh, Stan,
Helen says, running up to them, breathless.
You did it.
She puts a hand on his upper arm and her eyes widen.
You’re so strong.
    Karl doesn’t look at Millie but says,
Go, Millie, go. I’ll find you
, out the side of his mouth, and the Guess Who? people lookat her like they expect her to do something, so Millie grabs the mannequin’s leg and she
does something
; she weaves through the forest of people, around and under and through.
GoMilliego
, she sings as she runs as fast as she can out the door and through the parking lot. As she’s running, she looks back, and it’s still there, painted in big letters that slide over each other as the doors open and close:
IN HERE MUM
.

    Millie walks up the pathway to her house, places the mannequin’s leg on the step, and tries to open the door. It’s locked. She grabs the spare key from under the mat, unlocks the door, checks the street for the police car that’s been looking for her, and then walks in. It’s cold and dark. She’s tired from running all the way from the department store. From the doorway, she says,
Mum?
    Millie walks into the kitchen.
Mum?
The word echoes off the walls. Dishes are piled high in the sink and there’s something in the rubbish that stinks. She walks into the lounge room.
Mum?
The couch is huge in its emptiness, and the television is a big black hole in the center of their lounge room. Why has she never noticed how big and black it is, how it looks like you