Alison wanted connection and love from her husband, but the only thing fate brought to her was a food court employee.
"Miss," the man said, "Would you like a free sample of cheese steak?" Alison was so lost in thought that she didn’t hear the man. After a few seconds, he wondered off.
She envisioned her husband in another woman's arms. Hardly a woman and more of a girl, she thought. Her finger lightly pushed at a grey plastic pepper shaker. It wasn’t the first time her husband cheated on her; it was just the latest. Back in medical school, Mike Carson had cheated on her with a fellow student. It should have cost them their marriage, but Alison agreed to stay. She feared the consequences of facing the future alone.
Yet again, she had confirmation of his unfaithfulness. Earlier in the day, she went to surprise him at work. She drove to the hospital and pulled into the parking garage to find a spot. On the second level, she found a convenient space and backed in. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed her husband. The phone rang three times before Carson picked up.
"Hey birthday girl," Carson said, "What's up?"
"I thought I'd come find you at the hospital today," Alison said. There was a pause on his end.
"Don’t bother, I'm not there yet," Carson said.
Alison sat in her car and watched while a doctor in a white lab coat and a young girl walked hand-in-hand through the garage away from her. She recognized her husband instantly. Alison squeezed the steering wheel in shock. It felt like her heart was falling off a cliff, but she managed to keep her voice even on the phone.
"Where are you?" she said. Again there was a pause.
"We had that tour of the timber yards this morning," Carson said.
"I don’t remember you telling me about that," she said.
"Sure you do,” he said. It's where they get the White Ash to make Louisville Sluggers. They get it here in Pennsylvania. We drove up early this morning. I told you all about the trip last week."
Alison could see Carson stop and pull the girl in close to him.
"Listen, babe. I want to focus on driving, but I wanted to let you know that I love you with everything in my heart. You’re the best part of me, and I'd walk through fire to make you happy."
It was the most heartfelt, sincere thing Carson had ever said to Alison, and he held another woman in his arms saying it. She would have never believed it was a lie, if she didn’t see him holding the other girl as he said it. He hung up the phone and walked away with the girl never knowing his wife had seen him.
Alison had always been considered attractive with her black hair and tight body. She shared the black hair with her late grandmother who was Spanish by birth. Her mother said she only looked better with age. She didn’t feel that way. She felt like her self-confidence was slipping away. She had tried to feel good today. She worked out this morning, had her hair and nails done, put on a pair of expensive earrings, and wore her favorite tight fitting jeans. It was all for nothing. Today, Alison knew she would celebrate her 33rd birthday alone. She knew Carson would text her to say that he had to cover for a fellow physician and would be late for their celebration. This would mean he was off with his latest conquest.
She extended her index finger toward the strawberry smoothie and pushed it away from her bit by bit. Condensation from the plastic container pooled on her French-tipped nail. “I wonder where I can get some rum to put in this,” Alison said to herself.
Despite her inner turmoil, Alison noticed that things were happening at the mall. A number of police and EMTs were walking around the food court. Several EMTs brought in gurneys and boxes of medical equipment. They stacked the boxes on the gurneys and pushed them next to the wall. They were clearly setting up shop.
The mall's public announcement system clicked on. "Attention Clear Water Mall shoppers, there has been an incident downtown Butler, and the Clear Water Mall has been designated as an evacuation point for area residents. The Center Township Police department has informed us that for the time being, everyone is asked to stay inside the mall for their own safety. Do not to attempt to leave."
So perhaps Mike didn’t stand me up, Alison thought to herself. At least he wouldn’t be spending his time with that girl.
The food court sat near one of the mall's main entrances. Through the plate glass doors Alison saw the flashing lights of several ambulances pulling up outside the door. Inside, mall staff and EMTs continued to clear space that might be needed by the authorities.
Things changed dramatically in the next couple of hours. The mall began to fill with hundreds of frightened people. Some of the refugees scurried out into the mall as if they were looking for a place to hide. Outside, emergency services had set up a makeshift treatment center with ambulances and gurneys. Alison could see the EMTs busy dealing with some of the more serious cases out there.
The mall announcer clicked on again. "Ladies and gentleman, the police are asking that we clear out the food court area except for the injured. There is plenty of seating in the court yard area in front of the jewelry store."
Alison got up to start walking, when she noticed that one of the patients outside appeared to be trying to attack a paramedic. A number of people were trying to restrain the man. Alison watched as another paramedic crew gave up on a patient and covered the body. When the paramedics walked away, the body began to move. An older woman near the door also saw the body move and began to scream, "Oh my god, it's happening here."
Other refugees watched frozen. The man got up and grabbed the nearest EMT and embraced him fully with arms and teeth. Several people in the watching crowd screamed, and others tried to scatter away, but many fell and got caught in a stampede.
Alison ran from the crowd, not even bothering to grab her purse. Up ahead, she could see an electronics store employee lowering the steel gate to his store. Alison managed to duck under the closing gate with several other people before it closed.
A single gunshot brought additional screams from the crowd. The one shot turned into several, dozens, and hundreds. They came from both ends of the mall and then only came screaming.
Outside of the store, people continued to run in every direction, like caged rats looking for an escape in a sealed box.
"What's happening?" a man inside the electronics store asked with tears streaming down his face.
"We heard on the CB radio that people downtown were turning on each other and tearing each other apart," said a store employee. His nametag identified him to customers as Ted. “We decided to lock ourselves in to make sure whatever is happening out there couldn’t get in.”
###
One hour earlier.
Don Burgess, an off duty State Police Trooper headed south on Route 8 from Slippery Rock. Ten miles outside of Butler, he came to a roadblock that was turning traffic around.
He pulled his car to the side of the road, but the local law enforcement officer ordered Burgess back in his car. Burgess ignored the local. "I’m Lt. Burgess, State Trooper, out of Meadville. What’s going on here?"
The local police officer visibly relaxed at the Trooper’s identification.
"It's, it’s a mad house in Butler,” the man said. “People are tearing each other apart. They say murder and cannibalism is taking place everywhere. There’s been no radio contact from anybody in the downtown area in hours. Hell, even the EOC isn’t responding anymore. The last thing the EOC said was to shoot the rioters in the head."