SNOW GLOBE Read Free Page B

were filled with tears, and her face was swollen and red.
    “Shut-up!” The mom gave the child another shake, almost pushing the kid to the floor. “I don’t want to hear another word.”
    Aja stared hard at the woman hoping to embarrass her enough to stop. Aja saw the woman’s aura as angry red. She forced herself to stop the psychic vision. The girl rubbed her arm and hiccupped sobs.
    “I’m…hungry,” the little girl whispered.
    The mother slapped the girl across the face. “Didn’t I tell you to shut up?”
    The sound was like a shot. Aja dropped the handful of clothes and ran to the mother. “Stop! Are you nuts?”
    The child’s mouth was open in a silent cry, and she held her face where red marks and tears glistened on her cheek.
    “Don’t tell me what to do with my kid.” The young mother faced Aja. “Unless you want a piece of me.”
    “You do that to me, and I’ll have your ass thrown in jail.” Aja got in the woman’s face, her fists clenched. “I’m calling the police.”
    “Aja, what’s going on?” Her manager ran into the dressing room.
    “That woman just slapped the crap out of her kid.”
    “I’m going to file a complaint with this store.” The woman crossed her arms, baring a large tattoo of a cross on her upper arm. “I don’t need this stupid-assed clerk telling me what to do.”
    “I’m sorry, ma’am. I’ll talk to her,” her manager said.
    “Damn right you will.”
    “Wait, this woman just hit her kid and I’m the one being talked to?” Aja shook her head. “We need to call CPS or the police.” Aja bit her tongue on the word police. The way things were going, she’d get tossed in jail.
    “Aja, back off.” Her manager got between them.
    The little girl, still crying silently but watching the grown-ups intently, moved closer to her mother.
    “Don’t take that, kid,” Aja said to the child. “Dial 911.” Aja glared at the mother. “If you didn’t want kids, you shouldn’t have had them. They’re not punching bags.”
    “Aja,” her manager warned.
    “People like that shouldn’t be allowed to have kids.” Aja threw her hands up.
    “I want her ass fired,” the mother said. “I’m never shopping here again. Come on.” She grabbed the child’s arm and dragged her behind her. The poor kid had to run to keep up, but she stared at Aja as she was pulled along.
    The manager followed her out. “I’m terribly sorry ma’am, let me give you a shopping pass for your next visit.”
    The woman kept walking. “Yeah, you better.”
    “Why is she getting freebies after beating her kid?” Aja yelled after them. A small group of people had gathered but no one said anything.
    Aja angrily picked up the clothes she’d dropped. Her manager stormed into the dressing room.
    “That’s the last straw, Aja. I’m going to have to let you go.”
    “What? Why?”
    “You can’t talk to a customer like that.”
    “She was beating her kid.”
    “That wasn’t your business.”
    “Then whose business is it? If she’s smacking her kid in public, what do you think she does at home? We should report her.” Aja held the clothes to her chest.
    “It’s not just that. You’re always late, and you don’t come to work dressed properly.” He put his hands on his hips. “You’re a liability. What if that woman sues?”
    “For what? Beating her kid?’
    “Aja, I’m sorry, you’re fired.”
    Aja tossed her armload of clothes to the floor and made sure to step on them as she stormed off.

Chapter 4

    Aja wandered around the mall. She needed to call her mom. She hated that she left her cell phone in her race to escape. She would not go back to Abercrombie to use their phone. Pay phones were scarce so she looked around for a friendly face, someone who might be willing to let her make a call. She found an empty table at the food court and sat sulking about being fired. She scanned the crowd, hoping to find that mother so she could give her a real piece of her