Lament

Tony paced around the fountain, muttering under his breath. Maisie and her mom had been shopping in the mall for hours—hours!—and the annoying woman hadn’t taken her eyes off the girl for a single moment. She’d even taken her into the same bathroom stall.

Normally, he would have given up by now. Five solid days of frustration. Sure, sometimes it took longer to get a kid, but time was not on his side. Not this time. He wasn’t getting any younger. Neither was Maisie.

And aside from that, every night on the news, they announced more of his treasures having been identified. Some nights, they had as many as three.

His heart ached at the thought of them all being away from each other. For so long, they had been there for each other. His prizes kept each other company. Now they were all alone, and one by one were going back to the families that didn’t deserve them. 

Everything was off-kilter this time. And patience wasn’t going to stave him off.

He stopped behind an ugly potted tree and peered into the kids’ jewelry and costume store. Maisie was wearing a rainbow-colored wig and twirling around in a tutu. Her mom was snapping pictures with her phone.

That was a good idea. If he couldn’t get Maisie herself, he could at least look at images on his phone. On the other hand, if he waited thirty seconds, Emily would post them online.

He didn’t take out his phone. Just kept watching her, spinning and laughing. She was a beautiful child. Such a happy spirit. Definitely different from the others. She needed to be taken away before she turned into one of them. Domineering, rude, bossy women. Always demanding their own way. The worst part was how young they turned that way these days. It had to be all the hormones in the food. The government was trying to send everyone to an early death. Aging everyone faster. Making kids lose their childhoods early. Ruining sweet little girls.

The longer Maisie played ballerina, the more Tony found himself relaxing. She was like a tiny angel. 

He couldn’t wait to have her all to himself. What a pleasure that would be. He wouldn’t have to share her any longer. Finally, a little girl who would keep her lovely disposition.

Emily put her phone away and said something to her daughter. Maisie’s expression fell. Her mom said something else, then the girl squirmed out of the tutu and put it up, then removed the wig and put it back.

Tony took a deep breath. Maybe the woman would finally take her eyes off Maisie for a moment and give him his opportunity. 

His skin was on fire. He couldn’t wait another day. School was impossible. There was no way he would get her there. Not unless she was one of those kids who walked home—then he could get her before or after. But so few kids did that these days.

Stupid helicopter parents. They made life so difficult on everyone. Taking kids used to be so much easier.

Maisie and her mom left the jewelry store with a little white baggie. The girl swung it back and forth, skipping ahead of her mom. 

Tony held back a moment before following them. Couldn’t make it obvious. Especially not with those blasted cameras everywhere. He really missed the simpler times. Thirty years before had been the golden age. Kids Maisie’s age went off on their own all the time, and nobody thought anything of it. But to be fair, it was people like Tony who had ruined that. Parents didn’t want their kids taken away. Not that it changed the fact that they deserved it. Raising spoiled, bossy brats.

There were still ways to get kids. There were always ways. He had proved that time and time again. He just needed to keep getting smarter along with the society and technology that made it more of a challenge.

The hunt was half the fun. It made the capture all the sweeter.

Up ahead, Maisie stopped and pointed to a shop. Tony couldn’t see what kind of a store it was from how far back he was. He pretended to look at some space-age glasses at a kiosk, while Maisie pleaded with her mom.

Emily held her ground, then the two walked on. 

Tony nodded to the kiosk attendant and chased after Maisie and her mom, careful not to lose them and to keep from drawing any attention to himself.

He slowed when he reached the spot Maisie had been begging. 

A pet store. Kittens played in a large display, chasing after each other and hiding behind tall climbers. 

Tony glanced back at Maisie and her mom. They disappeared around a corner. 

He let them.

This was his answer. The present in his car wasn’t quite enough. A kitty, however, would be more than enough. And since Maisie was going to be his forever girl, the expense would be worth it.

He smiled as he watched the little fur balls jump, pounce, and slide across the floor. It was anyone’s guess which one had captured Maisie’s heart.

Any of them would do the job—they were all cute baby cats. Maisie would go with him for sure. But it would be all the better if he could find the one she liked best.

It was so hard to say. They came in all colors—black, orange, white, calico, and gray. The multi-colored one had bright blue eyes that really stood out. That had to be the one. 

He watched them a few more minutes just to be sure. Then he marched into the pet shop.

A teenager with a long pink ponytail gave him a tired smile. “Can I help you?”

“Yes. I’d like to see your calico cat.”