26. The Humiliating Fall

They finally arrived at the Mulberry Mall at 2:30 p.m. George parked the tinted window vehicle inside the spacious parking lot of the mall.

Grandpa Eliezer smiled brightly. "Hello city, hello mall! I'm back after a long time not seeing you. I miss you so much," he joked.

They laughed at the comical way Grandpa uttered his greetings to the city and the mall.

They are now preparing to leave the vehicle.

"I'm going to stay here in the car," George said.

"No way! You come with us. Let's go together, exploring the mall together," Clarice insisted.

"Yup, you should come with us!" Grandpa agreed.

"Please come with us, George. The more, the merrier," Lorey chimed in.

George scratched his head shyly. "Okay, I'll carry the bags," he said, grinning.

"Alright, let's go!" Clarice said in a voice brimming with excitement.

They walked to the entrance of the mall and began their exploration of the mall. They started on the first floor, quickly piling up their shopping carts with groceries and other household items they needed for the farm house.

On the second floor, they entered the store selling all kinds of children's toys in different colors, shapes and sizes.

Clarice bought toys made of plastic, such as fire trucks, airplanes, cars and robot toys for her son.

On the third floor, the ladies entered the women's apparel boutique and bought several clothes and undies.

By the time they reached the 4th floor where the arcade games and some fast food restaurants were located, they were already hungry.

"Guys, let's eat. I'm starving. What do you want to eat? Pizza with fried chicken, lasagna and salads or let's have a seafood dinner?" Clarice asked her companions what food they craved.

"Pizza with crispy fried chicken and ice-cold soda!" Lorey answered.

"I want to eat something different this time. Like lasagna and potato salad, so I agree with Lorey's choice," Grandpa replied.

"Same," George replied shyly when Clarice looked at him.

"Alright, let's have pizza for dinner!" Clarice said merrily.

They entered the pizza restaurant and chose a 6-seater table near the door. Clarice called the waiter and ordered pizza, lasagna, fried chicken, potato salad and soda.

A few minutes later, the waiter delivered the sumptuous dishes to their table, and they began eating with gusto.

An hour later, their stomachs were full. They didn't leave the restaurant right away. They remained seated in their seats, allowing the food to settle into their stomachs well.

After half an hour of rest, they finally left the restaurant.

"Where are we going next?" Grandpa asked.

"We are done shopping, so let's go home," Clarice answered.

Suddenly, Lorey froze. The color drained from her face. "Oh, no! The devils are here!" she said in a whisper, looking at the two people exiting the gadget store a few meters away from their location.

They followed Lorey's gaze.

"Quick, describe to me what they're wearing!" Grandpa ordered.

"Aurelia was wearing three-inch high heels, a red dress and a black shoulder bag. The guy wore a brown polo shirt and black pants," Lorey replied.

"I saw them. They are heading for the escalator. Perfect!" Grandpa enthused.

Grrrr! Clarice's body tensed, her eyes flashed with anger. "They are here! The evil shaman and the despicable Aurelia!" she said between clenched teeth, her hands formed into fists.

Grandpa glanced at Clarice. She's already seething in anger. "Dear, do you want to see them stumble on the escalator? Their faces flat on the floor?" he asked in a low voice.

Clarice looked at Grandpa. "How?" she asked curiously.

"Watch me," Grandpa responded, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "Just stay here with Lorey, don't come any closer," he ordered.

Clarice was speechless. She was about to stop Grandpa from creating trouble inside the mall, but too late, he swiftly moved towards the escalator where the shaman and Aurelia were stepping onto.

A few seconds later, the shocking scene unfolded in front of Clarice. Her eyes widened in shock when Aurelia suddenly fell down when her high heels broke. She managed to grab Kaspar's coat for support, pulling him with her. They both tumbled down the steps, landing heavily on the floor with a heavy thud.

Aurelia let out a loud scream of shock and pain, her scream echoing throughout the entire 4th floor.

The spectacle caught the attention of the crowd, and they rushed to see what the commotion was all about.

Everyone's eyes were glued to the two people on the ground, wondering what happened and what caused the fall. Several onlookers rushed to help Kaspar and Aurelia back to their feet. Aurelia felt embarrassed, blaming her high heels, sending them tumbling down the escalator face down onto the floor.

Clarice was looking at the scene below, smiling inwardly in glee. It was just a tiny victory. A tiny revenge, but it felt so good watching her enemies fall flat on the floor.

"Too bad, they are not dead yet," Lorey murmured angrily.

"Fact is, bad people don't die easily, but good people die early. Unfortunately... that's how the world works," Clarice said with a sad grimace.

Grandpa rejoined them. "Do you like the show, dear?" he asked Clarice in an amused tone.

Clarice smiled. "That was awesome to watch, Grandpa. Thank you so much!" she said in a grateful tone.

"Don't mention it. Too bad that's all I can do for you," Grandpa said.

"It's more than enough already for my tormented soul, Grandpa. Thank you again," Clarice said, teary-eyed. When she looked down, Aurelia and Kaspar were no longer on the ground. Maybe they had already been taken to the mall's clinic for a check-up.

"I hope they will suffer brain hemorrhage from their nasty fall and die three days later," Lorey said in a vindictive tone.

Grandpa smiled, amused by the maid's outburst. Lorey was indeed very loyal to her mistress. "They won't die, but they will suffer body pain and suffer minor bruises as well. A tragic reminder for Aurelia not to wear high heels when visiting the mall next time," he commented. His lips broke into a naughty grin.

Clarice smiled. "Alright, the show is over. We are done malling, so let's go home," she said calmly.

They retrieved their shopping bags from the baggage section and proceeded to their waiting vehicle in the parking area. They put the shopping bags in the trunk of the car.

"Finally, we're going home," Grandpa said. "Bye mall, see you again soon," he said with a smile, getting into the passenger seat.

The women got into the car as well.

George slid into the driver's seat and started the engine, driving the car out of the parking area.

Their car can be seen leaving the mall's premises and moving steadily down the crowded city streets.

A few minutes later, they had already left the city, traveling into the countryside.

Inside the moving car, Clarice replays the freak accident in the mall involving Aurelia and the shaman. It felt satisfying to see her enemies falling on their knees, their faces flat on the floor.

Clarice loved the expression of horror and embarrassment on their faces when they realized they were involved in a freak accident in the mall seen by many people.

Then she glanced at Grandpa silently, studying his face closely. She only knew him as a healer. She had no idea he knew magic. Maybe she can ask him to teach her some magic so she can take revenge on Aurelia and Kaspar.

She will ask later after they arrive at the farm house.

Time went by.

Darkness enveloped the land as the evening progressed.

After a few hours of traveling, they finally arrived at the farm house safely.

They grabbed the shopping bags from the trunk of the car and settled them in the living room of the house.

"You can sleep here for the night and go home the following day," Clarice suggested to the driver.

"Thank you for the offer, ma'am. But I need to go home tonight because my wife and children are waiting for me," George replied.

"Alright, drive safely." Clarice no longer forced the driver to spend the night on the farm.

Grandpa accompanied the driver back to the rented vehicle and waved him goodbye. After the car was out of his sight, he returned inside the house and helped the women put groceries in the cupboard.

Afterward, when he was about to retire to his room, Clarice came up to him and said, "Grandpa, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he said, lowering himself to the sofa.

Clarice sat on the sofa, facing him. "Are you a magician? A wizard? Do you have a hidden power?" she began interrogating him.

"Why did you ask, dear?" Grandpa asked.

"Because I want to learn some magic to protect myself from my enemies. Maybe you could help me. I'm willing to learn everything as long as you can teach me some magic," she said enthusiastically.

Grandpa Eliezer shook his head. "It's not as easy as you think, dear. Magic can only be learned by people who have the inner capability to absorb magic power into their system. If you are not born with it, you won't be able to perform magic."

"How to know if I'm eligible to cultivate magical power? Please tell me, Grandpa?" she asked curiously.

"I will tell you tomorrow. Not tonight, because I'm sleepy, tired and need a long rest. Malling is fun but at the same time tiring... so this old man needs to rest," he said, rising to his feet.

"OK. Tomorrow then. Thank you, Grandpa, for everything," Clarice said gratefully.

"Don't mention it." Grandpa Eliezer walked toward his room and retired for the night.

A few hours later.

Lorey locked all the doors and windows of the house. "Luna, I'm going to sleep now. Aren't you going to sleep yet?" she asked.

"In a while. You go ahead to your room. Good night," Clarice replied softly.

"Sweetdreams, Luna," Lorey responded as she climbed the stairs, heading to her room on the second floor.

Clarice was left alone in the living room, wondering if she had the hidden ability to cultivate magic.

Tomorrow, she will know for sure.

She turned off the light in the living room and climbed the stairs. She reached her room, brushed her teeth in the bathroom and donned her pajamas.

She lay down on her bed, staring at the ceiling for a few minutes. When she began yawning, she closed her eyes to sleep.

Half an hour later, Clarice drifted into dream land, dreaming about magic.