Into the parking lot.

With a few moments of consideration, Jen opted to head into the parking lot. She’d encountered enough people in inside the mall to know that people were still finishing their workday. Running past the mall entrance wasn’t necessarily a big fear, but someone exiting the building right when she was running between bushes was. The plants were spaced out far enough that Jen felt there was a very real chance that could happen. The cars in the parking lot would give her more hiding places.

She’d been standing at the corner long enough to feel confident that there was no one sitting in any of the cars. Looking ahead, the closest car was about fifty yards away. Refusing to let herself wait longer she left the hiding spot and sprinted towards the nearest car.

Moving as quickly as she could, her arms covering her body while running, she hit the blacktop fast. Jen’s feet thudded across the ground as her head darted left and right, looking for any indication, however slight, that someone might be able to see her.

By the time she reached the car she was breathing heavily. She hunkered down on the far side of the vehicle and looked around once more. She didn’t see anyone exiting the building, nor walking through the parking lot. The streets outside the mall’s grounds were empty for the moment. After taking a few seconds to catch her breath, she stood up and began rapidly moving towards the next car.

Reaching this car she ducked slightly, keeping her head up over the roof. The next vehicle, an SUV, was straight ahead of her, but it sat directly under a street light. The illumination’s only benefit was that she was certain there wasn’t anyone sitting in the car- otherwise it made the hiding spot half useless. She looked towards the perimeter of the mall and saw a gap in the plants, the ground only covered with several yards of grass. She wasn’t completely certain, but she might be visible from the street if someone drove by if she hid behind that SUV for long.

The next car that sat in darkness was a ways ahead, and further away from the mall. Going that route would allow her to avoid the street lamp. She decided that was her best option.

Leaving the cover of the vehicle she began walking briskly away, nearly at a jogging pace. She turned towards her right, evading the glow of the street lamp without going too far off the straight path to the car she was heading for. As she circled the perimeter of the lamp’s glow she was able to turn back onto that direct path and picked up her pace slightly, wanting to get to a hiding spot again.

Once she reached this vehicle, a small coupe, she ducked back down. A pickup truck passed along on the city street, but a few large bushes at the perimeter blocked Jen from view. Looking ahead, she was about to proceed towards the next car when she caught movement inside of it. Pulling back behind the vehicle she hid behind, she held completely still. After a moment she saw the soft glow of a phone through the rear window of the car.

They must be talking with someone before leaving work, Jen realized.

She peered out from her hiding spot and she saw she was almost at the edge of the mall. Soon she could start moving left, towards to Eve’s car. It was still a good distance away but if she didn’t run into any other delays, she would be there fairly soon.

As she waited for the car ahead to leave, she used the moment to try to ease the knotted muscles in her neck and shoulders, breathing deeply. It was little use. Being stark naked in the open like this, even if she wasn’t readily visible, kept her tense.

Moments passed, though to Jen it felt like hours. Her thighs started to feel sore from squatting like this, and she rested one knee on the asphalt to take some weight off. Finally the car’s engine started.

The car’s brake lights suddenly flared and Jen saw her skin awash with red light. She immediately dropped to the ground and slid close to the vehicle she was hiding behind. Once the car shifted out of park the lights went out and the car started rolling away.

Jen let them drive away before she got off the ground, and remained in place until she watched them drive off of the mall grounds and onto the streets. Finally standing up, Jen started moving forward again.

Altering her course to avoid another street light she reached another SUV. Looking around she realized how far away from the building she had gotten. Over two thirds of the parking lot sat between her and the building. She decided that she would have to aim for cars that would take her closer again, when she could manage it.

Before she could move to the next vehicle she heard a sound to her left. She gazed back towards the building and saw two young men exiting a service door a short distance from the corner of the building. As she watched she could hear their voices, but couldn’t make out anything that was being said. They got near the edge of the sidewalk and both paused in their steps.

Please tell me I’m not hiding behind one of their cars, she thought.

Then she watched in confusion as, instead of continuing into the parking lot, the men sat down at the curb and continued their conversation.

This isn’t good.

Now even if she wasn’t using one of their cars to conceal herself, she was going to have to enter their line of sight if she wanted to keep moving. She glanced down and verified that she was in as much darkness as she could get. She began looking ahead. An SUV was a distance away, and there weren’t any street lights in the space between. For all she knew that vehicle could belong to one of the two boys as well, but it would keep her momentum going and she could keep trying to get further away.

She was about to sprint for the car when she held back. Running might catch more attention, she thought. Someone sprinting about the parking lot late at night, they might feel the need to investigate or contact security. As much as Jen didn’t want to be out of hiding for very long, she started to feel walking might be the best option. If she was going to keep moving and not attract any attention, that might be her only chance. If they did see her, she prayed it was dark enough that they couldn’t tell she wasn’t wearing anything.

Taking a few deep breaths to try to steady her nerves, she stood up and began walking. Jen fought the urge to cover her body with her hands, wanting her walk to look casual. She kept glancing at the men from the corner of her eye, and saw no indication that they noticed her.

Finally reaching the other car Jen paused or a moment. That short walk in total view of those men had escalated her nervousness. She stretched the muscles in her back briefly, trying to relieve the tension she’d built.

Jen selected the next vehicle to head towards, a large minivan, and set back to walking. Again keeping her stride as natural as possible she moved slightly left to avoid the edge of a street light’s illumination. A quick glance to her side confirmed that neither of the two men were paying any attention to her.

She reached the minivan and looked around. She was far enough past the edge of the building that she could start moving towards Eve’s general location. Heading directly left would bring her closer to the mall, and closer towards the two men, but a sedan sat ahead and several spaces left of her. She set that as her destination and resumed walking.

Jen made it three cars further towards her goal before she noticed the two men standing up. She took cover behind the next vehicle, she arrived at and watched as the two men left, taking care to keep herself in as much darkness as possible while they departed.

Once they’ve both left the parking lot, Jen stood up and started planning where to go next when she heard a noise. Looking towards the mall she saw the main entrance, and in the wall next to it a service door swung shut. A woman had exited the building and was heading into the parking lot. Jen ducked back down and out of sight.

Okay, she thinks, just wait for her to leave and then we can figure out what to do next.

Peering out from the side of the vehicle, Jen aw the woman still walking towards her. Looking behind her, she saw that there are no other cars beyond the one she was huddling behind.

Oh shit, this is her SUV.

Immediately setting into a sense of panic, Jen struggled to get hold of her mind. She hadn’t been seen yet. She could find a way out.

Glancing around desperately, she saw the plants along the mall’s perimeter bordering the city’s street. If she made it that far, she could get out of sight of the approaching lady and hope that no one drove by until after the woman left.

Ducking down, Jen looked under the vehicle to see how far away the woman was.

Wait, she thought, I could fit under here! If I press flat to the ground it should pass right over me when she leaves, and she probably won’t even notice I’m laying here as she drives off.

Realizing that getting underneath the SUV might be an inch or two tighter of a fit than she was comfortable with, she looked again towards the plants. That’s a ways away, if I move now I think I’ll just barely make it before she gets here. It’s dark the whole way too, I might just get lucky if I try it.

Trying furiously to decide on just one course of action, Jen knew she only had a limited amount of time to make up her mind.