𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐏𝐔𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐒, no one dared to stop this odd - duo. plucking things off the shelf as they saw fit. neither of them had any currency on them - still treating the matter as if they were shopping like any other. ART took an interest in the hardware section, tossing anything that he could find into the cart his partner - in - crime was pushing. regular customers cleared the lane for them, not daring to say anything to them; a side - long glance was the most that they would get. if that, because they were too afraid of staring for too long. lest, their stares end up with one of them singling them out. the cart was a mis - mash of items from both of them, separate tastes for sure; it wasn't necessarily clear how the two of them were going to carry all of it out yet; but that was a problem for later on. for the moment, they were enjoying the domestic scene of getting to shop.
this was ART'S first time experiencing a DEPARTMENT STORE, especially around the holiday season. seeing the CHRISTMAS TREES had awakened something in him. he was pointing them out to WADE; trying to get him to look at them with great interest. his fixation on the holiday was like no other. the bright lights, the presents. all of the decorations had him running up & down the isles looking at the SANTA - SHAPED objects with glee. he couldn't get enough of it - what an odd fixation to have.