Empty Portals

Eloise was always a fan of the outlet malls. She'd often come home from a day out with bags of clothes and a giant grin on her face. She'd lay them out on her bed, pointing to each price tag while her husband, Ed, would nod along.

"This was 60% off, Ed," she'd say.
"Look at this one, Ed, it retails for $400! I got it for just $80. Can you imagine?" she'd blurt out, Ed nodding in approval.
"And, now I know we don't need any new silverware, but these were such a good deal I couldn't just leave them there."

Ed would always nod along, knowing that someday he'd have to drive all this down to the Goodwill on Hampden Blvd.

Finally, one day Eloise didn't come home. Ed called her cellphone dozens of times, but there was no answer. When he called the police, they suggested she'd just run off, and he should wait a little longer. He balked at this. Eloise was 76 years old, she hadn't just run off. Not after 60 of marriage.

Ed drove to the outlet mall she'd loved the most and found it empty. There was no sign of Eloise. There was no sign of, well, anything. The empty stores weren't even boarded up. They were empty. Their signs stripped away by the hot California sun.

Ed poked his head into each store, calling out for Eloise. Calling for anyone to answer, to explain what had happened here. But he heard no reply. Finally, he sat in the courtyard, looking at two trees, where he heard a faint voice, "What a deal," the voice said. He searched everywhere, but couldn't find the origin.