@rethink-everything Gideon was hiding. She was good at hiding; after all, she was very small. She could fit into tiny spaces and conceal herself, as long as she kept quiet. So that's what she was doing. In fact, it was what she had been doing for the past five hours. Struggling to stay awake so that she wouldn't snore or twitch in her sleep and alarm anyone-- or anything-- of her presence. Presently, the young girl was tucked away in a small vent shaft in the mall. The air conditioning wasn't working and the hot summer air was making her sweat. Every once in a while she glanced through the slits in the vent to see if anyone was around. So far, nothing. But she knew it still wasn't safe to come out. Her hair was a mess. Her usual pompadour had fallen out and now her white hair was long and straight, reaching down to her waist. She was still dressed in her prison uniform. She had lost all track of her fellow prisoners and cellmates, and she hadn't been able to find either of her parents anywhere. She was alone.