Spending The Day Together
A special mother-daughter day at the mall had been enjoyed by Candice and Sarah. They shopped, ate lunch, and laughed together. The day was going well until Sarah suddenly excused herself to use the restroom.
Candice's maternal instincts were always vigilant, and as she waited outside the bathroom for Sarah, she felt a sense of unease. Her concern grew as she watched the bathroom door.
Lurking
After a few moments, a tall, scruffy-looking man with a menacing look walked toward the women's restroom. Candice's heart pounded. The danger was not apparent to her daughter, who was inside.
Candice didn't have time to hesitate. As she approached the man, she blocked his path. Trying to sound authoritative, she said, "There is a men's restroom on the other side!"
Her Little Girl
Candice and her husband, Larry, were overprotective of their only child, Sarah. Having grown up in a family of five boys, she was the youngest and only daughter.
Candice adored the fun-loving 13-year-old. As long as she lived, she would spoil her little girl.
Once A Month
A monthly mother-daughter day out was the idea they came up with. Because her mom always took her to the best places, Sarah always looked forward to it.
Following a hair and nail appointment, they would enjoy a special lunch. It was clear to Sarah that her mother loved her, and she knew how much she meant to her.
Day At The Mall
Sarah and Candice went shopping and had lunch at the mall on this particular day. Sarah had hinted that she needed new clothes and shoes, so her mom was getting them for her.
As they approached Sarah's favorite mall, Candice could see the excitement in her eyes. “Mom! Is shopping on the agenda? This is going to be the greatest day!” she squealed with excitement.
Ready For Summer
Sarah had been looking for a dress and shoes, Candice knew she would find them at Macy's.
Sarah finally decided on a pretty floral sundress, jeans, a crop top, and a pair of sandals after browsing the store for about an hour. Summer was just around the corner.
Time For Lunch
It had been an hour since the ladies had been in Macy's, and they were getting hungry. “Hey, honey. Let's get some Shake Shack burgers, fries, and milkshakes, huh?” Candice suggested.
Sarah looked at her mother and replied, "Yeah, that's a great idea. That would be awesome!” As they walked to Shake Shack, the waitress seated them after they arrived.
A Treat
Their delicious burgers and fries were washed down with creamy, thick milkshakes. “I don't know about you, but that really hit home for me. It wouldn't hurt to buy some donuts for home," Candice said.
Donuts were Sarah's favorite treat. “I want you to hold that thought for a moment, Mom. First, I need to go to the bathroom," Sarah explained.
After Lunch
The two got up to use the mall's bathroom after Candice paid the bill. “Is it okay if I wait for you, mom? It won't take me long," Sarah said.
However, she knew that she didn't need to ask twice. Her mother was very protective of her. “You don't have to worry, honey.” Candice assured her, "I'll be right here on this bench waiting for you when you return."
On The Bench
Taking everything they had accumulated from the shopping, Candice sat down on the bench. It had been a long day for the mother of six, and she was ready to go back home. However, not before those donuts.
Sarah walked into the women's bathroom as she watched. They had no idea how dramatically their day would change.
Something Strange
It had only been five minutes when Candice happened to look up from her phone. She had been texting her husband at the time. She looked up to see if Sarah was coming, but she wasn’t.
Instead, she witnessed something very strange. There was a man loitering around the bathrooms. He was standing there looking at his phone. Candice felt very uneasy.
A Watchful Eye
She decided to put her phone away and keep a watchful eye on the man instead. Something about him was rubbing her up the wrong way.
She knew a character when she saw it, and this guy was definitely a character of sorts. He was acting very weirdly and kept looking at his watch and then at his phone again.
Waiting
Another thing she noticed he was doing was that he kept eyeing the bathrooms. It was like he was waiting for someone to come out.
Maybe he was waiting for his girlfriend or wife to come out. But it still didn’t explain why he looked so nervous and kept looking all around him like he was about to do something.
Being Aware Of Her Surroundings
It was making Candice nervous as well. Just the way he was moving about and the way he was dressed. She made a mental note of what he was wearing.
She watched enough true crime shows on TV to know that you had to be aware of your surroundings and if anyone was acting suspiciously. This guy ticked all the relevant boxes.
Visibly Uneasy
At one point, he even stared at Candice. Candice had no problem looking him directly in the eye. She wanted him to know that she was there watching him.
He nervously looked away. He was now aware of Candice’s presence, and it made him visibly uneasy. He started pacing up and down. Candice was on to him.
A Message
A few minutes had passed, and Sarah had still not returned. However, it was then that Candice heard her phone buzz in her bag. She quickly fished it out and looked at the screen. It was Sarah who sent a message.
The message read: “Hey Mom, sorry I’m taking so long. I think that milkshake did not agree with my stomach. I’ll be out as soon as I can.” xoxo
Gone
Candice chuckled to herself. Poor Sarah, she thought. But she was on a mission of her own. If only Sarah knew. However, when Candice once again looked up from her phone, the suspicious man was nowhere to be seen.
“Oh no, where did he go?” she murmured to herself. She frantically turned from left to right, but he wasn’t there.
And Just Like That
She took a moment to compose herself, and by the time she looked up from her phone again, he was back at his usual spot. Candice breathed a sigh of relief.
She felt better that she could see where the man was. He had pulled his cap all the way down to his eyes. Was he concealing his identity?
Pretending
She pretended to be watching, looking at her phone and minding her own business, but she was discreetly watching him. She wanted him to think that she had lost interest in him.
And it was with this trick that Candice finally uncovered his plan. Candice watched as he looked right, left, and right again as if he were crossing the road, and then he did the unthinkable.
You Don’t Belong There
Candice’s blood ran cold as she watched the man put his hands on the handle of the women’s bathroom. Her heart was racing. She flew up from the bench, and practicality ran up to him.
"The men's restroom is on the other side! That’s the women’s bathroom. You don’t belong there," she said, attempting to sound authoritative.
The Response
The man jumped back in surprise. He obviously wasn’t expecting to be accosted by someone. Candice could see the beads of sweat dripping down from his forehead.
“Um, yeah, I know it’s the women’s bathroom, but the men’s bathrooms are locked for some reason, and I desperately need to go, lady,” he replied in response.
Not Buying It
But Candice wasn’t buying it. Her daughter was in that bathroom, and she wasn’t going to let this sketchy character enter the bathroom while her daughter or any other woman or girl was in there.
“Sorry, but I’m afraid I can’t let you go in there,” she said with her head held high. She could see she hit a nerve, and the man wasn’t happy that she interrupted whatever he was about to do in there.
Who Are You?
“Who are you? The bathroom police? You can’t tell me not to use the bathroom. I have human rights, okay? And right now, I need to go. Move out of my way!” he yelled.
But Candice was not going to let him push past her. “No! You will have to step over me. Do you have any sense of decency? There are women and girls in there. You will have to go somewhere else,” Candice said and maintained her stance.
A Commotion
By now, the commotion had pulled a crowd, and people stopped what they were doing to see what was going on. Candice decided to involve the public. She knew they would feel the same way about this situation.
“Hey everyone, this man is insisting on going into the women’s bathrooms! He doesn’t want to move away!” she yelled to the audience.
Very Angry
The crowd started getting rowdy, and she could hear women shouting at him to leave, or they were going to call the police. Candice knew she had done the right thing.
The man was getting very angry at this point, and she knew that he was going to do something if she didn’t move out of the way soon. “I’m warning you, lady. Move or else!” he warned.
Desperate Measures
Candice's heart pounded in her chest as the situation escalated. She was determined not to yield to this threatening man. She knew something was terribly wrong, and she wasn't about to let her guard down. The crowd's growing agitation only fueled the man's frustration.
Desperate to assert his dominance, the man lunged at Candice, attempting to push her aside forcefully. In that moment, Candice's maternal instincts kicked into high gear. She pushed back with all her might, causing the man to stumble backward.
A Hero Emerges
As the commotion drew more attention, a burly security guard arrived on the scene, responding to the disturbance. The security guard, much to Candice's relief, took charge of the situation and demanded an explanation from the man.
Candice quickly explained the bizarre sequence of events and how she had thwarted his attempt to enter the women's bathroom. The man tried to argue his case, but the security guard was having none of it.
Confronting the Truth
The security guard, with a stern expression, ordered the man to wait outside the bathroom while he investigated the matter. Meanwhile, Sarah had come out of the bathroom, seemingly unaware of the drama that had unfolded.
Candice rushed to her daughter, hugging her tightly, relieved that she was safe. She didn't want to worry Sarah, so she didn't immediately share the details of the incident.
A Startling Discovery
The security guard returned with a solemn look on his face. He had found something that sent shivers down Candice's spine.
In the man's pocket, he discovered a small, concealed camera and a recording device. The man had sinister intentions, and his plan to invade the women's bathroom was even more disturbing than anyone had imagined.
The Arrest
With the evidence of his intentions laid bare, the man was promptly arrested by the mall security. The police were called, and he was taken away in handcuffs. Candice felt a sense of accomplishment, knowing she had prevented something terrible from happening.
The incident shook her to the core, and she couldn't help but think about the importance of always staying vigilant to protect her daughter and others. The mother-daughter day took an unexpected and harrowing turn, but they left the mall that day with a newfound appreciation for the power of a mother's protective instincts.