Albert was chasing a young woman in a flowing gown.
She had been walking slowly down one of the aisles of the store where he managed the lawn and garden department. She had smiled when she saw him and waved. He was having an uncomfortable conversation with his boss about why the ducks from the live duck display kept escaping and wandering about the store. His boss held a duck under one arm and was quickly turning a bright shade of magenta.
After seeing the young woman, he wandered away and his boss faded into the background like a muted watercolor. He followed the young woman into the body of the store, past automotive, past the toy department. She was walking along leisurely and turned a corner where Albert couldn't see. That's when he'd begun running.
Albert almost caught the young woman several times, but she always giggled and turned another corner before he could grab hold of her arm. Soon he felt he'd lost track of her completely, until he began finding pieces of her gown strewn about the isles. He'd picked up the first piece gently as if he'd were touching the petal of a delicate flower. He followed the trail collecting the torn pieces of gown as he went.
