by Jon Athan
Isaac gritted his teeth. He lied about the gun to gain an advantage, but he feared he might have pushed himself into a corner. What if they call my bluff?–he thought. He strolled towards the window of the booth. His eyes widened upon spotting the dark spots on the pavement below the light – blood.
He whispered, “It's old and dry. It has to be dry, right?”
The distraught guard walked towards the other end of the booth, then he peeked around the corner. The woman was still missing. Much like the intruder in his home, the woman vanished into thin air. He wanted to dismiss her as a hallucination, but he couldn't admit it. He was already accused of causing a miscarriage, he couldn't toss mental instability on top of his problems.
Isaac returned to the window. He said, “Since the blood is still here, it must be real. Yeah, it's real and... it's okay. She must be homeless, right? She's a homeless drug addict who cut herself by accident. Yeah, that's what happened.”
Isaac tried his damnedest to rationalize the woman's appearance. He refused to believe he was insane. Such an admission would cause him to lose his job, his daughter, his girlfriend, and any potential court cases. The blood is real, he thought, the woman is real.
At the same time, he wasn't going to kneel down and touch the blood. If the woman truly existed and if his theory were correct, then he would be touching the blood of a deranged addict. A disease couldn't be transmitted through a simple touch, but the risk wasn't worth it.
Isaac said, “No way in hell I'm touching your blood, lady. We'll let the police handle–”
He hopped and gasped as his walkie-talkie buzzed.
David asked, “Isaac, are you ready to switch posts?”
Isaac responded, “Yeah, but I've got... I... I don't know how to put this.”
“You got a problem over there or something?”
Isaac sighed and shook his head, conflicted. He wanted to tell David about the woman, he wanted to talk about the blood, but he couldn't confess. The frog in his throat only allowed him to conjure the croak of a word.
Isaac said, “No, no. I mean, I thought I heard someone walking out here, but it might have been nothing. Just keep your eyes peeled, okay? You never know who might be out here. You don't know who might be watching...”
David chuckled, then he said, “Jeez, don't talk like that, man. Are you trying to scare the shit out of me?”
Isaac smirked and said, “Sorry. I'm just trying to stay cautious.”
“That's good. You don't want anyone to creep up on you out here.”
Isaac inhaled deeply as he glanced over his shoulder. The condemned apartment buildings and small shops across the street were dark. The poor area of the city was swallowed by the darkness. Yet, he could feel eyes piercing into him from the shadows – watching him, disrobing him, judging him.
Isaac whispered, “You're right...”
David said, “Anyway, I'm going to head up to your post from the east. You should come down from the west. Call me when you get to the post or if you run into any trouble.”
“Copy that.”
Isaac nodded as he shoved the walkie-talkie into his utility belt. He glanced back into the darkness, searching for the prying eyes. He couldn't find them, but he knew someone was out there.
Chapter Six
On Patrol
Isaac shimmied as he tossed on his black coat. He left the light on inside of the security post, then he locked the door. He glanced towards his left, then towards his right. The woman in the nightgown did not return and the man with the cow head remained a figment of his imagination. The world was regular.
The security guard turned on his flashlight, then he walked towards the mall. As planned, he walked on the west-end of the shopping center, strolling through the parking lot. Due to the hazards lingering in the mall, he didn't want to walk directly beside the building. He wasn't given a hard hat, so he didn't want to risk a significant head injury.
Madison Mall had predominantly beige walls. Parts of the walls were blackened due to the past fires. Most of the walls were scrawled with graffiti, though. Blue, red, yellow, and purple spray paint was marked on the walls. The street art represented different gangs and crews throughout the city. Oddly enough, some of the markings were left unfinished.
Perhaps a ghost scared them away before they could complete their masterpieces.
Isaac murmured, “If the kids don't give a shit about it, why should anyone else? It's their future, it's their inheritance. Why protect this building if it's just going to go down like the rest of them? I shouldn't have taken this job. Shit...”
His breathing intensified as he glanced over his shoulder. He was afraid someone was following him. Fear distorted his thoughts and his senses. He could have swore he heard another set of footsteps behind him. Yet, he left nothing but darkness in his path. The human mind was powerful and fickle, capable of twisting reality on a whim.
Isaac shook his head and walked faster, power-walking like a middle-aged woman at a park. He flashed his light at the rattling chain-link fence, then he illuminated the dilapidated building. Most of the stores were located inside of the enclosed shopping mall, but there were a few shops outside.
The security guard flashed his light into a small cafe. The shop was devoid of furniture. An auto-shop was located next to the cafe. There were a few old wheels, rims, and other car supplies on the ground, but most of the products were already moved by the owners or looted by the scavengers. There was nothing out of the ordinary.
As he reached the western entrance, Isaac said, “Damn, the memories in this place. The stories... The nightmares... This is the centerpiece of insanity. Madison Mall, a hellhole of a place.”
Isaac's eyes widened upon hearing the sound of shuffling footsteps – frantic steps, like someone struggling to keep his balance. Fortunately, the ruckus didn't come from over his shoulder. The woman in the gown was not hurtling towards him. The footsteps came from the foyer of the mall – the western entrance.
He shined his flashlight at the entrance, illuminating the broken glass panes on the sliding doors and neighboring windows. Like the walls, the windows were vandalized. Shards of glass and splintered planks of wood were sprawled across the foyer. The interior of the abandoned mall did not fare much better.
Isaac shouted, “The same offer is on the table for anyone else! You can get a baton to the head, a taser to the stomach, or pepper spray to the eyes! Go ahead and test me!” There was no response. He yelled, “Get out here before you make me get my hands dirty! I'll... I'll bring the cops over here, too! Keep playing with me and see what happens!”
Yet again, there was no response.
Isaac took a deep breath, then he walked towards the mall. The light at the foyer of the mall wavered with each tremble of the guard's hand. He couldn't keep the flashlight steady to save his life. In spite of his obvious fear, he continued to approach the mall. He was drawn to the shopping center like a teenager attracted to a mall on a weekend.
Before he could utter another demand, a group of teenagers ran across the entrance. The group snickered and chattered, obviously enjoying their bad behavior as they ran into the mall.
Isaac sighed, then he said, “Damn kids...” He jogged towards the entrance and shouted, “Stop!”
Of course, the teenagers continued running. Isaac stopped as he approached the broken doors. With Lewis' warning lingering at the back of his mind, he didn't dare chase after the group. He kept his eyes on them from the entrance, though. The group of trespassers consisted of two young men and two females. One of the females appeared to be the same age as the men – 17, 18 on a good day.
Isaac was caught off guard by the other young girl. The girl wore a white sundress and matching sandals. She was at least a foot shorter than the rest of the group. Height didn't measure age, but it was safe to say she was younger than her peers. Her black hair was short and curly, too. From afar, she resembled Melanie.
Isaac staggered upon noticing the similarities.
He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “Melanie! Melanie, don't go in there! It's dangerous! Melanie, please!”
The mysterious child glanced over her shoulder as she followed the teenagers. She smiled and waved at the security guard, then she continued her brisk run. The gutsy girl was unperturbed by the man's warning.
Lightheaded due to the revelation, Isaac staggered in reverse and whispered, “Shit. Oh, shit... What do I do? What the... What the hell am I supposed to do now?” He stood on his tiptoes and peered into the mall, frightened. He said, “I can't go in there. He said not to go in there, so I can't go in there. It probably wasn't Melanie anyway, right? Right? It... It's impossible, isn't it?”
Isaac grabbed a fistful of his hair as he paced in front of the entrance. The girl resembled Melanie – it was undeniable. Her presence seemed unlikely, though. She should have been at home with her mother, sleeping in the comfort of her bed. What would a twelve-year-old girl be doing with a bunch of teenagers at an abandoned mall?
Still, the girl's appearance was only one of several issues. Teenagers had broken through their defense and the guards had to do something about it.
Isaac pressed the push-to-talk button on his walkie-talkie and said, “David, come over to the western entrance. We've got company.”
Chapter Seven
Welcome to Madison Mall
“Yeah, it looks like they broke in through here,” David said as he shined his flashlight on a hole on the fence. “I don't see the missing pieces, so this hole must have been around for a while. Who knows how many people have gone through here without us noticing... I mean, there could be a hobo orgy going on in there. I'm surprised Lewis didn't have this inspected and secured before our shift.”
Isaac crouched and peered through the gaping hole. The opening was large enough to fit the average teenager. In fact, if he felt compelled to do so, the troubled guard could squeeze himself through the opening and quit his job. The opportunity presented itself, but he refused to take it. He wanted to stick around to solve the mystery – to find Melanie.
He staggered to his feet and said, “I saw four people running into the mall. It looked like three teenagers and a child. I don't really give a shit about a bunch of punk teens, they're going to do whatever they want, but the kid doesn't know any better.”
With his hands on his hips like a scolding parent, David sighed, then he said, “Yeah. I figured something was going on earlier. I was hearing things, but, to be honest with you, I thought it was all in my head. I know it sounds batshit crazy, but I really thought I heard footsteps earlier. These idiots have probably been running around here for a while. Hell, they've probably been watching this place since we got here.”
“I guess so. It... It doesn't really matter, though, does it? We have a problem on our hands and we have to solve it.”
Although he was eager to confess about the woman in the gown, Isaac decided to bite his tongue and keep it to himself. He didn't want to add fuel to the fire, he didn't want to aggravate David's questionable sanity. He sought to tame his outlandish thoughts, too. Under such mysterious circumstances, shared psychosis seemed plausible.
Isaac said, “We should call Lewis. He told me not to go in there without telling him first.”
David said, “Sure, sure.”
He retrieved his cell phone, then he dialed Lewis' number. Rattled by the intrusion, he stared at the opening on the fence as he patiently waited. He counted each tone, hoping his boss would answer and relieve his stress. To his disappointment, the call went to Lewis' voicemail.
Hello, you've reached Christopher Lewis of Lewis Real Estate and Construction. I'm sorry, I'm not available to take your call at this moment. Please leave your name, number, and message after the tone and I'll call you back as soon as possible. Thank you.
David said, “He's not answering. I'm just getting his voicemail. He said he'd be available all night, but he's not answering. I got here early today and he can't even answer the damn phone. You believe this shit?”
“Calm down. He's probably sleeping or... or getting ready to sleep. It's, um... It's not even 9:00 PM yet. I'll call him from my cell phone.”
“What? You think he's ignoring my call? I don't think your phone is going to make a difference. He's probably knocked out with his secretary or something.”
“Let me just try, alright? Relax, man.”
Isaac followed David's steps: he pulled out his phone, dialed Lewis' number, and waited for the call to connect. He didn't receive the same results, though. The phone rang once, then it went to an automated out-of-service message.
We're sorry. You have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no long–
Isaac disconnected from the call before the message was finished. Awed by the revelation, he said, “His number's not in service, David.”
David furrowed his brow and asked, “What? What are you talking about?”
“I called him and I got an out-of-service message. It didn't go to his voicemail.”
“Are–Are you sure you called the right number?”
“Yeah, yeah. It's the number he gave me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, man. I'm positive. It's the same number on his business card.”
David beckoned to Isaac and said, “Give me your phone. I'll check if we called the same number 'cause I heard his voice on that voicemail. I know I'm calling the right one. Maybe he's messing with us. Come on, give me your phone.”
Isaac shrugged and shook his head as he handed his phone to his partner. He paced in front of the fence as David cross-referenced the numbers. The troubled father was certain he had the correct number, though. He called Lewis a day after his interview and before his shift without any issues.
As he glanced at each screen, David murmured, “They're the same... What the hell is going on here?”
Isaac tapped David's shoulder and said, “If he's not going to answer, then we might as well call the police.”
As he stared at the phones, David shook his head and responded, “No. I don't think that's going to be happening. We both just lost signal. We can't even make emergency calls.”
Eyes wide with fear, Isaac yanked his phone away from David's hand and said, “You've got to be kidding me.” He swiped his finger across the screen and rapidly tapped, but to no avail. He couldn't connect to any emergency services. He said, “This is bullshit. It's... It's impossible.”
“Wha–What should we do, Isaac? I mean, do we... do we just go back to our posts and pretend like nothing happened?”
Pretend like nothing happened – the idea seemed brilliant. They were told to avoid the interior of the mall due to the hazards. The teenagers broke the law by trespassing. In the court of law, it seemed like the guards would get away with doing nothing.
Yet, Isaac was concerned about the young girl in the equation. Although he wasn't certain of her identity, he was worried about his daughter. If it was her, he would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to Melanie.
Isaac sighed in exasperation, then he said, “I think we should go inside and find them. They're stupid kids and they're bound to get into some trouble if we don't do something.”
David nodded as he glanced at the ominous building. He said, “I thought you'd say that. Let's make it quick, alright? I don't want the entire building to collapse on us.”
“It won't be so bad, bud. As long as we don't go to the second floor, I think we'll be fine.”
“You think?”
Isaac chuckled, then he repeated, “I think.” Trying to keep a semblance of control, he walked towards the mall and said, “Come on. Let's get these punks out of here.”
David groaned, then he said, “Fine, fine...”
***
Isaac and David stood in front of the broken glass, peeking into the mall with curious eyes. The pair shined their flashlights into the foyer of the building. The light illuminated the scraped and grimy marble flooring as well as the ne
ighboring stores. Most of the furniture was removed from the mall, but a few benches and kiosks remained.
Isaac said, “Go in.”
David huffed, then he responded, “You should go first. This was your idea.”
“Are you kidding me? What are you afraid of?”
David furrowed his brow and tilted his head like a curious pup. He repeated, “What are you afraid of?” He shook his head and muttered, “This was your idea, man. I didn't even see these kids. My conscience is clear.”
Isaac sighed and rolled his eyes, disappointed in his partner's cowardice. He swallowed the lump in his throat, like swallowing a golf ball, then he lunged over the broken glass. He walked through the western entrance, slowly entering the eerie mall. David reluctantly followed his peer's lead, constantly glancing over his shoulder with each step.
Isaac illuminated the left side of the mall. The left side seemed to be aimed towards selling food to customers arriving and leaving – a smoothie shop, a cafe, a pretzel store, and a sweets shop. He turned his flashlight towards the right and found himself staring at a bakery and a hair salon. The stores were mostly empty, so only the old signs at the storefronts identified them.
David asked, “Where do you think they went?”
Isaac shrugged and said, “I have no idea. If I had to guess, I'd say they're either looking for somewhere to smoke and drink or they're looking for something to steal. I don't know where the hell they could have gone, though. It doesn't look like there's much left around here. It's... It's dead.”
“How many did you say you saw?”
“There were four. Two young guys and a young woman. They're probably in high school. Then, there was this little girl. She was... I don't know, I'd say she was at least 12 years old. I just hope she's not in any trouble. We'll just end up getting dragged into it.”
“Twelve years old? Damn, that's a pretty exact number, Isaac. I can barely guess my age when I look in the mirror and I know my birthday. What makes you think she's that young?”