Madness at Madison Mall

by Jon Athan

  Ignoring David's question, Isaac strolled down the center of the wide walkway. He turned his flashlight towards the second floor, whisking the shadows away with his light. There was no one in sight. He turned his attention to the towering ceiling. Luminous moonlight poured through the broken skylights, illuminating the kiosks in the walkway. The natural light wasn't as powerful as a flashlight, but it offered a sense of security and direction in the abandoned mall.

  Isaac said, “They could be anywhere. If they want to smoke and mess around, they'll probably be in a 'fun' store or something like that. If they want to steal, they might be in an electronics shop or a clothing store. That young lady might be looking for a new sweater or something.”

  “This place has been abandoned for decades. If there are any new clothes left, they're already old.”

  “I don't think any of them care.”

  Isaac examined the first kiosk in the walkway – a cell phone kiosk. The wooden structure was unstable. It looked as if it could fall over with a gust of wind. Most of the shelves were empty, but a few products lingered. The old 'candybar' mobile phones from the '90s stayed on the shelves. The relic would probably sell to someone looking for an ironic phone, but it didn't seem popular with the local scavengers.

  Although he knew the idea was nonsensical, the distraught father considered opening the package and trying to call for help. He was grasping at straws, searching for a sense of hope in the dreary abyss. It won't work, he thought, it would never work.

  David said, “Hey, Isaac, take a look at this.”

  Isaac glanced over his shoulder, peering towards the right side of the walkway. David stood two meters away from the kiosk, shining his flashlight at the neighboring stores. He weaved and bobbed his head for a better view, moving like a boxer trying to dodge his opponent's jabs.

  As he approached, Isaac asked, “What is it?”

  “You said they might be looking for somewhere to mess around, right? What about this toy store?” David suggested as he pointed at the toy store next to the hair salon. He said, “The shelves are still here. It looks like it's still furnished. They could be in there, right?”

  “I guess so.”

  Isaac narrowed his eyes as he examined the toy store. The dilapidated sign above the store read: Toy Harbor. The storefront windows were shattered. The shards of glass around the entrance sparkled with the moonlight. It seemed quiet – too quiet to be harboring a bunch of obnoxious teenagers – but it was worth a shot.

  Isaac said, “Let's check it out.”

  Chapter Eight

  The Toy Store

  Isaac strolled towards Toy Harbor, glass crackling beneath his boots like flickering flames in a fireplace. He shined his flashlight into the small store, examining the environment before proceeding. David, on the other hand, did not waste time. He lunged over the broken glass and entered the store, charging into the shop head-first.

  Isaac couldn't blame his partner for his negligence. He was nervous about the situation, too. He was also concerned about his psyche.

  David's logic was simple: the sooner the kids were found, the sooner the group could leave the mall. He cared about their safety, he was sympathetic, but he was more afraid of the mall than anything else.

  Yet, Isaac couldn't follow David's lead. He needed absolute certainty and security. He illuminated the interior of the store, revealing the tipped over shelves. The free-standing shelves leaned over each other like dominoes, knocked over towards the left side of the store. The ceiling seemed intact, at least. It had a few black stains, but it wouldn't crumble on top of them.

  Although the quiet store seemed secure, he couldn't shrug off the fear lingering in his mind. There were zoo animals painted on the walls and the blue floor was dappled with large white spots. It was supposed to be joyful, but the merry atmosphere of the shop caused his stomach to turn. It reminded him of his distaste for children and Tracey's scathing accusations.

  He couldn't help but feel like the painted animal caricatures were glaring at him, too. The zoo animals – inanimate paintings – seemed unusually malicious, as if they were ready to pounce on him at a moment's notice. He was the prey surrounded by predators.

  Isaac whispered, “Here goes nothing...” He lunged into the store, then he walked towards the right. He shouted, “If you're in here, come on out! We don't want to get you in trouble, okay? We just want to get you out of here before you get hurt! That's all! You have my word on that! You hear me?! Hello?”

  David crouched and shined his light under the knocked over shelves. He said, “I'll stick around up here. I'll look for, um... clues and I'll make sure no one runs by. You should go check out the back. They might be hiding in the back office or something. They might not even be here.”

  “We still have to check. It's their fault, it's Lewis' fault, but we'll still be sacrificed if they get hurt. The media will chop us up and throw us in the trash if something were to happen to them. They're kids, so they're 'innocent.' That's the way the world works.”

  “Yeah, yeah. If you really feel that way, go check the office,” David said as he browsed through the shelves. “I'll wait for you. Go on.”

  Isaac ran his fingers through his hair and nodded – sure, sure. He stepped over the broken glass and tiptoed over the splintered wood. Much like the status of the rest of the mall, only a few products lingered. Board games, stuffed animals, action figures, and dolls were sprawled across the floor. The store resembled a common daycare. It was only missing a few overworked caretakers and a group of screeching children.

  The security guard glanced over his shoulder as he reached the checkout counter. The blood-red counter was empty. The cash registers were removed and the shelves were looted. There was a door directly behind the counter. A sign on the door read: Employees Only. It obviously didn't matter, but the security guards were technically employees of the fine establishment.

  Isaac shut his eyes and whispered, “Please, let this be the end of it. Tell me you're in here. Tell me you'll cooperate. Please, tell me it's over.” He opened his eyes as he shoved the door open. Dispirited, he said, “Shit.”

  The small office was empty. There were three tall lockers to the left next to a small desk. To his right, there was a stack of cardboard boxes. Towards the center of the room, there was a rolling television stand with a steel frame. The tube television on top of the stand was turned off and unplugged. The trespassing teenagers were not hiding in the room.

  Isaac rubbed the nape of his neck and walked towards the desk. He whispered, “I wish Tracey were here to see this shit. She'd see how complicated kids can be. She'd finally understand the truth.”

  He stopped muttering upon spotting a hole on the wall behind the desk. The gaping hole was the size of the average melon. The concrete wall around the hole was cracked. He shined his flashlight into the hole, baffled. The light couldn't penetrate the darkness. He couldn't see another wall, a pipe, or any wiring. The hole led into a hopeless abyss.

  The troubled guard whispered, “What the hell is this?”

  He tilted his head and furrowed his brow, befuddled. He leaned closer to the wall. He could hear a peculiar crackling sound coming from the hole. The noise reminded him of a spider's nest. The sound of skittering spiders in an empty room made his skin crawl. The hole called his name, daring him to reach into the abyss, but he refused to answer.

  Isaac shook his head and said, “I'm not sticking my hand in there. Maybe David will do it.”

  He hopped and gasped as a loud static sound emerged in the room. He instinctively grabbed his walkie-talkie, ready to call for help. The white light on the ground caught his attention, though. Wide-eyed, he turned his attention to the television behind him – the source of the light. The TV had miraculously powered itself on, tuning to a channel of static – white noise.

  The security guard stared at the disconnected cable on the ground as he cautiously approached the television. He couldn't comprehend the situation. He could only bl
ame himself for his lack of sleep. He feared he was living in a nightmare. Sleep would be his only remedy, but it was out of the question until the teenagers were found.

  Isaac stopped in front of the television, trying his damnedest to shrug off the eerie event. Maybe it's running on batteries, he thought, maybe it's just some sort of glitch. The man preferred to find reasons for his problems instead of solving them. Before he could press the power button on the television, the screen began to focus – the static snow began to settle.

  In the grainy black-and-white footage, an elderly man in a red flannel shirt and denim overalls stood in a dark room. He had long gray hair sitting down to his shoulders and a grizzled beard reaching down to his slow beating heart. The thick beard, the gnarled wrinkles, and the sunglasses covering his eyes made it difficult to identify the mysterious man. The poor video quality didn't help, either.

  He seemed familiar, though.

  In a raspy tone, the man said, “Boy, boy, boy. We've got ourselves somethin' special tonight. Y'all know I usually don't speak on behalf of our guests. I don't interfere with the process. It's not my place. It's never been my place. Y'all know that already, don't ya? I sit back and I enjoy the show, just like the rest of you. Not tonight, though. No, I can't do that. I have to speak. You see, we have been visited by a young man – a wicked man. He's everything we've ever wanted. Every–”

  The blurry footage was disrupted by the grating static sound. Isaac was captivated by the program, though. He needed to hear the message, he needed to clear his mind. He hit the side of the television, which caused the static to shake. The strikes worked, though. The static settled like the 'snow' in a snow globe.

  To Isaac's surprise, the elderly man on the screen stood closer to the camera as the footage became clearer. The enigmatic elder appeared angrier than before, too. He had a ferocious scowl plastered on his wrinkled face, his lip curled like the lip on a cowboy from an old western movie. He didn't seem like the good guy, though.

  The man said, “Listen to me, boy. Listen to me, goddammit! Tonight, you're going to get something special from us. Our mighty congregation has chosen you for tonight's special ceremony. Not your partner, not them kids. You are our guest of honor. You understand me? Are you listening to me, boy?”

  The man paused and tilted his head, as if he were waiting for a response.

  As his teeth chattered, Isaac stuttered, “Are–Are you talking to me?”

  “They know what you did. We know what you did. You know what you did. It's not a pretty picture. No, boy, not at all. It's a... a portrait of pain and agony. A painting of beautiful sadness. It's not pretty. You're tainted with sin, you're possessed by evil... and you don't even know it. You have to pay for what you did, son. You think you can just run away and get away with anything? You think you're better than the rest of us? Do you really think the laws don't apply to you? Shit, this rite, this place... It was all designed for the fools and the wicked. You happen to be both, boy.”

  Isaac shook his head and said, “This... This can't be happening. Wha–What the hell are you talking about, mister? I don't understand any of it.”

  The man smirked and said, “You will, kiddo. You'll understand everything. You'll remember everything.” He nodded and said, “Someone's standing behind you.”

  “What?”

  “Behind you, boy. Someone's standing behind you.”

  Isaac was perplexed by the bizarre footage. On one hand, he found himself talking to a television without power. On the other hand, the man on the television was sending him an ominous message. Someone's standing behind you – the message was terrifying. The message could cause the most powerful mind to shatter.

  He could feel it – the presence of someone looming over him. He felt it at the nape of his neck, a moist breath.

  He glanced over his shoulder and hopped. He shouted, “Holy shit!” He held his hand over his chest as he gazed at his uninvited guest – David Cho. Breathing heavily, Isaac said, “Damn it, man. What the hell are you doing standing behind me like that, huh? What's wrong with you?”

  Standing at the doorway, David pointed at himself and asked, “What's wrong with me?” He huffed and rolled his eyes, irked by the generic question. He asked, “What's wrong with you, Isaac? I've been calling you for, like, five minutes. What are you doing in here?”

  “What am I doing? I'm–”

  Mystified, Isaac paused as he glanced back at the television. The TV was turned off. The grainy footage was gone. The baffled security guard could only see his warped reflection on the curved screen. He croaked and groaned as he tried to explain himself, but his vocabulary was wiped in an instant.

  How could you explain madness when you didn't understand it yourself?

  David furrowed his brow and asked, “Are you okay?”

  Isaac said, “Yeah, yeah. I'm... I'm fine. I guess I'm just... I don't know. I'm just feeling a little off tonight.” He glanced back at the television and asked, “How long have you been standing there? Did... Did you hear anything?”

  “Are you asking if I heard you talking to yourself? If so, then the answer is 'yes.' I heard you say 'what' and that's all. Who were you talking to?”

  “I was... I was talking to myself. I was just, you know, muttering. That's all. Let's get out of here. Come on. They're obviously not hiding in here.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  The security guards exited the employee area, reluctantly returning to the main store. The store remained desolate, silent and creepy. The animals painted on the walls appeared eerie in the darkness – their eyes seemed to be glowing. Toy Harbor seemed more like Toy Hell – with a few clowns, the store would be the perfect setting for a horror movie.

  Isaac glanced at the door to his right. A sign on the door read: Authorized Personnel Only. The door clearly led to the inner corridors of the mall. He shoved the push plate on the door, but to no avail – it was locked.

  Isaac asked, “You have a key for this?”

  “How am I supposed to have a key for any of these doors? We're not even supposed to be here.”

  Dejected, Isaac glanced back at the door and frowned. His plans were crumbling before his very eyes. He couldn't stop himself from falling into a tailspin of madness.

  David sighed, then he said, “Listen, Isaac. We don't have to check every corner of every area. We just have to keep moving. Besides, there's no way they could have gotten in there unless the door was unlocked to begin with. They're not in there. Trust me.”

  “You're right...” Isaac whispered as he stared at the door. “Let's go.”

  As the pair lunged over the remaining products, tiptoeing their way towards the exit, David said, “I think we should split up. I'll cover this side and you cover the other side. That way, we'll still be able to see each other and we'll cover more ground. What do you think?”

  “I don't know, man. Splitting up... That's something idiots do in horror movies. If people were watching us right now, they'd be yelling at us to stick together. It just doesn't seem like a very good idea.”

  “It didn't seem like a good idea to come in here in the first place. Besides, we'll be in the same area most of the time. If you see a spider or a ghost, just scream and I'll come to the rescue. To be honest with you, Isaac, I just want to find these damn kids and get the hell out of here as soon as possible. You understand?”

  Isaac stumbled out of the toy store, like a drunk shambling out of a bar. He scratched his eyebrow as he examined the stores on the other side of the walkway. He glanced at the kiosks, then he peered towards his right. The mall was designed like a cross, so the walkways met at a stage towards the center. The stage was used for events, such as the occasional raffle and the annual holiday celebrations.

  Isaac said, “Alright, alright. How do you want to do this?”

  David pointed at the stores on the other side and said, “Just walk into the stores, give a shout, look around, then move to the next one. I'll do the same on this side. Sound good?”


  “Sure. Give me a call if you need anything.”

  As David strolled towards the next stop on his side – a discount shoe store – Isaac walked towards the other side of the walkway. He was lost in his thoughts. The idea seemed decent on the surface, but he feared exploring the mall by himself. The man on the television lingered in his mind, tormenting his every thought.

  As he thought about the footage, Isaac whispered, “Do I know him? Does he know me? Wha–What do they think they know about me?”

  Chapter Nine

  The Clothing Store

  What could teenagers want inside of an abandoned mall? The answer remained the same. The trespassers wanted free merchandise and a place to lounge. They wanted to take pictures to show off on Instagram and Facebook. Considering most teenagers were obsessed with their appearance, it was logical to assume the group would eventually wander into a clothing store.

  Casual County, a hip '90s apparel store, was next on Isaac's list. Like the rest of the stores, the storefront windows were shattered. Most of the furniture was removed, but a few shelves and stands remained. The clothing wasn't looted, either. Apparently, denim overalls, scrunchies, bucket hats, and neon colored shirts weren't very popular with 21st century youth – maybe next year.

  The aging mannequins also remained in their home. The figures were disrobed, likely groped by a lonely pervert, but they remained perfectly intact. The mannequins stood at the foyer of the store – one at each side of the entrance – and at the end of every aisle. In the eerie setting, the mannequins appeared creepier than usual.

  Isaac stood at the entrance of the small shop, illuminating the store from the foyer. He could see several aisles comprised of free-standing racks to the right. There were a few display tables to the left. The shelves on the wall to the left were mostly empty, but a few shoes lingered. The checkout counter was located at the end of the store beside the fitting rooms.