It was closing time of the mall, employees went home, lights were off, and doors locked.

Ghost Girl had never been at the mall during after hours and she was quite bored. She decided to stroll out of the mall and come back in the morning, until she heard noises down one of the hallways.

“You sure this is alright?”

“It’s cool. It’s my shift for the night.”

“Let’s steal something.”

“Hell no, do want me to get fired?”

A group of young people entered through the exit door.

Ghost Girl followed them back to the security office.

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There were a group of 4: 2 women and 2 men. They brought a few cases of beer and brought out various bags of … items. Yeah, it drugs. They began smoking and drinking in a small room with monitors. It’s the control room where the feedback of all the cameras of the mall comes to.

A man in the red hoodie, Jeff, puffed out smoke from his mouth and said loosely: “I have no fucking clue what I’m doing after college.”

A woman with short black hair, Kile, who was sitting on the floor opposite of Jeff responded: “Fucking same boat.” Kile began chugging her beer.

Norm, the security guard of the night, took a few sips from his beer and began checking each monitor. It was routine task of the job, even though nothing happens at night.

The other woman in tight clothing, Sharen, leaned on the desk with the monitors and stared at Norm. “Stop staring at the screen and swallow this.” Sharen slid a thin, cylinder pill on the desk towards Norm.

Norm picked it up and asked: “What does it do?”

“Slight hallucinations and make you high as a kite!” Sharen popped one in her mouth and swallowed it with her drink. She closed her eyes and started slightly whirled her body a little. She thought the pill will be digested more if it she does it.

While Sharen was doing that, Norm crushed the pill into dust and swept it into the waste bin. Norm must be the only one who isn’t drunk or high to keep his friends under control. He brought them along because he will be bored.

As things were getting lively, everyone heard a few knocks on the door.

*KNOCK*KNOCK*KNOCK*

Everyone turned their attention to the door.

“Hey, aren’t we the only ones here?” Jeff questioned. Everyone got tensed, they should be the only ones in the mall.

“Why are you guys freaking out for?” Kile stood up and opened the door. “See, there was no one –“

“Hi.” A female child-like voice was heard. She looked side to side but couldn’t found anyone, Then she slowly looked down and saw a child-size mannequin.

Is Kile seeing things? Wait, she had only two bottles, it shouldn’t it affect her? The drugs? She don’t remember taking them...

While Kile was distracted with her own thoughts, in that split moment, the mannequin jumped onto Kile and began smacking on her head!

“Hey get off of me!” Kile twirled around in a panic and tried to pull the thing off of her.

Jeff scrambled off the ground and helped Kile. He managed to pull the thing off and tossed to the other side of the room!

“Everyone out!” Norm screamed! He already brought Sharen out of the room and was ready to close the door. Jeff and Kila ran out of the control room and Norm slammed the door shut. There was no way to lock it from the outside, so he took Sharen’s hand and ran with the others.

Just as they were about to reach the exit door, another mannequin was already with a knife in hand!

“Don’t move.” Norm quietly said.

The mannequin stared straightly down the hall and saw the group, but it didn’t moved an inch.

“Back away slowly. There is another exit in the food court.” Just as the group was slowly backing and turning. The mannequin then began to sprint towards them!

It was screaming: “KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL!” Over and over.

“Shit! Shit!” Jeff yelled.

The four began running for their lives! The food court was their goal! It was at the other side of the mall. But something did crossed Norm’s mind. What if that thing continues to follow even outside? Then they’re dead! They should escape without the thing noticing them.

Norm pulled out a bunch of keys connected to a keyring. “Follow me!”

Norm and the gang reached a small clothing store and unlocked the door. Everyone went inside and Norm locked the door. The mannequin slammed the door with its plastic hand and stabbed the door with its knife, making that screeching sound.

After a few minutes the mannequin then stopped moving.

The group realized that it stopped but wouldn’t dare get closer. They moved behind the counter.

“We’re dead! We’re so dead!” Kile freaked out.

“I’m sorry mom and dad. I’m a failure.” Jeff began sniffing and crying.

Norm looked at them like they’re different people. Actually, shouldn’t he be like them too!

“Calm down! Let’s wait it out.” Norm said.

“What are you talking about?” Jeff replied.

“Once the sun shines and people coming in, that thing will not chase or kill us.”

“Are you out of your mind!?” Kile crawled towards Norm and grabbed his shirt. “We can’t just wait for the sun! It’s not a vampire!”

While Kile and Norm argued, Jeff turned his attention to Sharen. And she was… out. She had a blank look and continued to stare in one direction. Jeff was thinking that he should have what she was having. Maybe he would be numbed while being stabbed.

“Hiiiiiiiiiiii~” Sharen spoke in a slur. She waved towards the distance. Jeff looked to where Sharen was waving towards and saw nothing.

“Are-are you gonna make us go sleep-sleep???” Sharen’s speech was like a child. Did that pill made her dumb for a moment?

“No? But I’m sleepy!”

“Who are you talking to Sharen?” Jeff asked in curiosity while rubbing his eyes.

Sharen lazily turned her head towards Jeff and pointed at nobody. “I’m talk-talking toooo giiirrllll.”

“Wait.” Norm said. He raised his head over the counter. This was a clothing store, and what do they have? Mannequins. What he saw sent chills down his spine. All the heads were turned towards the counter. Were they like that when they came in? Not only that, the one with the knife was gone too.

There was only one counter in the back and middle of the room. They were only 4 mannequins inside this small shop.

“Fuck. Fuck.” Norm said quietly.

“What? What do you see?” Kile asked

“The mannequin with the knife is gone.” He didn’t mentioned the other mannequins in the shop, he didn’t want them to panic even more.

Kile lightly banged her on the side of the counter.

“It-it okkaaay guuuyysss. No hurt-y, no hurt-y.” Sharen got up and quickly walked towards the entrance.

“Wait!” Norm quickly reached Sharen and wrapped his arms around her waist. He tried to bring her back to the counter but Sharen scuffled out of his hold. She unlocked the door and ran towards … the front entrance of the mall.

Norm was crazy to chase after Sharen! They could be killed at any moment. Not only him, Jeff and Kile also followed them! Splitting the group was a bad idea! Those horror movies proved it!

When everyone was at the entrance, nothing happened.

Norm looked around and not a single mannequin. Kile slapped the back of Norm’s back and yelled: “Get us out of here!”

“Yeah, sure!” There was a panel by the door. Norm inserted a key and turned it. A green light flashed and he pushed a button that made the metal gate to slowly be lifted.

After the gate fully lifted, Norm had to use another key to unlock the doors.

Now, they were free to go home.

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Ghost Girl watched them go back to their car with Norm as the driver.

When Sheran noticed her presence in the store, she was freaked out. “What’s in those drugs?” That was probably the first time she spoken to a living person, even though she was high.

Seeing them running in fright was fun but she wished she had control with many mannequins like a puppeteer master. She wanted a mass hallucination where the mall becomes a living nightmare, but sadly she didn’t have the powers.

She needed souls, but taking them from college students who had did nothing wrong didn’t sit well with her conscious.

Now that she thinks about it. Isn’t there a prison out of town?

After what happened, Ghost Girl erased all footages of what happened. She placed the mannequins back to where they belong and put the knife back into the kitchen of one of the restaurant of the food court.

She decided to go back to the other realm.