Twilight Zone of the malls

"I need a bathroom and I need it now."

"What else is new..." I sighed.

"Amanda damn it, where are the bathrooms here!?"

"Let's go behind the walls. That's usually the way."

We walked through one of the doors at the edge of the mall, which led to a small, dimly lit corridor. A few yards from us it became a T-junction.

"No restroom here" May said, and started to go back.

"Wait! There's got to be one around here somewhere. Or at least a sign." I walked down the corridors and into the junction. "Whow!" I shouted. "May, you've got to come and see this!"

May carefully followed me around the corner. The short hallway opened into an impossibly long corridor, divided by concrete pillars and doors at intervals, stretching into the distance.

"Creepy," May said.

"You think there is a far end?"

We walked slowly down the hallway. Our footsteps made strange echoes across it. They really did. After a few yards I drew out my gun, and May did the same. We continued walking, step after careful step, ready for anything.

Finally, we reached a door. I made an eye motion towards May, which translated as "I'm gonna try open this door but I don't want them to hear us, cover for me, if I get killed then know I've always loved you, and it's such a nice day, isn't it, how about a pizza afterwards?" May nodded to signify she got the message, and took a position in front of the door, gun drawn. I hid behind the wall, and then in one swift motion turned around and pushed the door open, waving my gun in and shouting "everybody on the floor, now!" Or rather would have, if door wasn't locked. I smashed my face into it and crashed to the floor. May, being the trusted, helping friend that she is, burst out laughing.

I sat up, rubbing my nose. "I meant to do that. It was a -" then froze.

May stopped laughing. "What?"

"I thought I heard something" I whispered.

We both froze for a second, and could distinctly hear the sound of footsteps in the distance.

A scary movie

Swiftly we ran into behind the nearest pillar, holding our guns ready again. May peered around the pillar. "Do you see them?" I whispered.

"Nothing yet. But the footsteps are getting close." She pulled her head back, and took a deep breath. "Cover me" she said, and then dived into behind the next pillar along the corridor. I hardly had time to react - however, it seemed that nobody had heard. She mentioned me to do the same.

Saying a silent prayer to Amanda and wishing I could have said proper goodbyes to my cat, I ran after her, and into the next pillar over. We made some progress this way, but after a while we were not sure anymore where the footsteps came from. They seemed to be coming from all directions at once. When we finally got to another junction, we happily strayed from the long creepy corridor, and found ourselves in another short one that ended in another door - and this one was slightly ajar. I went to it and peered through.

"Stairs" I said.

"I don't like stairs" May whispered. "They scare me."

"They're dark, too. let's keep going. Do you hear the steps?"

We both froze again and listened. The steps sounded again, closer than ever. In fact, it seemed like they were.. just...

He burst behind the corner, pushing a cart cruelly. May and Me looked at each other, and dove for the stairs. I swarmed down them, and only once I got to the lower floor remembered to spin and point my gun up to protect May's back. She got down safe, jumping across the last 6 stairs and landing, catlike, with her gun pointing down the corridor we now found ourselves in. Then she aimed it down the other side of the corridor. There was no one there.

"Did we lose him?" I asked.

"I think so" she said. "Damn, that was scary. Does this mall's managers know that there are serial killers that walk the halls behind the walls with carts?"

"I'll tell them once we get out of here. If we get out of here. Say, where are we?!"

"I have absolutely no idea. Are we still in the mall?"

"We're in the Twilight Zone, that's where we are."

"Where do we go now?"

"This way."

Corridor 7

We started, yet again, to walk down the corridor, but were stopped dead shortly. Someone was passing us again. We hid behind one of the pillars - this was becoming routine - and watched, as a group of three trained assassins in training suits walked past us, undoubtedly on their way to a hit on some key politician.

"That was a close one" I said - worrying I'll be out of chase cliches soon - and started moving down the hallway, away from the assassins, but May did not follow.

"Psssst! May! What's happening?"

She was peeking around the corner at the direction in which the assassins went. "There's a bathroom there."

"But they just went there! We can't -"

"They're not there."

"What?!" I strode silently behind her and peeked too. "Hey. you're right. where did they go?" The hallway was empty and silent.

"I dunno, but I'm gonna pee in my pants if I'm not getting to a toilet Now. Let's go."

I stayed as guard, as jumpy as a grasshopper having her period. To the right, the corridor ended in a door; I didn't want to check without May as backup, but supposed it went into the Mall proper - or else, I really have no idea what the designers were thinking, hiding the toilet behind this creepy maze. I decided that door was the biggest risk, and stood facing it, gun ready.

My life flashed before my eyes, but unfortunately I was too busy to pay attention to the details. As I whirled around, my gun was knocked out of my hands. I faced the urban monsters, eyes wide open, trying to remember a prayer. The Urbans grinned evilly, as all three of them pointed their guns at me, and were slayed by five accurate sideshots from Little May, who has just stepped out of the bathroom.

"Can't I leave you alone for one second?" she said.