It’s a cool, clear evening as you walk home from work. Today’s shift had been tiring and your body ached as you headed back (if: $thought1 is true)[home.](else:)[[[//home//->Home]].] You dreaded the thought of doing it all again tomorrow, but money was an issue at the moment and missing a day of work would be (if: $thought2 is true)[foolish.](else:)[[[//foolish//->Foolish]].] It was early winter and right after the holidays, so work was especially slow and tedious. You were doing your best to take it day by day.
(if: $thought1 is true)[(if: $thought2 is true)[[[//Continue walking...//->Continue]][(set: $thought1 to false)(set: $thought2 to false)]]]“I wonder if she’ll be back from work too. Maybe I should pick her up something special.”
The walk [[//continues...//->Intro]]
(set: $thought1 to true)“I need to apologize when I get home. Our argument last night was regrettable.”
The walk [[//continues...//->Intro]]
(set: $thought2 to true)You walk along the side of the road, taking a turn to enter the Mall’s parking lot. This is generally the fastest way to get to the (if: $thought1 is true)[grocery store.](else:)[[[//grocery store//->Store]].] and you set across the asphalt, eager to get the ordeal of shopping over with.
[(if: $thought1 is true)[Time to visit [[//The Mall...//->Mall]][(set: $thought1 to false)]]]“Wait.. where is this place again.. I’m having a hard time recalling it for some reason. I’m so burnt out from work.”
The walk [[//continues...//->Continue]]
(set: $thought1 to true)“I haven’t been in this place in so long. I remember one of our early dates was here.”
[[//Stop staring//->Mall]]
(set: $thought1 to true)“I should really pick her up some flowers or something, to help make up for last night. Does the Mall still have that florist shop?"
[[//Stop pondering//->Mall]]
(set: $thought2 to true)The Mall’s wide glass doors reveal a brightly lit interior. It’s past five and the building should be closed by now… you pause and (if: $thought1 is true)[stare.](else:)[[[//stare//->Stare]].]
(if: $thought3 is true)[You see the sign for the store and notice that they have some fresh flowers still left outside. Your mood picks up a little. You’ll make tonight better than last night was. Maybe you should [[//go back in...//->Indoors]], or maybe you should just [[//go home...//->End]]
(if: $thought1 is true)[(if: $thought2 is true)[(set: $thought1 to false)(set: $thought2 to false)]]](else:)[Maybe if they’re still open… then the food court will be as well. That’d certainly be easier and cheaper than going to the grocery store with the intention to cook at (if: $thought2 is true)[home.](else:)[[[//home//->Home2]].]
(if: $thought1 is true)[(if: $thought2 is true)[[[//Time to go inside...//->Indoors]][(set: $thought1 to false)(set: $thought2 to false)]]]]You push through the large doors and step inside. It feels good to be out of the (if: $thought1 is true)[cold](else:)[[[//cold//->Cold]]] for a moment. A pop song that you don’t recognize plays distantly through the speakers above, and the smell of the food court from upstairs is a nostalgic (if: $thought2 is true)[scent.](else:)[[[//scent//->Scent]].] The Mall appears to be empty at the moment. Makes sense since they aren’t usually open this late.
(if: $thought1 is true)[(if: $thought2 is true)[[[//Continue farther into the mall...//->Further]](set: $thought1 to false)(set: $thought2 to false)]]“I was so cold to her last night and that wasn’t fair. I need to make sure to properly make up for it tonight.”
[[//Continue wandering...//->Indoors]]
(set: $thought1 to true)“I’ll go overboard on the takeout and bring home a ton of stuff. She’ll love that. I hope.”
[[//Continue wandering...//->Indoors]]
(set: $thought2 to true)You pause for a moment, wondering if the building //is// in fact closed. There’s usually not much activity around this area for this time of year, but you’ve never seen it completely empty like this. Perhaps they are closed and the cleaners just forgot to lock the doors. If that’s the case, you’ll have an easy excuse if a janitor or (if: $thought1 is true)[someone](else:)[[[//someone//->Someone]]] asks why you’re in here. If they are closed it couldn’t have happened more than twenty or so minutes ago. There’s no way you’ll get in trouble.
You glance at the (if: $thought3 is true)[exit](else:)[[[//exit//->Exit]]] door behind you. The food court still very much (if: $thought2 is true)[smells](else:)[[[//smells//->Smells]]] like it’s open and it won’t hurt to go check.
(if: $thought1 is true)[(if: $thought2 is true)[(if: $thought3 is true)[[[//Continue farther into the mall...//->Intersection]][(set: $thought1 to false)(set: $thought2 to false)(set: $thought3 to false)]]]]“If she was here right now she’d think this was so creepy. Then she’d want to explore. Maybe I should’ve given her a call.”
[[//Continue wandering...//->Further]]
(set: $thought1 to true)“I should probably just go to the grocery store. This is dumb, there’s no way the food court is still running. I feel like I’m not supposed to be here.”
[[//Exit the mall.//->Mall]]
[[//Stay in the mall.//->Further]]
(set: $thought3 to true)“It smells so good.. But what is that odd musty smell lingering in the air? It’s probably my work clothes but why did I just notice it.”
[[//Keep wandering...//->Further]]
(set: $thought2 to true)(if: $right is true)[(if: $left is true)[You return back to the intersection that once joined both wings of the mall. Now, both wings seem to be shut out from the world. Strange, because you don't recall it looking like this...](else:)[You stand in the center of the intersection and stare ahead at where the entrance was. Your (if: $thought1 is true)[reflection](else:)[[[//reflection//->Reflection]]] stares back at you from afar. Instead of wide glass doors there is now a blank wall, and in the middle there is a rectangle of (if: $thought2 is true)[mirrored](else:)[[[//mirrored//->Mirrored]]] glass. You feel that you should be far more frightened than you actually are. You stare at the shape of your lone figure in the mirror and only feel confused.]](else:)[As you make your way through the lower floor of the Mall and towards the center you notice that only the entrance area and intersection at the middle is fully lit.]
You gaze down the wing to your (if: $right is true)[right](else:)[[[//right//->Right Wing]]] to see that shop fronts are irregularly lit, causing for some areas to be fully visible and others shrouded in darkness. The same goes for the wing on your (if: $right is true and $thought1 is true and $thought2 is true)[[[//left//->Left Wing]].](else:)[left.] The upper floor is noticeably dim as well, but the fluorescent food court lights shine bright over the (if: $left is true)[(if: $right is true)[[[//second floor//->Second Floor]]](else:)[second floor]](else:)[second floor] railing.
(if: $thought1 is true and $thought2 is true)[(set: $thought1 to false)(set: $thought2 to false)]You turn around and walk home.
"Maybe I'll get her something tomorrow instead..."
**//GAME OVER//**The Mall’s right side wing is almost completely (if: $thought1 is true)[dark](else:)[[[//dark//->Dark]]] apart from a few scattered lights. You no longer have food court exploration in mind and you are too intrigued by this place that you certainly aren’t meant to be in. This would be a great story to tell (if: $thought1 is true)[[[//people//->People]]](else:)[people] afterwards.You look to the left down at the wing you’ve yet to walk through. At the very end you see a blurry spot of red in darkness. An exit sign. For a second you feel your (if: $thought1 is true)[senses](else:)[[[//senses//->Senses]]] coming back to you.
(if: $thought1 is true)[[[//Leave through the exit door.//->Exit Sign]](set: $thought1 to false)](if: $thought1 is true and $thought2 is true)[You look to a wall next to you and your eyes fall on another mirror. Seeing your own reflection, you feel a burst of anger. Anger upon the sight of your thin, [[//lonely//->Lonely]] figure staring back at you. Your eyes look unnaturally bright.(set: $thought1 to false)(set: $thought2 to false)](else:)[You climb the staircase slowly and feel as if a force outside of yourself is moving your body forward. You step onto the floor and immediately your body feels (if: $thought1 is true)[heavier.](else:)[[[//heavier//->Heavier]].] The once bright and (if: $thought2 is true)[shining](else:)[[[//shining//->Shining]]] food court is dark and desolate before you.]“God it’s almost pitch black back there. This place definitely isn’t still opened… but how often do you get to explore an empty mall? I’d regret it probably if I didn’t explore a little.”
[[//Look away from the darkness...//->Right Wing]]
(set: $thought1 to true)“Wait, hold on - I swear I just saw movement down there around the corner.”
[[//Investigate?//->Investigate]]
[[//Leave immediately!//->Exit]]
(set: $thought1 to false)(set: $thought2 to false)You walk farther down, glancing into shops as you move farther away from the main source of light near the entry. It seems like all of the shops are locked up and closed until you reach one that has its door wide (if: $thought1 is true)[open.](else:)[[[//open//->Open]].] It’s a jewelry shop. You look into the windows at the items still sitting in their softly lit display cases. You take a step through the (if: $thought2 is true)[door.](else:)[[[//door//->Door]].]
(if: $thought1 is true)[(if: $thought2 is true)[[[//Give into the urge//->Steal]](set: $thought1 to false)(set: $thought2 to false)]]“Whoever was in charge of locking up tonight really screwed up. That is some pricey looking stuff in there. If this was some sort of movie I’d think this was a trap set for me. But this isn’t a movie… someone just didn’t do their job.”
[[//Go Back//->Investigate]]
(set: $thought1 to true)"That bracelet in the window is so nice. She’d love it so much. That would be the ultimate make up gift. I could so easily just step in for a moment and reach into the display.”
[[//Go Back//->Investigate]]
(set: $thought2 to true)You take a step out of the jewelry store and take your hand out of your pocket. It felt wrong, it was wrong, but the urge to take it was too strong considering how easy it would be to get away with it. You knew it would stupid to stick around any [[//longer//->Longer]] now, but you felt like you couldn’t bring yourself to turn around."How long have I been here? It feels like I've been wandering for ages... what was I even here for in the first place, again? I miss home... and her. Atleast I'll have something to make things up to her now."
You turned to face the [[//corner//->Corner]] which would lead to the left wing.As you make your way towards the upcoming corner, you hear a skittering noise from behind you - you turn your head in time to see something from your peripherals, but by the time you've fully turned your head - there's nothing there.
You feel so compelled to keep on looking around, that you shrug it off like it was nothing.
[[//Walk around the corner.//->Around Corner]]You walk around the corner and are met with almost complete darkness. You can see light at the very end where the left wing starts. You are beginning to feel antsy and paranoid, but not of the unsettling environment that you found yourself in. Your thoughts feel like they’re against you, you feel as though you’re being (if: $thought1 is true)[watched](else:)[[[//watched//->Watched]]] and being mocked. Being judged. The area that you’re walking through has no shops, and the only doors along the wall lead to the restrooms.
The walk to get to the left wing is very short but it feels like you’ve been moving through the dark at a snail’s pace. It feels as if someone is trailing behind you. You can’t bring yourself to look because you don’t care. You have to get the left wing.
(if: $thought1 is true)[(set: $thought1 to false)]As you walk through the darkness, you feel uneasy - hairs stand up on the back of your neck as you envision something watching you - you turn around, feeling as though there is something close behind.
You feel like there is some kind of hazy aura in the air before you. It's almost like there's something there, but you can't quite focus on it.
You start to pick up the pace towards the light at the end of the hall.
Despite the only audible noises being those made by your footsteps, you feel like you can hear something shuffling around somewhere distant.
You listen closer, and you come to realize - the pop music that was playing when you entered the mall is now gone. In its place, a faint but noticable hum is heard. You begin to feel (if: $thought1 is true)[uneasy.](else:)[[[//uneasy//->Uneasy]].]
(if: $thought1 is true)[[[//Enter the mall's main intersection again.//->Intersection]](set: $thought1 to false)(set: $right to true)]"Something seems very off about this mall... I don't feel safe. I should probably get out of here."
[[//Time to get hell out of here.//->Watched]]
(set: $thought1 to true)“//I look so awful… I look like such an idiot. They’re going to find me in here and I’m going to be in trouble. It feels like days since I’ve been here...//"
[[//Keep looking for a way out.//->Intersection]]
(set: $thought1 to true)You take a much closer look at the mirror and notice something strange.
“//That hazy aura from before... I can see **way more of them in the mirror...**//"
[[//Keep looking for a way out.//->Intersection]]
(set: $thought2 to true)(if: $thought1 is true)[Those large, handleless doors seem to be **blocking every single passage in the mall**. Everywhere except the staircase leading up to the [[//second story//->Intersection]] of the mall.(set: $thought1 to false)(set: $left to true)](else:)[As you approach the exit sign, you notice that you're viewing it through the window of a door. You move towards the door and reach out to grab the handle - and you find no handle to grab.
You look up to see that the window has now gone completely dark. No more red light illuminates the far end of the room behind the door.
Turning around, you see that there are (if: $thought1 is true)[even more doors](else:)[[[//even more doors//->More Doors]]] like this nearby.]“//Something's seriously not right... I'm not thinking straight. This is all wrong. I feel like I've been **drugged...**//
[[//Keep looking for a way out.//->Exit Sign]]
(set: $thought1 to true)"Thank god, I'll finally get out of here... I was starting to feel like I was going completely crazy."
[[//Time to leave.//->Left Wing]]
(set: $thought1 to true)“//I feel so horribly isolated. I feel trapped. Trapped in my own thoughts which don’t even feel like my own right now.//”
[[//Keep hopelessly looking.//->Second Floor]]
(set: $thought1 to true)“//Nobody is coming for me. I deserve to be here.//”
[[//Keep hopelessly looking.//->Second Floor]]
(set: $thought2 to true)//“Something is so terribly off about this place. I'm lonely, though I don't feel as though I am alone here.
I know that somebody, or something must be here with me. Maybe they're here, upstairs. I hope I don't find them."//
[[//Keep hopelessly wandering.//->Wander]]**The Mall**
by: Maya Brown
TW: Potentially unsettling content, general uneasiness, and self-loathing thoughts.
[[//Start Game//->Intro]](if: $thought1 is true and $thought2 is true)[You feel yourself strongly compelled towards the dark, meaningless spot before you. Your eyes feel heavy and your mind feels sluggish.
With no regard for anything but this compelling fascination, you walk forward and step into the empty space. You stand in the center of the void and squat down, your body and mind too tired to continue.
You lay down on the cold ground and close your eyes. As you begin to drift asleep, you hear a clambering noise coming up the steps to the second floor. Your mind tries to get your body to move, or your eyes to open, but you feel as though you've lost control of your functions.
You begin to drift away as the awful-sounding //thing// approaches your helpless self. [[//You feel the shadows of the Mall close around you.//->Sleep]](set: $thought1 to false)(set: $thought2 to false)](else:)[You turn away from the mirror and turn your body to face where you would expect the food court to be. Everything seems to be foggy and (if: $thought1 is true)[static](else:)[[[//static//->Static]]]. Around you, there exists nothing but liminality - there are no clear or definitive shapes that stand out to you anymore. Instead, there simply remains a dark, empty void - which appears to grow more and more visible as you approach it.
The low, droning hum is now deafening and you feel as though you’re moving through water as you try to pull yourself away from this absence where something once was.
Trying to take a step back, you find yourself being drawn to this empty position in front of you. There's nothing for you to find, and clearly no (if: $thought2 is true)[exit](else:)[[[//exit//->No Exit]]] point. But you feel like you should get closer.]//“I should be afraid but I just feel numb now. I have no memory of what brought me here. I feel trapped but I feel like I deserve it. I don’t deserve to leave. Maybe I should find a place to sleep."//
[[//Look for a place to rest.//->Wander]]
(set: $thought1 to true)//“My eyes feel like I’ve been looking into the sun and I feel like I’m burning on the inside. I haven’t seen the sun in so long. I should find a place to rest my eyes.”//
[[//Look for a place to rest.//->Wander]]
(set: $thought2 to true)As you drift off to sleep, your mind wanders to the days that you lived leading up to this point, now feeling like distant memories from years past.
You think about her, and you wish you could've stuck around to make things up to her.
[[//A dream sets in...//->Intro]]
(set: $thought1 to false)(set: $thought2 to false)(set: $thought3 to false)(set: $right to false)(set: $left to false)