I have worked as a security guard for most of my life. It's not the most glamorous job, but it pays the bills. I worked in gas stations, convenience, store, small shops, places where you are mostly just sitting around keeping an eye on things.
But then I saw the ad for a night shift at the local mall. I thought I had finally stumbled on something better.
The pay was good better than anything I had seen in years. The hours weren't bad either 11 PM to 6 AM.
It was just one building, and I figured it would be quite an easy. How hard could it be? I could imagine sitting back in the security office, watching the cameras and walking around in a place that felt too big for the silence of the night.
I applied immediately and gotta call the next day. It was the manager Mr. Hansley asking, if I could come in for an interview that afternoon.
It seemed sudden, but didn't question it. I needed the job, and the mall wasn't far from where I lived.
I drove over, trying to shake the feeling that this was all happening too fast.
Was the mall that desperate for a night guard?
The interview was quick, almost rushed. Hansley asked about my experience, but I didn't feel like he was paying attention. He ran through the basics, "check the cameras every 15 to 30 minutes, do early petrols, nothing out of the ordinary" by the end of it, he looked at me and asked, "can you start tonight?"
That surprised me. Most places want time for people background checks. But I wasn't about to argue.
"Sure..." I said, try not to sound to eager.
He looked relieved "great, we're understaffed". He admitted rubbing his temples like the day had been too long.
Last few guards, didn't last. I hope you will be different.
His words give me pause.....
"What did he mean by that?" But before I could ask, he handed me a key to the office and told me to report at 11 PM sharp, the quicker I started, the quicker I had kept paid, I told myself.
I shook his hand left the office and went home to get a few hours of sleep before my shift.
When I arrived at the mall, it was dark and deserted. The parking lot, which during the day was packed with cars, was almost entirely empty. A few scattered vehicles sat under the dim low of the Parking lights, but the space left too big.... too quiet.
It made the building look like a sleeping giant and for a second I considered turning around and going home as something felt wrong.
I brushed it off as its the 1st day and walked up to the employee entrance. Mr. Hansley met me at the door, he didn't say much, just led me through the grinding corridors to the security office, explaining the basics protocols again.
As we walked, the office itself was a small as cramped room; at the back of the room filled with screens, displaying photos from the cameras scattered around the building.
"Check the cameras every 15 to 30 minutes" he reminded me.
"Do your rounds, make sure nothing out of the place" the usual, he glanced at me before adding "and keep an eye on the escalators and on the playing areas. Things happen there, sometimes".
That last part made me pause..."Things happen...", he waved a hand dismissively, "kids mostly trying to sneak in or mess around after hours, you'll see".
I nodded though his tone made my skin crawl a little. He handed me a printed sheet of standard instructions, shook my hand again and said, "good luck, I will see you in the morning".
Once he left, I was alone, the silence of the empty mall settled over me like a heavy blanket, I took a seat in front of the monitors, slipping through the camera feeds, the escalators were still, the stores were dark and empty for a moment, I relaxed, it was just a mall. Nothing creepy about that. Just a big, empty building.
After few minutes, I felt a presence behind to me, jumped my heart pounding. Standing just behind me was a janitor. He grined...clearly amused by my reaction, "didn't mean to scare you, buddy", he said his voice light. "You must be the new guy", I let out a nervous laugh. Trying to shake off the tension.
"Yeah, that's me, I don't know there was a janitor here at night", he shrugged, "they always keep one of us around to clean. Make sure everything is ready for the next day". His toned turned a bit more serious. "Just make sure you follow the rules".
I hesitated...." the rules, you mean the instructions?" He handed me a crumpled piece of paper looking at me with an unsettling seriousness.
"These aren't from the manager, these are the rules you'll need; If you wanna make through the night".
I unfolded the paper half expecting some kind of joke. But the list of rules it contained was anything but funny.
RULES TO KEEP YOU SAFE AT NIGHT.....
Rule no. 1: Check the security cameras every 15 to 30 minutes. But don't stare at the footage for too long.
Rule no. 2: Never look directly at the mennequins after midnight. If the mannequins change positions, leave the area immediately.
I stared at the list, my gut tightening with discomfort "You are serious?" The janitor grin had vanished. "I am warning you follow the rules or you'll end up like the last guy".
I tried to lie to laugh it off. "You mean the last guard?" He nodded....his eyes cold, "he quit after one night".
"OK...." I stuffed the paper into my pocket. Without checking the rest of the list, chuckling nervously, "well....I'm going to make my first round".
The janitor stepped aside, giving me a long look before saying, "take care". I nodded and left the office. But his words stuck with me something about his tone, his look, it fell off like he was genuinely afraid but I wasn't going to let some weird list of rules mess with my head. It was just past midnight when I started my patrol. The mall was eerie at night much more so than I expected. The dim lightning cast, long twisting shadows among along the tile floors every sound felt amplified. My footsteps echoing on the walls, the hum of the fluorescent lights, the distant creek and groans of the building, settling as I made my way down in one of the main hallways, I tried to focus on the task at hand... the mall wasn't huge, but was big enough to need regular patrols. There were plenty of stores to check.
Some of them abandoned, some locked up with display speaking out from the darkness behind their glass windows. A children's play areas stood near the food court, silent and still farther down, I could make out the escalators still and frozen in their usual accent, like relax from a busier time, I was getting used to the silence when I noticed something strange.
In one of the clothing stores the store door was wide open. I stopped my flashlight sweeping over the darkened interior, I couldn't see anything out of place at first, but as I moved the beam around the store, I noticed moment in my peripheral vision, a slight shift like something or someone was hiding in the dark. I turned my head to look directly at it, but there was nothing just a few mennequins standing near the back as motionless as always, I sighed and shook my head, it was nothing just my nerves, I wasn't going to let that janitors creepy lists get into my head. Then I heard it, the faint sound of clothing rustling, my flashlight flicked back towards the mennequins, and there it was, one of them had definitely moved. It was standing a little closer. Now, slightly out of position compaired to the others, I could feel my heart beat start to quicken.
"Hey...Mr Janitor" I called out more out of frustration than anything else, this had to be some kind of prank. He was probably watching me from the shadows trying to freak me out, but there was no answer, just the soft unsettling shuffle of fabric behind me again, I turned slowly my flashlight, scanning the mannequins and that's when I saw it.
One of them had changed positions again, its head now facing directly towards the exit. My breath hitched in my throat, no one else was here. There was no way this was a trick, I backed out of the store quickly. I didn't want to stay any longer than necessary, as I walked away, I kept glancing over my shoulder. And then I heard footsteps. They were heavy rough, like wood or plastic scrapping against the floor.
My heart started pounding in my chest. I turned around and there it was the same mannequin from the store. It stood in the middle of the hallway, staring at me with its blank lifeless face; the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I could feel the blood drain from my face as I washed it slowly stiffly, it started to move towards me, its joints creaking and groaning with every step...its movements were robotic, stiff like a doll being dragged towards.
I did what any sane person would do.... I ran, I turned on my heel unbolted down the hallway, my footsteps echoing in the vast emptiness of the mall, I didn't care how ridiculous I looked. I just need to get away from that thing. Rounded the corner ducking into the hallway that led towards the restrooms, the footsteps behind me had stopped, but I didn't dare to look back, I burst into the restroom, splashing cold water on my face, trying to convince myself that it was all in my head. But as I looked into the mirror I saw something else. A woman was standing near the stalls, her back to me dressed in the plain uniform of a cleaning lady, I blinked, and she was gone, my heart skipped a beat I spun around, but there was no one there. The restroom was empty. I collapsed on my knees, exhausted and terrified.
"What was happening here?" I tried to gather my thoughts to make sense of it all, but nothing was adding up. Then I remembered the list...I pulled the crumbled paper from my pocket and unfolded it with shaking hands. There written plainly in black ink were the next few rules.
Rule no. 3: If a mannequin looks like it's following you...don't look back...mannequins sometimes follow guards. But if you ignore them, they will stop. If you look, they'll know you're aware and they will get closer.
I felt my heart sank. I had looked...
Rule no. 4: Avoid looking into the mirrors of the restroom...too late for that...my stomach twisted a knots, as I realised that I had already broken 2 of the rules, whatever was happening, I was making it worse.
Rule no. 5: If you hear something talking inside an abandoned store do not listen.
I swallowed hard. I hadn't heard anyone yet, but just knowing the rule had there made me uneasy.
Rule no. 6: If you hear a child laughing from the play area, leave immediately.
Rule no. 7: If you check the time and it's earlier than the last time you looked...immediately return to the security office. I glanced at my watch instantly checking the time it read 11:30 PM...my blood run cold. There was no way it was 11:30 pm ...I had started my patrol after midnight and it had been a while since then, this wasn't possible, I didn't need to be told twice. The air around me seemed heavier now, more oppressive and the lights overhead flickered faint. The mall once a place I had thought would be quiet and safe, now felt like a living entity, watching and waiting....I ran and reached the office slamming the door behind me.