Hey...how's it going? Haji here with a big surprise for all of you. That's right! The sequel is here!

Now, there are a couple of things you must realize before you dive deep into this new adventure. One, it is primarily the same format as before. I write a chapter, DeadShut writes a chapter and so on. Two, this is experimental, because it is fun to change your writing style. And three, even though it is summer for most of the United States, I just got a new job...at night. Which means I work all night, then go to school for eight hours, then go to sleep for four hours before I start the process all over again. I will only be able to really work on my stuff on Sunday night into Monday morning, so please, don't badger me or DeadShut for the extended amount of time it could take between chapters.

And, I wrote this chapter for my bestest buddy ever, for his birthday. It was designed specifically to entertain him, and if you don't like it, deal with it. :D

Oh, and enjoy.

Scranton, Pennsylvania. It's one of those places where people have no idea where it is, but they always talk about it. I could never understand it. As far as I knew, the only thing Scranton really had to offer was a train yard, a temporary place for celebrities to meet their fans, and The Office.

But, my best friend Brian forced me to call out of work so we could hang out. I don't know why I did it. Probably because he told me he had a surprise for me. Or maybe it was because my job was beginning to make me depressed. I don't know…I just did.

"God damnit, Brian, why do you always park down here?"

Brian looked at me with this smirk. "Because, I know you won't try to come down here by yourself." He frowned. "Look, as long as we're out before nightfall, you don't have to worry about getting lost."

I folded my arms, but I knew he wasn't going to move the car. So, instead of fighting him like I normally would have, I just let it go. After all, he told me he had a surprise for me. I wouldn't have wanted to be ungrateful.

"Listen, bud, we're just going to grab a bite to eat, okay?" Brian smiled. "Then we can leave. By that time, you would have gotten your present, and I would have cheered you up. Just trust me, alright?"

I couldn't help myself. I was just so stressed out. "Whatever."

For, you see, Brian had this way about him. He would just do whatever he wanted, even if it inconvenienced me. Parking on the basement level of The Steamtown Mall was one of those habits he had. Stealing papers from my desk was another. I hated it when he did that, but we had been friends for so long, I began to expect it from him.

He led me to the food court, and pushed me into an empty seat at an empty table. "I'll get the grub. I know what you want. Don't go anywhere."

"Why would I?"

Brian winked at me. "Just stay here."

There was this suspicious feeling welling in my gut. Brian was being too happy, and he brought me to the mall to give me a surprise—as opposed to a diner, or a grocery store. He came back with a tray and an even bigger smile on his face then when he left.

"Listen, Brian," I said. "If you're going to mess with me, I'm not interested. I just want to go home and sleep. I've been stressed out. I don't have time for your games."

Brian nodded quickly, biting into whatever Subway hoagie he ordered. "Oh, I understand completely." He pushed a hoagie to me. "Just eat first. Italian, just like every other time we come here." He swallowed hurriedly. "I'll tell you when you're done."

"Brian!"

He frowned slightly. "Just trust me okay? I've got to set the tone, you know? You're too serious, bro."

I sighed. It didn't surprise me in the least that Brian was being like this. He knew he was pushing my buttons, which is probably why he was going to tell me as soon as I was done eating, rather than drag me through the whole day. So, despite my stomach feeling uneasy, and that looming depression, I ate. And after the first bite, I suddenly felt hungrier than before.

"Slow down, there's no need to rush."

I obliged. I didn't know what had come over me. I had to be a thing. Just a stupid thing that I would get over soon.

"Okay, so I can see you're excited." He glanced at me through his ridiculous gestures, losing his easy tone almost at once. "Maybe not excited. But, hear me out."

"What is it, Brian?"

"I think I have an idea for your next story," he said finally. "One that could get you into the papers nationwide."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah!" Brian pushed the tray to the end of the table and pulled out a small stack of papers. He unfolded most of them, and flattened them in front of me.

"Do you know who that is?"

I glanced at the photos, recognizing Julian Fair. "He's the CEO of Fair Financing. What about him?"

"Well, you wanted to write a story about fraud and financial scandals, right?" Brian asked. "Why not look into this guy? I mean, who gets that rich in such a short period of time? Come on, he had to have been doing something to get there. Something illegal."

I really didn't like the tone in his voice, but I did feel a flutter of excitement. "He's been in business for twenty-something years. That's plenty of time to get rich."

Brian arched an eyebrow. "But, buddy, the last ten years have been a recession, yet he's still making shitloads of cash? I think he's doing something illegal. Or he's committing fraud."

"Uh…"

"Come on, you know you're interested."

I couldn't lie to him. "I guess so, but I don't have any of the resources to go after something like this. This is big. Really big. Bigger than anything I've ever done before. I—"

"Don't worry about resources." Brian barked. "You wanted a groundbreaking, life changing story for your career. This is it. This will shoot you to the moon!"

"Eh, I'll think about it."

"Don't think about it too long," Brian whispered. "I lost my job today."

"What?"

"Yeah, so I can help you."

"Brian, are you crazy?" I couldn't believe this. "Fair's First fired you?"

"Yeah, selfish capitalists. But, we'll get them back, won't we?"

"I can't believe this. Brian, I'm so sor—"

"Shh!" Brian cut me off and jumped to his feet. "Did you hear that?"

I stood up too. Brian had jumped so quickly that I followed on instinct. He cupped his hand over his ear. "It sounded like someone screamed."

Again, on instinct, I cupped my hand to my ear. I closed my eyes, thinking that it would help me hear better, but it didn't. I shrugged and sat back down.

"I think unemployment has addled your brains, Brian."

But Brian didn't sit. He, like a couple other people in the food court, leaned over the balcony that overlooked a small stage. He was leaning out pretty far, and I almost thought he was going to fall, but after a few seconds, he pushed away and rushed towards me, his carefree demeanor turning into this strange agony that I've never seen before.

"We gotta go, bud."

"But, I thought we were going to—"

"Forget that!" Brian yelled. "We gotta go! Now!"

He pulled me to my feet and dragged me away from the food court, not saying anything. More people were gathering at the balcony, straining to see what was going on, and I watched them, because none of them seemed suddenly in a hurry like Brian was.

"What?" I asked jokingly. "Justin Beiber plaguing the city again?"

"We just need to leave…"

I pulled my arm away and turned back. I don't know, but I found it immensely funny that Brian was getting worked up over some teenage loser. I mean, it wasn't like he had to see him, but my slight chuckles died when I saw the first person turn around. They nearly tripped over their own feet in panic as they rushed past me, screaming.

My brain wasn't registering what was happening. It went numb for a minute as more and more people fled, pushing me to the side. I watched them, almost in slow motion. Their cries warped the air around them; the folds of their jackets obstructed my view. And I felt this sudden pit fester in my soul.

I think I might have died and gone to Hell.

It was big. Tall and slender, like an alien from a faraway planet. Its skin stretched tight around a frame that wriggled in place, like the most experienced contemporary dancers. It twisted its way over the railing of the balcony, and flipped over expertly, landing on padded feet.

It took a moment to collect itself as it hunched over and tackled a woman who had been unfortunate enough to cross paths with it. She was pregnant, and she fell on her back with a thump that rang in my ears for decades. She was pleading and crying, calling out to a man who was not that far ahead of her.

"Earnest!" she wailed. "Help me!"

The creature, a gray demon fastened from human flesh, hunched over the woman and sniffed her. Or at least, that's what it looked like to me, because it had no eyes, and no nose to speak of. All I could stare at was the jagged mouth that resembled a zipper as it wound its way into a smile.

"Come on!"

Brian punched me as hard as he could, once again dragging me away. This time, I followed, because the sound of that woman's scream was masked over with a guttural moan, and the slosh of blood on tile. It was the scariest thing I've ever heard.

"Brian," I breathed as we ran farther. "What the fuck are those things?"

Brian didn't answer me. All he could do was run, and I heard his panicked breaths over the din of the other mall goers. My blood froze over as we made it to the other end of the top floor, only to find more of those gray creatures, jumping about. They landed on top of people, and chewed through them like they were nothing more than sheets of pink tissue paper.

"Brian!" It took me a moment to realize that I was crying. I suppose I was scared, but this fear wasn't natural. No, this fear was deep inside me somewhere. A fear that my ancestors must have felt for thousands of years. That primal fear of the unknown that had just completely taken me over. "Brian!"

"Shut up!"

Brian pulled me into a hallway and closed the door behind him. He slid to the floor and covered his face, breathing shallowly despite his being out of breath. People thumped against the door, begging for help from people who could not give it, and they were instantly slaughtered by those monsters.

"We have to help them!" I screamed. "We can't just leave them!"

"And do what?" Brian jumped to his feet. "And do what? Get killed ourselves? No, we're not leaving this hallway!"

"Brian—"

"You didn't see it…" Brian sobbed and I held him up as he fell into me. "You didn't see what they did…"

"We have to get out of here," I said. There was no determination in my voice. Only fear and desperation. "We have to get out of here."

"We can't go downstairs," Brian breathed. "They're down there. We have to get to the train yard."

"I'm scared."

Brian closed his eyes and sobbed again. "Me too, buddy. Me too."

I was shaking. Even as we cracked the door open, even as we were rushed with the screech of dying people, even as we snuck out of that empty hallway, I was shaking. My knees almost gave way as the first thing we saw was the mangled corpse of a teenage girl. Her eyes were wide open, and her body was half way torn apart. She looked almost flawless in death, but her stomach had been ripped out, and I could see where those creatures had spread her entrails.

The people who were still able to run scattered, crushing her guts under their shoes with a sickening squelch. I faltered at the sight, and grabbed for Brian, more for support than anything else. He moved away from me uneasily and turned around, clutching his head.

He vomited on the spot. The sound almost made me do the same, but I couldn't risk drawing attention to us. I helped Brian along, and I began to wonder why this was happening. There were hundreds of people all around, and they were either being slaughtered by these creatures or trampling over each other. It was Hell.

We made our way towards the food court, not bothering to take our time or be discreet, looking around corners. Always glancing over our shoulders. A lot of men were trying to take the women and hide them somewhere. Children were hopping over the fast food counters and wedging themselves underneath. I wanted to do the same, but Brian kept pulling me along. He had an idea in his head, and I wasn't going to stop him.

I could see the boardwalk. The one that overlooked the train yard. The giant windows that seemed to separate it from the rest of the world were shattered, no doubt due to a crowd of panicking people. And, for the briefest moment, I paused.

I hadn't made a sound, and my breaths were silent, but that one step. That one step echoed throughout the whole building, even over the din. And I immediately regretted it. Brian looked at me, motioning with his eyes to the dead body of that pregnant woman. She had completely caved in, and draped over her was a body.

It was small, barely larger than a newborn child, but it was squirming around in her flesh, hissing at the noise and gorging itself. Its slurping upset my stomach, and I nearly vomited again, but I stopped myself, letting out a barely audible gurgle of disgust.

The creature looked up, and I think it spotted us, because it slithered out of the woman's body, revealing that the rest of it had been curled inside like a rubber tube. The woman's flesh, scraped along the creature, and chunks of her intestines clung to the creature's wrinkled skin.

Even when standing, it wasn't very big. But, it was already dancing in place, and it had set its sights on us. Brian didn't even hesitate in attacking it. He hit it over the head with a chair, and I ran, begging him to follow me.

"Brian!" I bellowed as I jumped over shards of broken glass. I dashed out onto the boardwalk and didn't stop until I was at the end. Brian had followed me, much to my relief, but the creature he had attacked was hot on his heels.

I floundered around for a second, trying to decide how we were going to get out of this. I looked over the edge of the boardwalk. A train car was just underneath it, and if I could build up enough momentum, I could jump off and land safely.

I didn't have any time to think, though, and after seeing another, larger creature follow what I was presuming was a baby, I jumped, eyes closed, body braced. I landed hard, but my body managed to roll over fast enough to avoid anything more permanent than a bruise. I looked up, and I could barely see Brian. He had stopped at the edge, and even from such a height, I could see he was petrified.

"Jump, Brian!"

"I can't!" Brian shook harder. "I'm scared of heights!"

"Jump, Brian!" I yelled. "I'll catch you, I promise!"

"I can't!"

"Brian!" I was begging with him now. Pleading. "Think about it! What are you more afraid of? The fall? Or whatever the fuck those things are?"

Brian edged his way back, crying. "The fall!"

"Brian! Jump! Please!" I held my arms up. "I'll catch you!"

Brian looked behind him. Those creatures were so close, and there wasn't a thing I could do to stop them. I could only hope and pray and wish that Brian would do something other than stand there. I willed him to get strength. At least enough to run off the edge of that boardwalk. The creatures were almost upon him when he suddenly bolted. I thought he had run towards them, but in less than a second, I knew.

He had jumped.

And, just like I promised, I caught him. But, he was moving so fast, he knocked me back farther than I thought he would have. My vision blurred as the back of my head slammed into the metal. Brian was freaking out, and he was thrashing around as I tried to calm him down.

Falling from such a height made the pandemonium inside the mall almost nonexistent, and it became like a haunting whistle.

"Brian!" I couldn't yell too loudly because my head felt like it had split open, and my fears had been confirmed when I felt the back of my shirt warm to an unsettling temperature.

But, he wouldn't listen. His fear of heights had turned him into a child. A child throwing a fit, and he kept hitting me, worming around in my arms. I tried to calm him down, or at least get him to say something, but he rolled over. I held onto him because I thought he was being taken away from me, but he had attempted to push me away.

He failed.

And the next thing I knew, I landed on top of him. There was this tight silence that followed, and the air seemed to bite with tension as Brian gulped. I had heard it—we both did. That telltale sign that something was wrong. It wasn't the sniffing that alerted me to our desolation, but an audible crack. It wasn't the same as something breaking, no, it was much more terrifying.

It was the sound of glass shattering in a fire, the stretch of brittle skin. I had shattered Brian's leg. Not just broken it.

"It hurts," Brian breathed. I saw the pain in his face just barely though the haze that had perched in my head. "I think it might be broken."

"Oh my god," I couldn't think straight. I had no idea what I was supposed to do. "Brian…"

"But, at least we're safe, yeah?" Brian smiled.

Could you believe it? He smiled, and he chuckled softly, like he was crazy. Sure, we were safe for now, but we were also stranded, and I knew he was going to need some kind of medical attention soon or he was going to die. I fished around in my pockets, realizing after a second that my cellphone was gone. I must have dropped it, but I continued to move my fingers around, thinking that if I did that, then it would appear.

And when it didn't, I reached into Brian's pockets.

"What are you looking for?" Brian whispered hoarsely.

"Your phone."

"It's in my back pocket." Brian flinched when I rolled him on his side. "Careful…"

I pulled his phone out and pressed a button, waiting for the screen to light up. There was a deep crack in the screen, but it flickered on, and I dialed the first number that came to mind.

911.

"Nine-one-one, what's your emergency?"

I looked up, breathing into the phone. My heart stopped as the creature leaned over the edge of the railing. It was hissing, and I saw ropes of bloodied spittle fly from its jaw. The larger creature seemed to be egging it on, because I saw it nudge the baby.

"Hello?"

"H-help me…"

"Sir, where are you?"

I switched the phone to my other ear and pulled Brian as quickly as I could. He whimpered and moaned, but he pushed himself with his good leg, and I started to cry again.

"We're at the Steamtown Mall. In the train yard," I started. "We're being attacked by monsters. You have to help us. Brian broke his leg."

"Sir, did you say monsters?"

"Yes! We are being attacked by monsters! Big gray ones, with zippers for mouths! You have to send someone!"

My screaming echoed through the train yard, losing power the farther it traveled. The creature heard it though, and with a renewed burst of energy, it vaulted over the railing and grabbed onto a broken column of metal. It slid down like an acrobat, swinging its body like it weighed nothing at all. Brian shrieked and pushed me away.

I dropped the phone, and grabbed Brian again. I could vaguely hear the operator speaking, but I didn't have any more time. Those few minutes of safety had been cut away, and the only thing I could think about was helping Brian.

"Run!" Brian hit me. "You have to get out of here!"

"I can't leave you!"

"Go!"

Brian pulled his keys out of his pocket and shoved them in mine. I held onto him, pulling him along with me, but he kept pushing me away. Our arguing had reached a level of severity that I only thought was possible in movies. We were both screaming and crying, and it seemed that so much time had passed, but I realized after Brian shoved me with all his strength that we had only been yelling for a few seconds.

The creature landed in the dirt, much the same way demons from horror movies had. Its legs were spread, and it swayed from left to right. It made these weird clicks in its throat, and it regurgitated a huge lump of partially digested human flesh. Brian paled.

"Run!"

I don't know what had hit me. This sudden adrenaline rush that carried me away. I had temporarily gone deaf, because I didn't hear Brian scream. I didn't hear his body hit the dirt. I didn't hear the tear of his flesh, or his begs for mercy, or his calls to God. I didn't hear anything.

But I did hear the titter of feet. Tiny footsteps that were so much faster than my own. The creature had killed Brian, and was now after me with a fierce determination that I had never seen before. All I could feel was panic and fear, all I could sense was death. Clouds of dust swirled around my feet as I ran faster, and it was only covered by the sound of the creature getting closer.

I darted in between the abandoned boxcars. I heard the creature hesitate for a second before the dim clang of pads on metal continued after me. I could hear it bounding over the cars, leaping over the space in between them, and landing softly, but I could only catch glimpses of its shadow in the dirt.

My brain was shutting down. I was in full survival mode. Even the constant ache over my whole body numbed to a dull throb. I was blind to everything except the creature's shadow, deaf to all but its clicks and hisses. My body braced itself as I rolled under one of the boxcars. I hadn't expected the creature to be so close, but I felt it crash into me as I stood.

We tumbled over each other. It was trying to bite me, but with my fear-coursed agility, I managed to keep it from tearing me to shreds. With such close contact, I could tell it was inexperienced. It didn't have the same accuracy as I had seen in the bigger ones, and it faltered where it should have been strong. I kicked it over me and scrambled to my feet. Not even a whole breath later, I was bowled over again.

I threw my arms up, and punched the creature square in the face. It hissed in pain, and I took advantage of my lucky shot. I hit it again, and again, until it flopped on the ground, clearly disoriented and weakened. I rolled under the boxcar again, this time much more slowly and stood up on the other side. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off, and my incoming sluggishness was going to be the death of me if I couldn't figure out how to kill that monster.

I wheezed, choking slightly on the dust I had kicked up in my scuffle. I felt the back of my head, and that fear crashed into me as my vision blurred again. It had become sharp as I was pumped full of hormones, but as my strength waned, so did my lucidity. The creature struggled to its feet, shaking its pain away. I don't know what happened after that, but we made some kind of connection before it flew through the open boxcar doors.

I didn't even think. I hooked my hand through the handle of the door on my side and pulled it with my last remaining energy. It slid easily despite being rusted, and it dented as the creature slammed into it. I heard it groan inside and I fell to my hands and knees. I had been so terrified, I vomited. It felt warm, and it was streaked with blood, but I forced myself up and I made my way back to Brian.

Even though I shouldn't have been surprised, I cried when I saw Brian's body ripped apart. His eyes were closed, and he was frowning. He had obviously died a painful death, but I could also see that determination in his face. That same determination I had grown accustomed to over the years. It was the same face he had when he was telling me about Julian Fair's possible frauds.

I felt more than ashamed of myself as I grabbed him. And that shame worsened as I dragged his body to the other side of the boxcar. The creature inside was shifting around, bleeding slightly from the head. It was slow, trying to regain its stability.

"I'm so sorry, Brian."

But, I knew my apology wouldn't be enough. I knew I was defiling him in the worst way, but it was all about survival, and I wasn't strong enough to fight it again once it was sober enough to chase me. So I had to trap it. I hoisted Brian's body into the boxcar, shoved it in as far as I could, and shut the door. I couldn't believe I had done something so horrible, but I had to, and I hoped that Brian would forgive me.

I only left after his blood began to trickle in between the cracks and pool in the dirt. I heard the creature slurping at his body and resisted to urge to heave up whatever was left in my stomach. I made my way back to the boardwalk because I had this ridiculous thought in my head that the cell phone would still be there. And it was, but it had been destroyed.

I craned my neck to see how the hell I was going to get back up to the boardwalk. I was so far down, and I wasn't strong enough to climb back up without a useable ladder. And trying to climb up the side of a boxcar and leaping to grab the railing was out of the question. I was stuck until help came or I died.

But that wasn't a very good option either. There had to be a way back inside. I knew there was one somewhere, so the only thing I could do was make my way around. After all, how did the workers leave the building to get to the train yard? They must have used some sort of door or tunnel. All I had to do was find it.

The stretch from the boardwalk to the closest part of the lower level of the mall building was treacherous. All I could think about as I weaved through the train cars was whether or not another one of those creatures was going to find me. The gravel beneath my feet crunched and I ground my teeth every time I heard something. My deepest fear was that the creature in the boxcar had escaped and was coming to exact its revenge.

I couldn't even fathom what those things were. They had come from humans. I saw it with my own eyes, the way one had slithered out of that woman's body. It had come from inside her. But whatever that creature was, it was not human. That much I knew. It didn't have that same feel. Even when I had made that tiny connection to it, it felt alien and distant. It was something not from this world. No, this world could never produce something so heinous.

After a while, I heard shouting. My first instinct was to hide behind the closest boxcar. I stabbed myself mentally for being so cowardly, but I was not about to play hero and lose my life. I peered around the edge of the boxcar after a minute. I saw a man fighting one of the bigger creatures. He had it around its neck and he was struggling to pin it down.

I almost wanted to help him, but I wouldn't have been able to do much. The man was screaming in fear, and howled in rage as he finally forced the creature to the ground. It wormed around underneath him, hissing madly and clicking. It tried to push itself back up, but it couldn't seem to get a grip on the looser dirt. It flipped about and the man was about crush its head into the ground, when it suddenly slipped out of his grip.

I gasped as softly as I could. The creature seemed to have broken its bones, but it slithered out like a snake and rose to its feet, a solidified ghost. It took a second before it could move, but it lashed out at the man, separating his head from his body. It hovered over him and I could see its zipper like mouth curling into a smile. This had to be the same one that had attacked the pregnant woman.

I jumped into the boxcar, thanking God that the other door had been closed. I don't think it heard me, but I could feel its eyes—or rather its knowledge of me—burrowing into my back. I hoped that it wasn't going to investigate further, but if I could stay quiet enough, I could see where it was going, and then I'd be able to get back inside.

After a minute, I chanced sliding my feet over the edge of the boxcar. After another minute, I chanced climbing out. As the dirt moved under my shoes, I paused, straining to hear if I had been discovered. I didn't hear anything, and my gut was telling me to get back into the boxcar, but I was defenseless and I just wanted to get away. I stuck my hand in my pocket and touched Brian's keys, feeling—once again—that sick shame in the pit of my stomach.

But, I sighed and ran across the remaining track of train tracks. I didn't see the creature anywhere, though I could feel it breathing down my neck. I could hear it creeping up on me. It felt like paranoia, the constant glance over the shoulder, the hunched hurried way I moved. But, I eventually came to an open fire exit. It looked like someone had tried to escape—probably that man—but the hallway was quiet. Excruciatingly so.

I stood in the doorway for a long time. I didn't know if I really wanted to go back in there. I could have just kept walking outwards until one of the tracks led me to some sort of civilization. Some place other than here. I could have done that, but there was no telling if there were more creatures out there, and I didn't really know my way on foot. I had always driven through this area. Brian's car was just on the other side. In the parking garage. All I had to do was cross the mall.

I could do that, right?

The silence grew into a buzz as the florescent lights overhead began to flicker. As I got closer to the mall itself, I could see that the man had fought that creature the entire way. There were holes punched into the plaster walls, and blood was smeared all along the ceiling. I was shocked at the splatter everywhere, and I became hesitant as soon as I placed my palm on the door.

There was this unusual shudder that ran down my spine. The door felt warm, and when I opened it, I nearly fainted.

It was silent. As soon as I left the false safety of that abandoned corridor, I heard a splash. There was a light echo, and I looked down to find my feet in a pool half an inch thick. It was black, a gelatinous lacquer of some substance I didn't recognize. It couldn't have been blood. I hadn't been gone long enough for the blood to clot like this. It was something else entirely, and it was everywhere.

The entire mall was quiet. It was like a terrible purgatory, like the devil had swallowed this place. There were bodies piled all over, intestines hanging from the kiosks, puddles of blood that rivaled the mightiest of lakes. And globs and globs of that black substance lined the walls.

I heard crashing in the distance, and I threw myself on the tile in panic. I arched my neck back, and those creatures were flying around like monkeys, jumping from one side of the top floor to the other. They were destroying everything, and they attacked each other like playful monstrosities. It was sickening the way they sounding. Warped, clicking laughter. They were having fun. Fun at the expense of countless human beings. Men women and children who did not deserve the fate that had befallen them.

I felt this intense hate for them. And I wanted to do was get out of here. In one piece. I didn't even know if anyone else had escaped, or if the police were actually going to show up. I mean, I sounded crazy. Gray monsters attacking a mall? That sounded crazy, even to me.

But, I stayed low, and I waited for an opportunity to run. But, then it struck me as a bad idea to do so. If I ran, then they would hear me, then they would chase me. And then they would probably kill me. I had to have a plan.

Boscov's was on the other side of the mall. The easiest way to get there would be to take the elevator and then get to the parking garage. I could manage that. But there were a terrifyingly small amount of places to hide along the way. I couldn't run the whole way, but I couldn't be slow either.

I froze as I heard another crash, and when I was certain that I hadn't been noticed, I splashed the black goo all over my clothes. To me, it seemed that it was like some kind of scent, and by me covering myself in it, I could pass through relatively unnoticed. But, then again, I didn't know the scope of these monsters' intelligence.

I waited for a long while before I moved. I thought that I had been discovered because I felt this silence stab me through the head. The silence sounded like it had been hired to find me and badger me, but when I spotted my opportunity, I pounced on it.

I saw those creatures had moved ahead, and they looked like they had spotted some poor citizen and were deciding to play around with their food before ultimately killing it. I snaked along the tile, leaving a huge trail of blood behind me. I made it to the wall and froze again, feeling the thump in my chest pound the inside of my eardrums. I almost couldn't take it, the ominous humming, the clicking laughter of demons, the constant fear.

I slid along the wall, passing by the abandoned stores, feeling this jarring realization that I might actually die in here. This thought scared me and I pushed myself along, getting this desire to live that I had not previously had. It was like my betrayal of Brian's body coupled with my selfish desires was giving me this strength. It was alien to me. My job, my home, money; it didn't really matter. I wanted to live.

And I made it my mission to do so. Right there, at that moment.

I had been coming to this mall for a while, mostly because it was the only one really worth going to around my area. And I remember that there had been this vacant store for a while. I couldn't really remember what had been there before, but it had been purchased by someone, and they were going to build an indoor mini-golf course.

To be honest, it was creepy. It was only halfway built, and the way the lights were dimmed reminded me of those empty warehouses where people kill other people for fun. And the way it flickered didn't help that much either. I could barely see inside, but I passed it, facing forward with a renewed vigor.

However, that vigor evaporated as a stealthy gray appendage reached through the bars and wrapped around my ankle. I panicked, and screamed. I know I shouldn't have, but I was surprised and I couldn't help it, and I quickly learned that it was the biggest mistake of my whole life. I kicked that creature as hard as I could. It looked like it was trapped, but I didn't stick around after I hit it.

I heard its cries of anger, and it drew the attention of almost every living creature in the building. I jumped to my feet, not caring if I was seen or not. I didn't have time. I slipped in the pools of blood around me as I scrambled towards the elevator. I wasn't as fast as I would have liked, nor was I as agile as I had been in high school, but I managed to dodge a gray body as one of the creatures catapulted itself over the balcony. I think it had tried to land on top of me, but I stumbled at just the right moment.

That coursing adrenaline flared up again, and I found myself filled with energy, though it was going fast. My shoes crushed the entrails of countless strangers, and I could see the elevator. The door was propped open, and I could hear it calling my name. It was so close, I could barely contain myself. But, I could also hear the creature right behind me. I wouldn't have time to fight it one on one. I would have to get creative.

I was surprised that there was only one chasing me. I wondered if it was the same one that I had trapped in the boxcar. Maybe it had escaped. Maybe it was going to exact its revenge by bringing me to the others to be toyed with. Or worse, maybe it was the parent, coming to rip me apart for surviving. I didn't care very much though, for as soon as I was upon the elevator, I slipped in a small puddle of blood, and was tackled at exactly the same time.

I don't know what happened. I felt the creature hit me, and I felt the tile floor against my back, and the burning of a sprained wrist. But, we crashed into the elevator, and it slammed against the back paneling. I heard this splitting crack, and I felt the creature weaken. I think it might have died, or just been knocked unconscious, but it reared up a second later and lashed out, nicking my shoulder before sinking to the floor.

I pushed it away and kicked it over and over, hoping that I could get out of the elevator before it woke up. It only twitched, and after a few seconds, I broke down, sobbing and sniffing and crying like a child. But, I had deserved it, right? Had I not earned this one chance to loose myself in anguish?

My best friend was killed by a monster, I had sacrificed the sanctity of his body, I had seen men women and children being murdered by the strangest creatures I've ever seen, and now I was alone in a mall, surrounded by death, and all I could do was cry for those few seconds I had to myself. Was that so wrong?

The door slid open after what felt like an eternity. I waited for a while before I stood up. I really just wanted to hide in that elevator forever, but I couldn't afford to. I was so close to the garage, I couldn't bear the thought of giving up now. I heard another crash, this one closer and more terrifying, and I was going to step out, but then a man crashed to the floor. His stomach had been halfway eaten, and when he saw me, he reached for me.

"Help me…" He sputtered softly. "Help…me…"

I froze, and shoved myself to the side, pressing as hard as I could into the wall. I made myself invisible, and the protests of the man grew stronger as soon as I had disappeared.

"No!" He cried. I could just imagine the desperate stretch of his arm, the sadness in his voice. "Help me!"

I shook my head, even though I knew he couldn't see me, and sucked in a sob as I heard the man die. I couldn't help him. I was too weak. My vision blurred again, I was overcome with this dizziness. I shook my head again, trying to shake away the darkness that was trying to claim my soul. I blinked a couple of times and shuddered. I couldn't hear anything besides the man's dying breaths, but I didn't want to risk running into another creature.

"Help me…please."

I couldn't do that. I was so sorry.

His pleas became more intense as I skirted out of the elevator and towards the famous department store. Boscov's was so close. I could see inside. The racks were broken and disheveled. There was evidence of looting. But, I didn't care. I ran, bolted as fast as I could, until I was safely inside. I found it strange that there were no creatures along the way. Perhaps they had moved back towards the food court to eat the children who had hidden there.

And immediately I felt shameful again.

I dove into one of the only racks that were still fully stocked. The entrance to the mall was barren and it felt like I was clawing my way out of war. I was still covered in that black liquid, and it began to smell horrendous. I had no idea what it was, but the smell knocked me back, and I couldn't believe that I had not noticed it before. I ripped my jacket off and tossed it as far away as I could. I wanted to leave as many distractions behind me as I could, just in case if I was followed.

My jacket landed with a thump in the corner where dozens of mannequins were displaying the trendiest socks. I then heard a rustle. And to my horror, a gray creature stood up, and moved around. I ducked, and steadied the hangers, trying my best to stop the noise. In the stiffened silence, I heard it shuffle around in the socks and return to whatever it was doing. I heard tearing flesh and soft thumping.

Fuck!

I was trapped. My foolish human emotions led me to believe that I was in the clear. That I was safe because I was in the store that was connected to the parking garage. How idiotic of me. How selfish and stupid of me to believe something like that. How stupid, how stupid, how stupid.

But, I couldn't stay. I had to move. And now that I was closer than ever, dying was just not an option. I backed out from my hiding place and slipped away as fast and as silently as I could. My feet splashed in blood, and when I heard the creature move again, I threw myself behind some more racks. To me, I was making so much noise, my ears felt like they were bleeding, but I must have been really quiet, because I didn't hear the titter of feet, nor did I hear the angry hiss or the taunting clicks of that monster.

"Psst!"

I whipped around. There was a little girl hiding in one of the racks, and she placed her finger to her lips before I could even respond. I stared at her for a long time, before she motioned to me and moved some of the clothes on her rack over. I glanced over in the corner where the creature was and scuttled over as soon as I felt it was safe enough.

The first thing the little girl did was hug me. I hadn't been expecting it, but it felt nice to be touched by another human being. It felt nice that I was being held because it instilled this new sense of purpose in my life. We were survivors together; she and I, and we could not let it go. No matter what. I think we shared this mentality, for not long after our embrace, we snuck down one of the aisles.

Unfortunately, we had been spotted by the creature, and it leapt at us with an agility and grace that turned it into a dancer capable of horrid mutilation. I pushed the little girl out of the way, and fell face-first into the fake marble tile. I had expected it to tear me apart, rip open my guts and slurp them like spaghetti, but it didn't come. I felt it squatting on top of me, and I felt its hot breath on my open wounds, but it didn't bite me.

The little girl gasped and screamed, and I couldn't think of a thing to do to defend myself. I looked up as best as I could, and motioned for her to run.

"Go!" I shouted. "Run away." I don't know, but I thought that—somehow—my telling her to flee would make up for the fact that I betrayed my best friend and ignored the cries of a dying man.

The little girl fled just as I told her to, and my cheek was pressed into the cool fake marble as the creature pressed down on the gash in the back of my head.

"Please don't kill me," I breathed. I didn't really believe that I could rationalize with it, but what else could I do?

I was steeped in silence again. I heard the distinct sounds of sniffing, and then my whole body numbed as I felt a wet tongue slide into my skull. My vision went dark instantly, and this warm feeling enveloped my body. It felt good. Too good to fully describe without sounding crazy.

I was dying, I knew it.

And the feeling of blood welling out of my head and onto my shirt reaffirmed my assumption, and it was being sucked out by the devil's disciple. I blinked a couple of times. I could feel the coolness of my eyes closing and the sound of my heart slowing down. And it mounted into a slight burning, and then it erupted into this horrifying, side-splitting pain.

"Oh, God," I wailed. "Why does it hurt so much?"

"Get up!"

I opened my eyes, and I was being pulled to my feet. It took me a moment to pull myself together, and when I did, there was an incredibly fat man huffing and puffing to move me. I looked around, lost in this daze.

"Am I dead yet?" I mumbled. "Is this heaven?"

"No, boy! You ain't dead yet." The fat man hit me. "You're still alive, and you will fight for survival. Do you hear me?"

I blinked again. "How come it didn't kill me?"

The fat man heaved again. I was still halfway on the floor and I looked around. The department had been destroyed more. And it looked like the creature had fled. For what reason, I had no idea, but there was the fat man, and another younger man with him. I jumped and stood quickly.

"Are we the only ones left?" I blurted.

The younger man nodded, and he burst into tears. The fat man growled angrily and pushed me and the young man along.

"I don't know," he said. "But we can't stay. That thing is going to get the rest of them."

"How did you beat it?" I still couldn't believe that I was alive. And I found it just as unbelievable that this fat man had been able to fight the creature off on his own.

The fat man smiled. "I shot it."

"We have to get out of here."

I nodded. "Yeah. I have keys. My car is just outside…"

I must have paled to a shade of white not yet discovered because the fat man grabbed me, and shook me slightly. I nearly died for the third time that day, because I just remembered that Brian was being an asshole when we first got here. And he didn't move his car like every other time. His car was on the basement level. In the dark.

"It's on the basement level." I croaked.

The fat man sighed in relief. "Oh, good. At least we're halfway there."

The young man shivered. "But, there are no lights down there. They're all busted. If we go down there, we'll get lost."

I had to agree. But, the risk was worth it. I mean, to me, it was better to die in the dark, where no one could see how horrible you were killed then be in a department store, cowering like a fool. But, I was neither excited nor was I fit to make such a trek into uncharted darkness. I had no idea what could possibly be down there. What if those creatures had migrated down there? They seemed like creatures of darkness, why wouldn't they have gone to the deepest bowels of a mall they had just massacred?

"We should get going if we're going to make it before those fuckers come back." The fat man made his way to the escalator, which had been slicked with blood.

I followed cautiously. I hadn't seen that little girl anywhere, and I didn't know if she was still alive. I didn't even know how much time had passed since the last time I was outside. When I found my way back in, it was still daylight, but there was no telling how long it has been since then. I figured a few hours, but even then, I wasn't sure.

The fat man stopped at the bottom of the escalator. He held his hand out, and he reminded me of a cop. It was the way he motioned for us to follow him up the escalator, the way he held his gun, the way he had this commanding air about him.

"Are you an officer?" the young man asked.

The fat man nodded. "Earnest Garber, Sheriff of the Scranton Police Department."

I frowned in thought. Earnest sounded familiar to me. That was the same name that that pregnant woman had screamed out when she was being slaughtered by a demon. The same name that she begged for help, but he didn't turn back. I don't know—for some reason—that really got under my skin. And then I got angry, and really really hungry.

"You asshole!"

Earnest reeled back as I kicked him.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He screamed back.

"You let your wife get attacked and killed by those monsters!" I kicked him again, and he fell onto the escalator, which promptly stopped. "You didn't try to help her at all! How could you?"

The young man tried to stop me from attacking the Sheriff, but I was so astounded by his cowardice, that I couldn't stop myself from beating him senseless. I kept hitting him, cursing him at the top of my lungs. At this point, my will to live and my will to die were so twisted and mangled, nothing mattered anymore. To me, it was the same either way.

Those creatures must have heard me. I mean, who couldn't? I was screaming the most horrible obscenities to ever exist after all. I wanted them to find us, just so they could tear open this stupid motherfucker and spread his blood over the universe. I wanted this sick twisted, betraying fuck to die at the hands of those monsters. He deserved it. He deserved what they would do to him.

I snapped out of my rampage just in time to realize that something was wrong. That was such an outburst, and I had no idea where it had come from. I felt it crawling in my arms. The pain, this burning. It was like I had been taken over by unseen malevolent forces. And this hunger. I could hear this clawing in my stomach, and I just wanted it to go away.

"Hey, let's go!"

I didn't even realize that Earnest had stood up. I had been lost in these consuming thoughts for so long, that he and the young man had made it up the escalator while I was still standing in the same spot. But, I assumed they had called out to me because I had a car readily available, and they couldn't make it back to theirs. I thought that was incredibly selfish and loathsome, but I dealt with it. I wanted to live.

No, I didn't.

Yes, I did, so I ran up those ever moving stairs that had stopped, scrambling over the blood, gritting my teeth in anguish and frustration. I heard banter near the mall entrance and that fear kicked in again. I couldn't understand it. Not one bit. And it frightened me even more when I saw two of those creatures slither after me.

It was unreal the way they moved. They seemed to use the building itself as their mode of transportation, and their agility was remarkable. I think a fearful appreciation welled in my chest at that moment. Completely blinded by adrenaline, yes, but it was the same appreciation one had for militaries who could so easily take over cities. It was like a fear of God, or just as equally a fear of the devil.

But, I had no more time. They were after me. I could hear that they had been slowed. I chanced a look back, and I could see that they were so full from gorging on the flesh of the innocent, that they had lost their speed. They were still agile, and nearly impossible to outrun, but they had shown a weakness, and—to me—that was a major advantage. I ducked through clothes racks that were still intact as soon as the bottoms of my feet hit level floor. Earnest and the young man were already at the elevator that would take us to the basement level of the parking garage.

They were only waiting for me.

I could see the reflection of the creature in the whites of their eyes as I rocketed into the elevator. Just like before, one of the creatures was right on top of me, but I wasn't as fortunate this time.

It crashed into me, crushing me against the back panel with enough momentum to rip the elevator right out of the wall. I lost my breath instantly, and the lights began to flicker as the elevator moved down. The first thing that hit me was the blind panic I fell into. I had lost my vision yet again, but it was because the gash in the back of my head was spewing blood, and in my attempt to stop the bleeding, I guided it into my eyes. And the flickering lights didn't help. The creature flailed about, and I was slashed over and over with flying appendages, some human, some not.

"Hold it down!"

I heard Earnest yell, and I heard the horrifying screech of the creature as he crushed its leg under his boot. I didn't hear any cracking, so I assumed that there were no bones, but the severity of its cry made me feel so alone that I nearly let my life slip away at that moment.

"Don't you dare die on me, boy!" Earnest shoved me. "Get up!"

The elevator slowed to a stop, and as soon as the door opened, the creature slithered out into the darkness. Earnest and the young man stepped out, too, though they did so in urgency.

"Where's your car?"

I reached into my pocket without saying a word. The young man looked around nervously. I thought he was going to vomit, he looked so pale. But, I shivered internally and gasped for breath. My brain was throbbing, alive with its own heartbeat, and I could feel my strength leaving. I had maybe ten minutes before I bled out.

But, I bet ten minutes would be too much time for me to be eaten.

"Oi!" Earnest growled at me. "Get your ass moving! We're almost outta here!"

I snapped back to my warped reality and stepped out of the elevator. When the doors closed, the light went with them, and I shook. I hated it down here, and the young man hadn't lied when he said that the lights were all busted. I couldn't see too much ahead of me, but I could vaguely remember where Brian had parked. Somewhere in the boondocks. That's where he always parked.

"I'm scared." I breathed.

I had never really admitted it to myself before. Even though my body was reacting exactly the way it should have when faced with such an encounter, I had never actually said those two words. I was scared, and that fear was what was keeping me alive. And that same fear was going to be the one that was going to get me to that car, and as far away from The Steamtown Mall as physically possible. That fear, that grew with every step taken into the darkness.

"He parked in the back somewhere, I think."

Earnest grumbled to himself. He was obviously displeased with the fact that he had to travel farther to get to safety. I didn't understand why he was complaining, though. He was alive, wasn't he? Shouldn't that alone be a reason to never complain again? Was I missing something?

"Hey!" There it was again, that anger that had no place in this situation. There was just this need to kill that bastard. "You need to lead us. I don't know what your car looks like!"

"It's not mine!" I bellowed. "It's Brian's car! Brian's! And I left him!"

Earnest punched me. "Pull yourself together! We don't have time for this!"

"Guys?"

I turned to the young man, who had already gone some much farther ahead than I was comfortable with. I could barely see him. There was just a plain silhouette, and not even a moment later, he was tackled by the creature and torn apart. The creature didn't even eat him like I had been expecting, no, it just ravaged him. And then it tossed his head at us, almost like it was a warning.

It was at this moment that I realized that we were dealing with something far more intelligent than ourselves. Something with all the animosity humans felt towards each other, mixed with an insatiable thirst for killing. It was worse than the nightmares I had dreamed as a horror obsessed child, stronger than any emotion I've ever known.

"Let's go!"

That was just the thing I needed. Earnest's roar of impatience kicked me in the rear enough to shoot me through the darkness despite my fear, and towards Brian's car. The creature, although it lunged at me, did not follow me further than that. I began to wonder why, and when I crashed into a car, I figured it out pretty quickly.

I landed on the pavement, and I felt my head split open for the fourth time. I stood up as quickly as I could and reached my hands outwards, feeling the cool metal of the vehicle I had hit. I could then tell that I was being toyed with. This maze of cars was the playground. I was the defenseless toddler. And that creature was undeniably the bully.

I moved forward, bumping into countless cars and vans as I blindly searched for the one that would get me out of here. I kept touching metal, and I would click the panic button on Brian's keys, but nothing happened.

"Earnest?" I shouted. "Where are you?"

"Over here!"

I made my way to his voice, but I ran into another car. I fell to my knees as I dropped the key to freedom. I heard them jingle, and I kicked them away like a fucking lunatic.

"Fuck!"

Earnest was closer. "What happened?"

"I dropped the fucking keys!" I yelled back. I didn't quite know what that sound was that came from my throat. It sounded angry, sad, desperate, and self-mutilating at the same time.

"Well, find them!"

I moved my hands along the pavement, feeling them shake as I grew more and more anxious. The creature had not attacked me yet, even though I was sure it was close. For all I knew, it could have been right behind me, breathing silently, waiting for me to find my keys and then kill me. I think I would have preferred that over what actually happened.

It hit me like a bullet. This sudden ravenous hunger that wormed its way into every part of my being. That clawing in my stomach became something so much more. It was like I had been filled with a famine, and that I had to feed it.

The creature tackled me, and as it sat on my chest, I knew we had a connection. A deeper connection than anything I could have possibly imagined. Something so much more than just coming from humans. We were connected on a molecular level. We were the same.

But, I had smiled in my face, and it regurgitated as much of its stomach contents onto my chest as it could, and I felt this jarring disconnection from reality. I was instantly enveloped in warm, and my blood curdled. But, it was knocked away by a gun shot, and the creature fled. I sat there in a puddle of digested human flesh, gagging and trying to figure out what the fuck just happened to me.

"Get up!"

I jumped to my feet after I chanced upon the keys to freedom. I peeled globs of flesh off my shirt and pressed the panic button on the key remote. Just ahead, maybe a hundred feet was the sweetest sound ever known to man; the loud, obnoxious honk of a panicking car alarm. I followed the sound to the best of my ability, Earnest helping me along the way. His huffing and puffing made me more desperate to get into that car, and my feet were beginning to fail me.

It was death at the door, knocking with a skeletal hand and beckoning me into his arms. I wanted to go, but I had too many things I had to make up for. Brian, the dying man in front of the elevator, that little girl. And I couldn't let that bastard Earnest live to see another day after leaving his wife like that.

Earnest snatched the keys from me and opened the passenger side. He shoved me in as best as he could and commanded me to move. I obeyed, and that energy just left me. I collapsed in the passenger seat, and as Earnest opened the door on the driver side, I grabbed the keys from him as quickly as I could.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he roared at me.

I swiveled around, knowing that he would be too fat to crawl over and get them back. I slapped him away, and he jumped out, slamming the door behind him. The first thing I did was lock the door, and I opened the sun roof.

"What are you doing?" Earnest yelled at me.

I pushed my way out the sun roof and cupped my hands over my mouth. Before doing the unthinkable, I glared at that fat bastard and grinned. "I'm exacting your wife's revenge for her."

Earnest paled, and I could see that he had urinated. I don't know if it was the strain on his body, or the fact that he knew he was going to die right now that made him react the way he did. But, I didn't care. Fucker deserved to die.

"Hey!" I shouted. There was a crash, then silence. They were listening, as I was sure there was more than one by now. "This bastard deserves the most horrifying death you could possibly give him. I don't know if you can understand me—"

Earnest growled in fear. "Don't!"

I ignored him. "But if you can, you can have him!"

I wormed my way back into the car and shut the sun roof. I started the engine, and it roared to life, despite the constant thumping of Earnest's fists on the side. I think he thought that he would be able to break the glass in an attempt to take me down with him. But, I couldn't let that happen.

I sped away, my humanity cringing inside as I saw Earnest get eaten by those creatures. They must have understood me. There was no way that they couldn't. Not if they were eating him just like I asked. That dark tunnel, the one I had been so afraid of had swallowed me and spit me back out, and I was met with dozens of police cars and ambulances. I screeched to a halt, and fell out of the car.

It didn't surprise me that aide came rushing. I felt so light headed, and I finally succumbed to that darkness that had been hounding me for the better part of three years. It was unfortunate that it needed to be shoved down my throat the way it had, and I cursed God for playing such a mean and unforgiving game with my life, but if I had learned one thing from all of this, it was just one simple truth.

This was my story…and you're not part of it.

The stock markets tumbled, yet again, as the financial crunch is taking its toll. The DOW Jones dropped nearly one thousand points, making it one of the steepest drops this year. Many banks have closed due to this unforeseen tragedy on Wall Street and the President of the United States will be holding a press conference later today…

…Raging fires in the State of California has halted most of the vacationers statewide, and has locked the electricity grids, causing nearly forty thousand air conditioning units to fail, and with rising temperatures, this does not look good for cities like San Diego and Los Angeles. Local electric companies are scrambling to fix the downed power lines, but the exponential increase in the price of electricity has many of them staggering to keep up…

…The Senate was startled to find that Senator Michael Ernie Mouse has decided to formally step down from his seat as Senator of the State of New York. Senator Mouse has agreed to finish out his term, but come later this year, the campaigns will be more determined than ever to claim that coveted Senator Seat…

A massacre at the Steamtown Mall in Scranton, Pennsylvania has police baffled. Early today, a team of specialized serial killers entered the mall, and devastated the entire building, leaving countless dead and dozens wounded. Police are not yet sure what could have possibly caused this unimaginable amount of destruction, but they suspect that it may be a retaliation towards the fall of the Heartless Gang not that long ago…

…Fair Financing is holding a memorial service to those who lost their lives in the Steamtown Massacre. The CEO, Julian Fair invites anyone and everyone to stand in silence to remember the lives lost. The memorial service is scheduled to happen later this week and it is a free event…

…That's all for tonight's news, please join us next time…

So...yeah, I have to go work on my other stories, which sadly are suffering the same fate.

Has a nice day. :D

This one is only from me because it's DeadShut's present.