#16th Street Mall

[rabbitcruiser]

Downtown Denver (No. 2)

The Paramount Theatre is a concert venue in Denver, Colorado, located on Glenarm Place, near Denver's famous 16th Street Mall. The venue has a seating capacity of 1,870 but is a popular destination for large acts looking for a smaller concert setting.  With spelling as Paramount Theater, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The Paramount opened in 1930 as a movie theatre, part of the Paramount-Publix Theatre Circuit, the exhibition arm of Paramount Pictures. The theatre itself was designed by the Chicago architectural firm of Rapp and Rapp, with decorations by designer Vincent Mondo, murals by Louis Grell of Chicago. The original main entry to the theatre was at 519 16th Street, where an entrance lobby was cut through an existing commercial and office building.

Source: Wikipedia

[somewheredownthesidewalk]

December 26, 2021

Denver, Colorado

[paulpingminho]

[ramune-raven-art]

sketchbook doodles I did downtown + photos from downtown, it was nice, I love it downtown :)!

[reportwire]

Denver 16th Street Mall Pavement Exhibit Opens to Public

Denver 16th Street Mall Pavement Exhibit Opens to Public

While the 16th Street Mall remains under construction, the City of Denver has unveiled what the new pedestrian surface will look like when the project is complete at the end of 2024. “The idea is you can see, feel, experience it,” Nancy Kuhn, a spokesperson for the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, said on August 17, at the opening of an exhibit that previews the pavement of…

[telekineticseance]

CHEMISTRY

pairing: matt stone x f! assistant reader

summary: casa bonita outing (sixth part to circumstances)

genre: fluff..at first

word count: 3050

cw: legal age gap, uh uh cunnilingus, fingering

author's note: it's happening

if you haven't read the first part check it out here: "CIRCUMSTANCES"

After the plane ride, Matt took you to your hotel and you got your room key before practically running away from him, including making the elevator doors close before he had a chance to enter himself. You walked to your hotel room and fumbled with the hotel key before walking in and shutting the door behind you, collapsing on the bed and letting the tears fall. You weren't even letting out sobs, just letting tears roll down your cheeks as you stared at the white ceiling above. You didn't want to keep pushing him about the situation but you knew it happened. I mean sure you had your moments of imagination before but that..that was REAL.

You wiped the tears from your face as you curled up higher on the couch, closer to the pillows, just taking a minute. At first you thought about taking Matt's suggestion and doing some sight seeing, after all this was your first time to Denver. The flight itself only took about two hours so by the time you arrived at the hotel it was a little after 11, including the travel in between.

The temperature wasn't too different from LA to Denver, which helped since you weren't entirely sure what to pack for in the first place. You let out a deep breath before deciding to get up from the bed, and walking towards the door, as you grabbed your purse and phone, leaving the room.

The hotel was a block away from a place called the 16th Street Mall so you decided to take a walk through there. While walking through, you looked at the people around you, taking in the sights. Even though some of it was the same as home, it was different. A different vibe, different energy. Almost peaceful.

As you walked past the windows at the store, you noticed a dress in the window on a mannequin. It was a mid-thigh length dress in a nice red wine shade, with chain straps and a cowl neckline. You looked down at yourself, and looked back up to the mannequin. The dress you had chosen for the opening tonight was a simple black dress you picked up from Target a few years back and you just consistently wore it to multiple events since then. It was a short black dress with a black sheer cover over it that reached down to your knees.

You thought for a moment before making your way inside the store, being greeted by a few people working at the shop. You asked them for help in finding the dress in your size before trying it on in the dressing room. You looked in the mirror and ran your fingers along the velvet fabric of the dress. The dress fit you just like how it sat on the mannequin, and you noticed a small slit along the bottom where the fabric wrapped over itself.

After looking at yourself in the mirror for just a little bit longer, you decided to buy the dress and wear it tonight instead of the dress you originally bought, picking up some matching jewelry before checking out and leaving the store.

You spent the next few hours, grabbing a bite at a local restaurant and continuing to walk around the streets of downtown Denver, even riding one of those electric scooters that connect to your phone in the process.

Once you realized it was almost 6, you decided to head back to your hotel room before bumping into a familiar figure in the lobby, causing you to drop your bags on the floor. "Oh sorry Y/N," You looked up and saw Trey as he smiled down at you softly, helping you pick up the bags. You smiled at him softly, while thanking him.

You never really talked to Trey much, as most of the time you two saw each other, one of you were in the middle of something and just waved and then went on with your day.

He looked at you softly, "Are you okay? You were really quiet on the plane and I know how you and Matt usually are?" He asked, handing you the bags he picked up for you. You nodded in response, looking up at him, "Yeah I'm fine. Just tired." You were lying to him, but I mean if Matt was going to act like the kiss never happened, you might as well have done the same. Especially if he hadn't told Trey about it. He smiled softly, "Well alright then. I'll see you later tonight?"

You gave him a nod before you both parted your ways and you headed back to your room. You decided to take a shower to start getting ready for the celebration, taking your time as you cleaned yourself, and fixed your hair and makeup as well.

----------

You finished getting ready right before you heard a knock on your door and you opened it revealing Matt in a button down shirt, black slacks, and a blazer. The top few buttons on his shirt were left unbuttoned, revealing a few strands of chest hair poking out the top. You held your bag close to you as Matt stood in the doorway, eyes scanning you, before he looked up and made eye contact, "You look...really good."

Shrugging at his comment you walked past him, shutting the door behind you as you started walking down the hallway. Matt followed closely behind, he came up behind you, lightly touching your arm making you jerk your arm away as you two ended up in the elevator. You pressed the button for the lobby and leaned against the wall of the elevator, crossing your arms across your chest, while trying your best to keep your eyes off Matt.

But in the moments where you struggled to look away, you noticed him eyeing you intently. His eyes narrowed as he took in his bottom lip through his teeth ever so slightly.

His attention was averted when the elevator rang the bell signaling you two had reached the lobby, as you walked out when the doors opened, not even bothering to wait for Matt in the process. He continued walking behind you trying to keep up with your pace, before you two arrived at the car and got in the back, as the driver began driving the two of you to the restaurant.

While in the car, Matt leaned over the back seat, "Did I do something?" He whispered, looking at you. You turned your head, looking out the window, keeping quiet. You noticed a small reflection of him through the window as he continued looking over at you, before letting out a soft sigh and looking out his own window.

You rested your head on the window as you watched the city go by, trying to not look over at Matt. You haven't had a good look at him since the kiss because you struggled to do so, more than usual. You thought of him when you opened the door, the way he was dressed. The way his beard and hair were beginning to grow gray with age and it was a little patchy, but he still made it look good. It was only a little gray, like on the sides of his head and mainly on his chin. He was also letting his hair grow out a little more, so his curls would stick out a little above his forehead.

The drive to Casa Bonita wasn't that long, despite the pretty heavy traffic on the way there. Once you arrived, you and Matt climbed out of the car and walked in together where he led you to a table that had a few chairs, pulling one out for you. You made eye contact with him, before moving to a different chair, sitting down while looking at the menu on the table.

His jaw clenched and he grabbed onto your arm before lifting you from your chair, dragging you to one of the offices, shutting the door and locking it behind him before turning and looking at you, "Okay what the fuck?"

You crossed your arms across your chest, raising an eyebrow as you looked at him from across the room. "What do you mean?"

He rolled his eyes while scoffing letting out a chuckle, "Don't fucking do that."

"Do what Matt? Act as if nothing is happening?" You questioned, glaring at him, feeling the anger rise inside of you as the two of you drew closer together. He blinked, looking away for a minute before turning back to you, "You've been ignoring me since we got on the plane."

You kept quiet, avoiding eye contact with him. You didn't want to talk to him, afraid of anything you might say be from frustration or anger. Because despite what happened, you still liked him. A lot.

"So are we going to talk about it? Or are you going to continue to give me the silent treatment?"

You rolled your eyes at him before looking at him, "What is there to talk about Matt? Nothing happened between us so I have no reason to be mad at you. Right?"

He crossed his arms, looking down at his shoes as he got quiet before you spoke up again, "I don't even care though. I'm going back out there."

You walked past Matt and put your hand on the knob to unlock the door before hearing Matt mumble under his breath. You slowly turned and looked at him, "What?" You asked him, with a hint of annoyance under his breath.

"I said. Fuck. This." He repeated, his voice getting louder, looking at you. You scoffed and rolled your eyes at him, "Fuck what exactly?"

"This," He sighs, "We kissed. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

You rolled your eyes, turning back to the door before you felt Matt grab you and push you against the wall next to the door, his body pressed against yours as he looked down at you, his hand firmly holding your waist, "And it's all I can think about."

He pushes his lips onto yours as you take a minute to fight back, still feeling the anger at him before giving in and kissing back. You closed your eyes, reaching your hands up to hold onto the collar of his shirt. His beard scratched at your face as you kissed, but you didn't mind it. He kept your lips attached as he pulled you away from the wall, hands around your waist as the two of you stumbled over to the desk in the middle of the room, where he lifted you up to sit on top.

He pulled away, his forehead against yours as he looked in your eyes, "You look so fucking hot in this dress. I couldn't help but think about ignoring this whole thing and fucking you in that hotel room."

Your eyes widened slightly at his statement, this was a new side to Matt but you weren't going to complain about it. And of course you were still mad about his incident but that wasn't really at the front of your mind right now.

Matt moved his hands to your thighs as he pulled you closer to him, standing between your legs before leaning in to kiss you again. You ran your fingers along Matt's torso, unbuttoning a few more buttons from his shirt as you ran your fingers underneath, lightly scratching his chest with your nails as you did so, causing him to let out a soft moan into the kiss.

He pulled away from you as he began leaving a trail of kisses down your jawline, to your neck, careful not to linger in one spot too long so he doesn't leave marks. Your breathing increased, as he ran his hands up the skirt of your dress, lifting it up in the process, before he pulled his face away from your neck and looked up at you.

"I don't want to do anything you don't want to." He whispered, his hands resting on your upper thighs, as his thumbs continued to rub circles on your thighs. You bit your bottom lip looking into his eyes, "I want this." You assured him, as he nodded in response.

He attached his lips back to yours, the skirt of your dress was now lifted to where your underwear was on display as he continued moving his hands slower up your thighs. He went back to attacking your neck as you let out soft gasps in response, "We should hurry."

He chuckled at you before looking up, "Should we now?" He teased, kissing your chest a he lowered himself more. You nodded in response, knowing that eventually people would be wondering where the two of you disappeared to, especially since you and Matt hadn't been the most secret about leaving in the first place.

He got to his knees, looking up at you as he left kisses on your thighs. You squirmed slightly under his touch, feeling the way his beard tickled at your thighs as his lips moved closer to your core. He chuckled at your actions as he glanced up at you, to see the pleading look on your face. You had been waiting for this moment for months and now that it was finally here, he was taking his time.

"Tell me what you want." He instructed, his thumbs continuing to rub circles on your thighs as he moved even closer. He knew exactly what you wanted, but to hear it come from your lips is what he needed.

"I...I want you," You whimpered out, moving your hand to his head trying to move him closer causing him to stop and look at you. "No no. I want you to tell me exactly what you want." He tsked at you as he looked at the wet spot that continued to grow in your underwear before looking up at you with a smirk on his face.

"I want you. To fuck me." You breathed out and he licked his lips looking up, "Oh what profanity on a pretty mouth," He joked as you rolled your eyes before he blew out a stream of cold air to your clothed clit causing you to gasp, sending a shiver down your body.

He pulled down your panties and left another wet kiss against your thigh, "Are you ready?"

"Yes. Please." You begged him, not sure how much longer you could handle the wait. He nodded with a grin before using his tongue to run it along your slit, as you moved your hips up from his action. He used his hands to force your hips back down, holding them in place as he began moving his tongue around your clit.

You used one hand to keep you propped upright on the desk, while the other you tangled into his small patch of curls. You let out a soft moan as he continued to flick his tongue, the grip on your hips tightening.

He moved one of his hands and began using two of his fingers to thrust into your hole. You tightened your thighs around his head as he curled his fingers inside, closing his lips around your clit. The chuckles he made from your reaction sent vibrations through you, making you let out another moan, this one louder than before.

He pulled his mouth away, continuing to pump his fingers as he watched your head lean back, shushing you in the process. You bit your bottom lip to suppress any moans, as he attached his mouth back onto your slit, teasing his tongue in circles through your aching clit.

You could feel yourself starting to reach your high as the grip on his hair tightened. You buckled your hips up, his fingers continuing to curl as they thrust into your g spot. "I'm so close," You barely whimpered out, as his continued to send vibrations through your core from his chuckles.

He enjoyed seeing you like this, barely able to form words under his touch. His fingers curled one last time before you felt yourself reach your high. You moved your hips, grinding into his mouth as you released. You felt air catch in your throat as you wanted to let out moans, but pushed yourself to stay quiet, letting out whispers of profanities.

Matt pulled his mouth and fingers away before putting his hand up to your mouth, "Suck."

You looked at him, taking his fingers into your mouth as you cleaned them off. He pulled his fingers out, a small string of spit attached as he looked into your eyes, kissing you once more.

You kept your fingers tangled in his hair as he started to unbuckle his slacks before hearing the sound of his phone buzzing on the desk. He groaned as he pulled away looking into your eyes, "Out of time." He whispered.

You whined a little as he pulled his hand from his pants and grabbed the phone, ignoring the call.

He left a small peck to your lips as he cupped your face in his hands, "Fix yourself up. I'll go stall a little." He whispered against your lips. He fixed his shirt and grabbed his blazer from the floor as you looked him up and down, seeing the growing bulge against his pants in the process.

He chuckled as he looked down, buttoning the blazer, using it to cover it to the best of his ability, "Nothing I can do about it now." He glanced over at you as you shakily hopped off the desk, your legs trembling.

You looked around for your underwear as Matt chuckled at you, before holding them out in his fingers, "Looking for these?" You nodded, taking them from him as he grabbed your chin in his hands once again, putting his lips to yours, as if he was reliant on you.

"Okay. Okay," He spoke softly, "I'm leaving now." He told you before pulling away and walking towards the door, unlocking it as he left the room, taking one last glance at you.

You leaned against the edge of the desk, in disbelief of what just happened. Wondering what would happen next.

updated a/n : next part! 🎉

[cookinguptales]

Plz show us the kitsune wedding jacket

Well, I honestly don't have any good pictures of me wearing it, and because the back is the prettiest part, I can't really take a selfie in it...

Hang on, I'll pull it out and take a couple photos of it on a chair or something.

So not during our trip this year, but the first time my family went to Japan (and the first time I went back after going to school there) I took my Dad to a part of Kyoto that I hung out in a lot while I was a student there called Teramachi. It's a part of Kyoto that had a lot of Buddhist temples (the name literally means "temple town") after Toyotomi Hideyoshi had them relocated there in the 16th century, and now... it's a covered shopping arcade! But a lot of the temples are still there!

So kind of imagine a shopping mall, but every few stores one of the little lots is actually a 400-year-old Buddhist temple. Like... legit, one of the temples in Teramachi is where Oda Nobunaga died. Some of them are very important buildings! That you can buy donuts next to.

I kind of love the vibe. (And some of the stores selling Buddhist altar supplies and beautiful wooden statues I could never afford!)

Anyway, Dad and I were wandering the street and we saw a store selling embroidered rayon bomber jackets. We were mostly window shopping because they cost a fortune, but I saw one that I really fell in love with.

Now... with my body type, I don't exactly get a lot of clothes shopping done in Japan. But bombers are often worn baggy and unzipped, so I could make it work. And guys, it had the most beautiful design.

There's this idea in Japanese folklore, a fox spirit (kitsune) wedding, or kitsune no yomeiri. You hear people mention it a lot when it's raining while it's sunny out -- you know, the fox spirit takes a bride or whatever. It's what they call a sunshower. Anyway, the idea is that during misty sunshowers (or at night, if you see faraway lights bobbing in the distance) you might see a kitsune wedding procession. Typically humans aren't allowed to attend, but like any kind of fairy story, occasionally humans stumble into them.

Kitsune are known for their illusions, so there are a lot of stories about their weddings appearing (or disappearing) in the mist, humans being led astray, etc.

This jacket has a kitsune wedding embroidered on it and oh!! Guys, it's so beautiful.

My dad knew I was never going to spend (I looked it up) about 40k yen on something for myself, so he ended up buying it for me as a Christmas present. It was late November, so it was perfect timing. ;;

Anyway, like I said, I don't really have any good pictures of me wearing it -- partially because I'm so afraid of wearing it and messing it up! But I know it's stupid to have a jacket that you never wear. Maybe once the cherry blossoms bloom this year in Philadelphia I'll get a friend to take some photos of me in it in Washington Square Park or something.

But I did try to get a FEW photos just so you can understand why I'm so protective over this thing, haha.

[therealgchu]

racism

in the news category of what the fucking racism is this shit, i got accosted on the 16th street mall in denver by a group of dudebros who asked me if i spoke english.

i'm wearing my vault 111 hat, a plain blouse, and corded earbuds. they stopped me out of the blue and asked if i spoke english.

i am neither clever nor quick-witted. i wish i was as clever as some of my buddies who suggested i should have responded with, "yes, and i speak far better than you, you fucking troglodyte."

[sodascherrycola]

Instagram Intros (Steven Roger’s Kids)

Alexander Joseph Rogers

DOB: August 7th 1936 DOD: June 18th 1959 (23 years old) Hometown: Brooklyn, New York Nicknames: Alex, Al S/O: Nancy Graham Kids: Eric and Allison Best Friend(s): Samuel Davidson and James Barnes Jr. Aesthetic: Very mature for his age, helped his parents with his younger siblings. Reminds many people of James Barnes Sr. when he was young. Very respectful and kind. Sadly was killed in the Vietnam War when he was only 23, leaving behind his young wife and two very young children Eric and Allison.

Sarah Florence Rogers

DOB: May 15th 1940 Age: 83 years old Hometown: Brooklyn, New York Nicknames: Sare S/O: Dennis Rowling Kids: Everett and Wesley Best Friend(s): Margaret Fitzgerald Aesthetic: The sweetest soul you’ll ever know. She was extremely close to her father and thought he was Superman (close enough). Her mother taught her how to cook and clean and do all that she would need to know to be a good housewife, however, she became a Lawyer instead. She was big into feminism in the 1960s. And yes, she burned her bras, and yes, her mother wasn’t happy. Her father was proud though.

Phillip James Rogers

DOB: July 24th 1942 Age: 81 years old Hometown: Brooklyn, New York Nicknames: Phil, Philly, PJ S/O: Kimberly Donaldson Kids: Daniel, Michael, Elise, Julian, and May Best Friend(s): Thomas Barnes, Peter Oswald, and Joseph Williamson Aesthetic: Phillip was his parent’s wild child. Always running crazy down the streets of Brooklyn. His parents often worried about him and when he was 14 years old they got him a job at his Uncle Bucky’s garage. He became obsessed with cars from then on. He even got gifted a red cadillac for his 16th birthday.

John Howard Rogers

DOB: April 16th 1944 Age: 79 years old Hometown: Brooklyn, New York Nicknames: Howie S/O: Maria St.Clair Kids: Ella and Jude Best Friend(s): Chandler Atkins Aesthetic: Howie was a total suck up to his parents (especially his mother) and would always snitch on his older siblings, until he had younger siblings who would snitch on him. His mother always adored him so, he was a very sweet boy to everyone. Never complained about putting a tie on for church or sitting patiently at the dinner tables, always saying his prayers. When he was a teenager he had all the girls, some during the same time, his father had to sit him down and have a talk. That’s when he met Maria and stuck with her.

Robert Nicholas Rogers

DOB: June 12th 1946 Age: 77 years old Hometown: Brooklyn, New York Nicknames: Rob, Robbie S/O: Susan Berry Kids: Marcus, Allen, Louis, and Michelle Best Friend(s): Matthew Barnes and Kenneth Baker Aesthetic: He was the cool kid from the very beginning, quite literally. When he was 3 he fell into a frozen lake and almost died, gave his mama a heart attack. He was obsessed with Elvis Presley and begged him daddy to teach him how to gel his hair like his, and he kept his hair like that until he was well into his twenties. Robbie always would dance in front of the television with Elvis, while his little sister would sit and stare. Grew up to be a singer just like him. Almost cried when he died.

Clara Jo Rogers

DOB: November 5th 1950 Age: 73 years old Hometown: Paterson, New Jersey Nicknames: Clare, CJ S/O: Harry Marx Kids: Russell, Rose, and Shelia Best Friend(s): Russell Barnes and Denise Lewis Aesthetic: Like her older brother, was also obsessed with Elvis. She was in love from the moment she saw him on the Ed Sullivan show in 1956. Her father wasn’t too happy but couldn’t do anything about it. She was always a girly girl which her mother adored. Since Sarah never wanted to do anything with her mama, Clara kindly stepped in. Loved going shopping with her mama at the mall, baking, and playing mom with her little brothers. Thought she was going to marry Elvis, but ended up meeting and falling in love with his roadie, Harry Marx. She met Elvis and freaked out, she was speechless and stuttering over her words.

Scott Ivan Rogers

DOB: December 19th 1951 DOD: December 18th 1969 (18 years old) Hometown: Paterson, New Jersey Nicknames: Scotty S/O: Maryann Mulder Kids: None Best Friend(s): David Barker and Peggy Moore Aesthetic: Scott was the pretty boy in his family. Not so smart but very good-lookin’. Girls were always following him since he was young. When he was 17 he was drafted into the Vietnam War, similar to his older brother he never met. His mother sobbed her eyes, while his father held him, the two crying themselves. They didn’t understand. There was a non-written rule that no two children could be drafted to the same war. It was just unfair. Turns out the president wanted to send Scotty to war to see if the super-serum passed down from his father. When his father found this out he beat himself over it. Never got over it after his death.

Timothy Leonard Rogers

DOB: February 18th 1956 Age: 67 years old Hometown: Paterson, New Jersey Nicknames: Tim, Timmy, and Leo S/O: Valerie Pratt Kids: Georgia, Whitney, Bethany, Ryder, and Ethan Best Friend(s): Jesse Barnes and Rodney Heffer Aesthetic: He was a surprise baby. Wasn’t planned whatsoever and it showed. His parents were getting older and was the glass child of his family. Because of this he was pretty close with his older sister, Clara. She loved him like a mother. She always looked out for him and whenever he got teased or picked on at school, you know damn straight she would hear and deal with it. Many suspensions later and they are still as tight as that.

[ewan-mo]

A day to collect ourselves

Saturday 16th September 2023

It is good to be back in Uganda again. We like this guest house.  It in one of the back streets of Entebbe, and the road reflects the state of some of the infrastructure. Once you leave the main road the surface deteriorates as the tar has fragmented such that after a while, it is better not even to try and drive on the tar.

The sides of the road in a residential area are too good to waste; they become potential grazing for cattle, sheep and goats.

We took a taxi up to the shopping mall, which emphasises the enormous disparities. It is a modern shopping area where we have to go to buy local Sim cards – all very efficient and high tech, including a disability desk where Mo could go and sit to do the waiting bits.  A delightful young person spotted the walking stick and looked after us. 

Elsewhere in the mall there is a supermarket belonging to the Carrefour French chain where you can buy anything and everything, including all kinds of chocolate (even liquorice-covered white chocolate), single malt Scotch whisky, high cost imported foods and many other things that only the affluent can afford.  

Javas is a café, part of a chain we know and trust where we enjoyed having lunch.  But last year when we took our driver, John. to have lunch in one of these cafés when we were travelling, he was so discomfited at the price of chicken and chips that thereafter I gave him some money so he could buy food where he was more comfortable.

This afternoon I walked down to the local shops.  They vary from good sized shops to small shacks.  With the latter, people scrape a living.  

Shops across the road from each other

Within about a 50 metre circle there were about 30 men with motorcycles – the local motor bike taxis.  All waiting for fares.  Again just scraping along.

Just waiting

We had an interesting discussion with our taxi driver.  He did a business administration degree at university, but was not able to get a relevant job.  Graduate unemployment is all too common here and at least some of the time you need to be of the right tribe and possibly able to pay a “joining fee“ or know the right people, to get a job.  He worked at the airport for a bit but has been a taxi driver for the last four years – like his father: “You need to find a way to make enough money to live and to be in harmony with the government requirements.”

We have enjoyed having today as a less pressurised time.  We had planned it to give our friend Helen time to orientate as it would have been her first time in Uganda, but it has in the event given us a bit more time to catch up.  Mo is having to pick up even more of the presentations as Sudaat, one of the presenters, suffered a crashed computer, losing all her work. She has borrowed a friend’s laptop but is now desperately trying to get her material back on the screen again. 

Linda arrives later tonight.

[rabbitcruiser]

16th Street Mall, Denver (No. 1)

The 16th Street Mall is a pedestrian and transit mall in Denver, Colorado. The mall, 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) long, runs along 16th Street in downtown Denver, from Wewatta Street (at Union Station) to the intersection of 16th Avenue and Broadway (at Civic Center Station). The intricate granite stone sidewalks and streets were designed by architect I.M Pei to resemble the scale pattern of the western diamondback rattlesnake. It is home to over 300 stores, 50 restaurants, and the Denver Pavilions shopping mall.

Source: WIkipedia

[somewheredownthesidewalk]

December 26, 2021

Denver, Colorado

[paulpingminho]

[shriketimes]

tuesday januray 17th, 1989.

"Last night, Shrike Heights has faced one of our hazardous Winter blizzards, resulting in many buildings being snowed in. Shrike Mall finds itself yet again in trouble, its employees being trapped inside the building with four of the serial killers who are still currently at large. There are reported to be at least four dead and many others severely injured. Police were called during the attack, but unfortunately it took some time to enter the mall while officers cleared enough snow to get the mall doors open. Officers remained with victims while one attempted to apprehend one of the perpetrators, and they’ve been missing since. Some locals are questioning the reason for the mall to have remained open during such dangerous weather, but officials say that no laws have been broken, and that the attack likely would have happened regardless of weather conditions. Please contact the police department if you see anything suspicious or if you know of the whereabouts of the missing officer."

monday january 16th, 1989.

The new year has begun, the year of 1989, though for Shrike Heights, it doesn’t feel like a fresh start or a clean slate. The horrors of the last two years still have a hold over every resident’s mind, and just as the year before began, none of these crimes have been brought to a close. The year feels unresolved; the residents try their best to move forward despite the nagging weight that makes it impossible to escape the past. 

Snow falls heavily over the small town; a blizzard is incoming, and it’s already disastrously snowy out. Warnings have been issued since the night before, for residents to stay inside of their homes when possible, and for the most part, the town listens. Almost all who are braving the elements tonight are those required at work, with few others out there with them. 

A young boy stands in the streets of Old Shrike. He’s too young to be needed outside of his home for work, but still, he stands there as if the heavy snowfall and vicious wind isn’t almost knocking him over. With all of his strength, he nails a piece of laminated paper to a telephone pole. 

MISSING, it reads in large red letters, written in a juvenile handwriting that matches the boy. Underneath the writing is a photograph of a smart looking teenage boy with a grin almost as blinding as the snow, and beneath that, all of his details. The boy sniffs in the cold, his face numb, but onwards he treks. 

Passing the next house to the next telephone pole, an old man emerging from his home is followed by his door slamming shut with a great gust of wind. Despite being bundled up in many winter layers, his crooked body struggles to shuffle forward on his porch. “In a blizzard?!” His voice is wheezy, and only just strong enough to reach the footpath. “Get home, boy!” He calls, genuine concern for the child on his wrinkled and aged face. 

“I know!” The boy shouts back, much more power behind his voice, still preserved in youth. “I just really need to find my brother.” Desperation is in his tone and on the young face that’s blotchy and numbed by the freezing conditions. He continues forward, and he continues nailing the posters on any available surface for as long as he can withstand the cold.

The unfortunate reality is that this boy isn’t the only person who is missing a loved one; he’s not the only resident of Shrike Heights who had to spend the holiday season and the new year without every member of his family; he’s not the only person who is worried sick enough to face a blizzard, just on the off chance that more posters will help the search. 

More and more people in Shrike Heights are going missing, most without a single trace. There’s speculation that people are leaving Shrike in order to escape the possibility of becoming victims in the next attack, but the families and friends of these missing people fight against the theory; so many of those who are lost would never do such a thing. Some speculate that it’s the town authorities who have started the rumours about people leaving town voluntarily, so they don’t seem liable for more tragedy, but no matter how much they speak out on it, their voices will never be as loud as the likes of Mayor Sweeney.

The town is left only to hope that ‘missing’ isn’t a new synonym for ‘murdered’, though there isn’t much evidence against it. Even Tracks’ owner Owen O’Hanrahan is still missing, and as he was last seen being actively attacked by the killers at the end of summer carnival, many wonder if that’s the fate all missing folk met. 

For the rest of the town, life in Shrike Heights goes on, even despite obstacles like business owners such as Owen being gone. While the blizzard outside grows fiercer and fiercer, Shrike Mall continues to operate. Many stores have decided to close up a little early in order to escape the dangerous conditions on their journey home, but unfortunately not all establishments are able to close, and not all employees are able to find themselves in the warmth and safety of their homes so soon. 

Some employees, in fact, are only arriving at Shrike Mall. Romulus Davies is one of the unlucky ones; he opts to work the late shifts at the mall as he runs his furniture store during the day. He stands in the hallway that leads to the storage room containing his equipment, having run into Michael Webb on his way, not in any rush to get to work while his body still needs to defrost from the bitter cold. 

“The ground’s slipperier inside the entrance of this place than it is out. All the snow everyone’s walked in has melted and left such a damn mess.” Romy complains, shaking his head with mild annoyance.

Michael smiles sympathetically. Getting stuck with frustrating jobs in his own position at the mall, he can understand the annoyance. “At least hardly anyone else is gonna be coming in here now.” Now that most of the establishments are closed for the night, he means. 

Romy nods their head. “Right.” He takes another step in the right direction. “You stuck here for much longer? Long enough to take a look at the cigarette machine, at least?” The cigarette machine in question is the same one that was used to injure Soren Chen last year; it no longer resides in the same place, and it’s been repaired before, but still, the way the mechanisms jam inside of it remind those who know what happened that night of the horrors. 

“Just packing up the rest of my shit now, so I can head out right after taking a look at it.” He’s one step ahead of Romy’s request. “You’d be surprised how many complaints we get about it, even though it’s not the only one we have around the place.” 

Not wanting to prevent Michael from leaving the mall as soon as he can, Romy concludes the conversation, going to collect his equipment. He decides to clean up the entrance first; the last thing they need is for some poor employee to slip and break something just when they’re about to make it out alive. They push the wheeled cart through the maintenance hallways, back out to the front of the mall, though they stop when they see the scene. 

Large snowy footsteps have walked wide strides into the mall. They’re fresh, the snow is yet to melt, and Romy easily concludes the messy mall visitor must have only just walked out of view. He moves forward again. The footprints have been made with large boots; Romy figures it must have been a member of the security team, and while more mess isn’t ideal, he can’t stay mad at the idea of more protection. 

As Romy sweeps the unmelted snow and the water towards the door, Michael appears once again, holding his large tool bag, on his way to the cigarette machine on the other side of the mall. “Been here for not even five minutes, and someone else has already made more mess for me.” Romy updates him, complaining again, but this time laughing. There’s nothing they can do about it; that’s the job they signed up for, like it or not. 

Before Michael can respond, both mall employees have their attention grabbed by the sound of a loud commotion echoing through the vast, empty spaces of the mostly closed mall. It sounds as though weight is being thrown around, and it’s far too loud and abrupt to be the sound of employees doing their job. Suddenly the commotion is added to by the sound of ear piercing metal against metal, and then, a blood curdling scream sounds. 

Romy and Michael both drop their equipment, moving into the middle of the space, looking around for the source with concern and shock on their faces. They scan their surroundings until they stand back to back, but everything has fallen silent. All that can be heard is their breathing, slightly louder than usual - though it might only sound louder as they listen so intently. 

It feels like the silence lasts a lifetime, but then Zach Porter comes into view, running from around the corner, dragging one leg behind him uncomfortably as he flees. His eyes meet Romy and Michael, and he begins to scream. “Run! Run!” His voice is strained and jagged; the pain is obvious. As he comes closer, Romy and Michael realise that he’s covered in blood, but their attention is quickly pulled away from the victim as the Jack-O-Lantern killer comes into view.

The killer is covered in blood, too, and it’s obvious whose it is. Romy begins to stammer, before finally stringing together a coherent sentence. “I let him walk right in, I, holy shit-” The boots that left enormous prints on the ground weren’t left by a guard, they were left by the masked perpetrator who wields his large carving knife.

“Stop. Don’t.” Michael doesn’t want Romy to take any blame, not only because he isn’t to blame, but because they have no time for such a thing when they need to prioritise getting out of harm's way. Zach screams at them to run again, and Michael nods, reaching over to take hold of Romy’s arm. “We need to get out of here, come on-”

“No!” Romy stumbles back, looking even more fearful now. “My sister’s working! My sister’s here, she’s at Donna’s! I can’t-” He stumbles back again, out of Michael’s grip, watching the killer and the victim come closer and closer. He looks to Michael, as if for an answer, and his fear mirrors Romy’s.

“Fuck. My sister’s here too.” He had almost forgotten that Samantha took up an extra shift tonight, and that she was his ride home. “We have to get them, come on.” Michael directs, knowing they have no time to waste. The two make a run for it, towards the escalator that leads to the first floor, where both of their sisters are. 

Michael leads the way, afraid but seemingly better than the other while under pressure; Romy follows closely behind. To get to the escalator, they have to run towards the Jack-O-Lantern, but the killer is further away; the two are hoping they’ll be able to make it up to level one before the killer can reach the path himself. They seem to have a good chance of making it - that is, until they both falter at the sight of the killer catching Zach. The Jack-O-Lantern viciously kicks him down, and Zach is knocked unconscious as his head smacks against the linoleum floor. 

Romy and Michael keep going, running up the escalator as quickly as possible. Michael looks to be nothing but determined, looking only ahead, but as Romy looks back to the killer and his victim; Jack plunges his knife into the man’s wrist, just as he regains consciousness and begins to move. Romy trips in shock, but catches themself and is able to keep going without putting too much distance in between themself and Michael. 

They reach level one more breathless than they would like, but they keep going, heading towards Life Rose On. As they approach the store, Michael is relieved to see his sister Samantha Webb outside of it, clicking the last lock shut, ready to head out. She doesn’t realise that there’s anything sinister going on in the mall until she hears the heavy footsteps and loud breathing.

Immediately upon hearing the noise, her head turns quickly, her breath catching in her throat, and she knows. Samantha hasn’t been physically injured by a killer herself, but she has encountered the Hunter before - in the very place she stands now - and with all of the other mall attacks, she doesn’t have to think twice or ask questions to know that there’s a very bad situation unfolding in the enormous building tonight. 

Michael reaches her first, catching his breath while placing his hands on her shoulders. “There’s a killer downstairs.” There’s no easier way to break the news to her, not when the matter is time sensitive. “Romy, go get your sister.” He prompts. Romy doesn’t even take the time to respond before he takes off running again. “We have to get out of here now, he just killed someone and I-” 

Samantha cuts him off. “What about everyone else in the mall? I’m not the last to close up, there are other people around, other stores open- They’re in danger, and I can’t- We can’t- We need to-” She’s speaking far too fast for her brain to find the right words. “If they’re in danger we need to help them get out of here safely, too.” She’s beginning to panic. Having watched Posey Bryant be attacked right in front of her eyes, and having been unable to do anything to prevent the injuries, Samantha knows what survivors' guilt feels like, and she can’t stomach the thought of letting more people be attacked like that.

“Sam, we need to get out alive.” Michael isn’t as eager to risk his own life - along with his sister’s - for the sake of people he mightn’t have even met before. He doesn’t feel right about making a foolish plan, especially not when he believes anyone else in this position would just run.

Despite not having come to an agreement, the siblings have no more time to talk about it as Samantha catches sight of the Jack-O-Lantern killer stepping to the top of the escalator. She jumps back in horror, then reaches out to take the hand of her brother, and they run. 

While the Webb’s have their short lived debate, Romy finds himself in Donna’s swiftly. It’s clearly closed, though not yet properly, a couple of front lights left on to illuminate Marina Davies and Noah Cohen, who has just come from his own workplace. “I hate walking out by myself when it’s dark.” Marina tells Noah, the two planning on making their way out of the mall together, but their conversation is cut short as they see Romy. Much like Samantha, they both know something is wrong. 

“There’s a killer.” Romy has to break the news as abruptly as Michael did. “Downstairs, he just-” Unlike Michael, who cleverly kept his eyes forward as he fled, Romy was witness to the full gruesome attack on Zach, and he’s rendered unable to speak properly as he feels such intense shock. “We need to get out of here.” He concludes simply.

Marina and Noah share a look of unease and shock, though despite their mirrored expressions, it affects Noah on a different level. This isn’t the first time he’s found himself so close to a killer, in a crime scene unfolding; he’s been through an attack before, similarly to Samantha, and he shares her panic and her dread. This can’t be happening, not again. 

“You’re joking.” Marina steps forward as she speaks. She knows Romy would never joke about such a thing, but she desperately wants this to not be real. 

“I really fucking wish I was.” The despair in Romy’s voice echoes through Donna’s, and the reality of the situation begins to sink in for Marina, unlike Noah, who still stands in the very same position, a ghostly shade of white, uncharacteristically silent. 

Before more can be said, Samantha and Michael bolt past Romy, stopping just past him at the front of the store. “He followed us.” Michael says hurriedly. He’s only sharing the fact so they know to run, he doesn’t mean to make Romy feel responsible for now putting at least three more people in danger; but Romy does take it personally, and he does feel guilt.

He was meant to be saving his sister, but instead, he’s helped the killer find her. “Fuck.” He shakes his head, trying to snap out of it. “Marina.” He steps closer to her and he takes her hand. Romy then gives Noah an apologetic look, too. Though Noah isn’t his sibling too, he still feels the intense guilt for having led the killer to him all the same. 

“Noah,” Michael only now realises that Marina isn’t alone, and that her company is the Snapshot employee he knows from his consistent work in the establishment. “Come on,” he steps further into the store too, reading fear on Noah’s face. “We need to get out of here.” Though he didn’t agree with Samantha about rounding up all the remaining employees to get them to safety, he’d never leave someone like Noah behind. 

Despite the group being terrified, they know they need to move quickly. One moment of hesitation could be enough for them to end up like Posey, or Jupiter Bernstein, or the countless other victims they either knew or didn’t. They run out of Donna’s, and with the route to the first floor blocked by the killer, they all run in the opposite direction. 

Stepping out of the store, Noah and Marina see the killer for the very first time. Neither of them want to see just how close he is to them, but regardless, all five heads turn to look at him, and the sight strikes fear in all. “No.” Noah mutters breathlessly, hand tapping his pocket as he runs, double checking that he has his inhaler on him because if the running doesn’t constrict his lungs to the point of needing it, his fear certainly will. 

They all move at the fastest pace they can, and Michael leads them up to the second floor. It feels slightly counter productive, but they need time, and they need space from the killer; running right into his knife doesn’t sound like the smartest game plan. 

Immediately upon reaching level two, the group finds Calista Tjhoea, who walks towards the same stationary escalator they’ve all just stepped off of. She’s on her way out, but she stops in her tracks when she’s met with the panicked people. “Come with us,” Samantha is the first to speak, ahead of the group beside her brother. “We need to get out of the mall.”

“There’s a killer.” Michael takes over, feeling the need to cut to the chase to express the seriousness of what’s going on. “If we go down the stairwell we can make it to the door, but he’s behind us.” So they can’t continue the way Calista was going, he means. Before even waiting for a response, Michael begins to move again, Samantha, Romy, Marina and Noah following. 

Calista stands with an expression of shock for a moment, but then she turns and follows the group. She’s not yet able to process what’s going on, but regardless, Calista sees no harm in exiting via the stairwell tonight. She trails behind them, a little speechless in her shock. 

Before they can get far, Junko Jacobsen emerges from Daniela’s Salon. Samantha jumps as she spots her, holding a hand over her rapidly beating heart. She’s only frightened because the salon’s lights are off, so she thought the store was properly closed up and didn’t expect a figure to suddenly appear. 

Junko had been about to lock the door and leave for the night, but the sound of the group outside of the store caught their attention. “What’s going on?” She asks; she takes one look at the hurrying group and she knows something isn’t right. While others might have hid at the first sight of trouble in the mall, Junko can’t help but investigate. 

“Apparently there’s a killer.” It’s clear in Calista’s tone that she hasn’t broken out of her shock and the reality of the situation hasn’t hit her. “Like, in the mall right now. I was about to leave, but…” She realises it’s not the time to elaborate, and she slowly begins to feel a little more afraid. 

“Quickly, we need to get out of here.” Michael speaks up again, though before he can share the plan with Junko, Eisa Sanders’ voice can be heard from behind them. This time, Noah is startled by the presence of another, her voice evoking the feeling of fright as it’s unexpected. 

“There’s a killer?” Eisa asks, eyebrows raised, in slight disbelief that she’s finally present for one of the attacks, after all this time. “I-” She’s cut off by Michael.

“Yes there’s a killer, and he’s behind us, so we really need to get our asses out of here.” He’s short, but not meaning to be rude. He’s only desperate to find safety again, understandably, as soon as possible.

Everyone around seems to understand, or even if they disagree with his attitude, they prioritise getting out of the mall, too. They begin to run towards the stairwell, only one more time, they don’t make it there without an obstacle. 

The last employee inside of Stitch by Stitch, Kamila May, steps towards the door, holding multiple large sheets of fabric in her hands as she inspects the echoing footsteps and incomprehensible speech. “Has there been an attack?” She asks.

“There has, come with us.” Romy’s voice is much more gentle than the tone used when Eisa joined the group, though he sounds far more afraid than Michael, which doesn’t help the fear levels for the rest of them.

Kamila swallows thickly, turning on her heels, throwing the fabric down, but a white sheet remains standing. Confusion very quickly turns into pain as the Ghost slashes her across the abdomen with the sharp blade of their knife. Kamila screams, and Michael, the closest to her, rushes over. 

The Ghost slashes Kamila across the stomach, the chest, both of her arms, one of her cheeks, and finally the throat, all before Michael even reaches her. He wishes to help, but just as he’s a step away, Kamila drops to the ground, gurgling and choking on her own blood. “Oh fuck.” Michael jumps back, finally breaking his strong facade, body wobbling as he watches Kamila reach up to her bleeding throat with blood covered hands. 

Samantha runs over, despite the horror of the sight, and she takes Michael’s arm to steady him. He pulls away from her grip only seconds later as he moves back towards Kamila, wanting to help. “It’s gonna be okay,” he tells her, despite the gut feeling that it won’t be. Before he can squat down to try to hold pressure on the worst of her wounds, the Ghost swiftly and smoothly approaches, at quite the speed, and Michael can’t stumble back in time before the Ghost’s bloody knife begins to cut him, too. 

They slash him across his arms as he holds them up in defence, moving back as best as he can while trying to dodge the attack. Samantha jumps back, too, so abruptly that she falls down onto her back. Marina and Romy both run over, helping her back up before she can become the next victim. They try to pull her away, but she tries to lunge forward to Michael, who turns slightly away, only to earn cuts across his side. “Ah!” He shouts, in pain. “Run!” He adds, the second he notices Samantha’s attempt at helping him. It’s not worth it.

The group of Eisa, Calista, Junko and Noah all stand behind Romy and Marina, who try to save Samantha from getting hurt helping her brother. They don’t move yet, perhaps frozen in shock or fear or guilt - or all of the above. But Noah abruptly calls attention to the reason why that changes. “Uh, guys.” He speaks up, voice shaky, but heard. He looks down the mall, in the direction they came from, and the Jack-O-Lantern is walking towards them. Noah doesn’t have to say anything else for the group to follow his line of sight and see the killer, too - even Michael, as he turns more and is slashed across the back. 

“Run!” Michael says again, and as he finally has his back towards the killer, despite his injuries, he’s able to run at the same time as the rest of the group. Kamila, however, is not only unable to run, but her struggling has stopped, and blood continues to pool around her body as she lays lifelessly on the floor. 

They reach the stairwell, and Junko pulls the door open. The group files in with no hesitation. Michael trails behind the rest, though Samantha refuses to leave his side, even if he is moving slower. They make it to the ground floor in one piece, and they sprint to the front entrance of the mall. Romy is the first to reach the doors, and once there, Michael pushes to the front of the group too. 

They stand there for a beat, waiting for the automatic doors to open and let them into the pitch black exterior. When nothing happens, Eisa swiftly moves to press the button that manually opens the door. A whirring sound is made, but the door still doesn’t move. Michael and Romy get the same idea at the same time, and they try to pry the doors open themselves. Only then do they realise that they’re not seeing the pitch black of night outside, no, they’ve been snowed in. 

“Oh god, oh no,” Marina’s chest feels tight, though not as tight as Noah’s. He braces himself against the wall, staring out into the mall with wide, frightened eyes, alert. 

“Where else can we get out?” Junko asks, pushing her glasses further up her nose, breathless and afraid. 

“The back?” Calista suggests. This all feels very real to her now. 

“The wind was coming from that direction.” Eisa muses, pointing to the front doors. “Maybe it isn’t snowed over yet.” 

Even if it is, they have to try. They’ll only end up caught if they keep standing there, and Michael needs medical help, even despite Samantha’s attempts to put pressure on his various wounds to stop the bleeding. Again, they run. 

On the way to the other side of the mall, they pass Shrike Grocers; with the grocery store being one of few places in the mall with extended hours, all of the lights are brightly shining, it’s still open - only, the employees aren’t working. Instead, they’re crowded around Zach Porter, who shocks Romy and Michael by still being alive. The group stops running. 

“Is he chasing you?” One of the employees asks the group, Zach’s blood dripping down their arms as their hands hold onto his wounded wrist. 

“He was; we tried to get out but we’re snowed in at the front.” Romy tells them, struggling to look at the group due to the horrific state that Zach is in. 

“You should hide,” Calista speaks up again. “We’re going to check the back doors, but you should turn the lights off and act like the store is closed, in case he comes by, after us.” She can only imagine the field day Jack would have, walking past the group, and the already injured. They’d all be dead in seconds. 

“We can check to see if we’re snowed in out there, too, and if not one of us can come back and we can all get out.” Samantha adds, not wanting them to get the impression that they were being left behind; it was just far too risky to have Zach running around the mall in his condition, especially if they are snowed in out the back of the mall. 

“It’s smart to stay split up,” Another grocery store employee agrees with the plan. “We’ll call the police while you go. We just called security, and-” he’s cut off as two security guards approach quickly. He begins to fill them in on the situation and the plan without hesitation. Like Michael, this employee appears good under pressure.

One security guard rushes in to help with Zach, while the other, Heath Perry, stays with the group outside of the store. “I’ll go with you,” Heath tells Noah, Marina, Romy, Junko, Eisa, Michael and Samantha. “I can’t let you go alone.” No one is in the position to deny the security escort, especially not Michael.

As the lights are being turned off and the grate is being pulled across the front of the store, those on the mission to the back of the mall continue on. The path to the back isn’t a long one, though under the circumstances, it feels like it’s taking them forever. Finally they see the large doors, but before they can reach them, the Jack-O-Lantern walks out from the shadows, blocking the way. The group skids to a jarring stop. 

Before they can turn and run back, Jack moves towards them at a pace faster than before. It scares the entire group as he charges towards them, and though they scramble to move out of the way, not all of them can move in time. 

Romy was closest to the killer, so he now finds himself at the very back as they all turn and flee. As he runs, a sharp, burning pain begins in his lower back, and immediately spreads all throughout his body. He falls to the ground with a scream. Marina turns just in time to see Jack pulling his bloody carving knife out of her sibling’s back. “Romy!” She screams, running to him. 

Heath beats her to Romy, and he doesn’t show any hesitation before using his shoulder to slam against the killer. Jack only takes two steps back; the tackle isn’t successful, he’s standing too firmly, he’s too sturdy. Heath looks at the killer with fear in his eyes as Marina helps Romy up with a struggle. Romy’s pain is severe, and Marina’s entire body feels too shaky and weak to pull him up - though somehow, she does. 

As the siblings move away from the killer, back to those still running, Heath lunges forward, reaching for the killer’s knife. He grabs his wrist, then with his other hand, the small section of the handle that Jack’s large hand isn’t wrapped around. Heath struggles for the knife, but his hand slips, and the length of his palm is cut open. It stings, but he keeps up the struggle. 

Jack doesn’t falter. He rips Heath’s hand off of him, and then kicks him down onto his back. Heath’s head smacks against the floor, but he remains conscious, and tries to get back onto his feet. Before he can, the Jack-O-Lantern killer stomps on his chest. Heath can’t even scream, his insides feeling crushed, broken, his lungs no longer working. 

As Marina, Romy, Noah, Calista, Eisa, Junko, Samantha and Michael all run, the Jack-O-Lantern mutilates Heath’s face, carving in it a jagged smile, then digging out his eyeballs, working until he’s complete with the transformation of the now lifeless body.

“We can’t go back to the grocery store.” Romy pleads, struggling at the back of the group but trying to catch up. “We can’t lead him right to the others.” 

“We can find somewhere else to hide, while we wait for the cops.” Marina suggests, her struggle evident in her breathless and strained voice as she holds on to her sibling, awkwardly positioned with a hand over his wound, trying to stop the bleeding - much like Samantha is doing with Michael up ahead. 

“There are all the stores we left unlocked upstairs.” Junko suggests, loud enough for the entire group to hear, unlike Marina and Romy’s speech.

“I also left Donna’s unlocked.” Marina nods. “I don’t want to go back up to find the Ghost again.” She shivers as she thinks of Kamila’s body, left up there.

Eisa turns her head yet keeps moving forward, looking at those speaking, and she notices Romy’s struggle. She stops until they catch up, and when they do, she helps Marina apply pressure to the stab wound, and she helps take some of Romy’s weight as they all keep going. “I can help more once we’ve stopped.” She tells them, also looking ahead to Michael, who is bleeding a lot, but lucky in the way that he doesn’t have such a deep wound. 

The group agrees, and they make it up to level one again. Romy, Marina and Eisa only just make it off the escalator when they see the Jack-O-Lantern on the other side of the mall, as if waiting for them. Fear strikes inside of them all again. “He must have gone up the stairwell.” Noah thinks out loud breathlessly. None of them are sure of what to do.

“Level two.” Junko throws out the first idea. The Ghost may still be up there, but they know that there are many stores unlocked and available to hide in before they reach Stitch by Stitch, so they hope they can go undetected by the second killer. They all run up the next escalator; none of them feel like there’s another option.

“The Black Cat.” Eisa suggests, and they all rush into the dark store. They crouch down, hiding against walls, behind shelves, the first places they find. The store is filled with the sounds of heavy breathing, the sounds of Michael wincing as Samantha and Junko help with his injuries, and the sound of Romy groaning as Marina and Eisa help with theirs. With no sign of either killer approaching, they wait. 

As the group try their best to escape the killers, the remaining employees in Key Of Reason are eager to close up shop and make their way home. Jamison Burr and Veronica Velasco struggle to drag the last of the heavy boxes from the latest shipment into the storage room out the back, neither of their spirits high as they were made to wait for hours for the shipment that came late. 

Thankfully with the job almost done, the end is in sight. They’re both relieved, but particularly Veronica. It doesn’t take living through an attack to make someone fearful of the late shift at the mall, but it certainly doesn’t help, and after Veronica’s encounter with a killer right here in this very store, she doesn’t want to be here for a second longer than necessary. She pushes the last box into place with all of her strength and Jamie’s help. “Finally.” She huffs, straightening up again. “I’ll get the keys to lock the room up.”

“Thanks,” Jamie continues to straighten up the boxes while he waits for her to return. “Everything else should be good to go after this, we can finally get out of here.” He can’t think of anything else the pair has neglected to get done. A tired smile graces his face, though it’s wiped swiftly as a loud crashing comes from the front of the store. 

Without hesitation, Jamie steps out to the horrifying sight. The Skeleton stands over Veronica, holding the femur bone that has clearly just been used to attack her. The skin on her forehead is split and bleeding, and she’s fallen into a table that had magazines stacked upon it. “Shit.” Jamie is terrified, but he runs towards the pair, wanting to help Veronica out. 

He reaches them, though the Skeleton swings his weapon at Jamie before he can help; he only just avoids a collision, though he feels it graze his hair as he ducks. He stumbles backwards, and looks at Veronica. They’re in shock, not moving from the ground.

She’s terrified; this attack resembles her previous encounter with the killer so closely, and she isn’t sure that she can live through an attack here twice. She’s only able to break free of the shock when the Skeleton’s bone smacks against her head harshly one more time. The cut on her forehead splits open wider, and more blood begins to rush down her face. She falls to her side, but finally, she begins to scramble up onto her feet. 

“Go.” Jamie rushes to grab her, to help her up all the way and out of the store, but just as his fingers make contact with her skin, the Skeleton swings the bone and hits her across the back. Veronica is winded, thrown onto her hands and knees before she collapses onto her front. Immediately the weapon is swung in Jamie’s direction once again, and this time, it makes contact with his stomach. 

He falls onto his backside with a groan. His eyes prickle with tears, but he forces himself up, even while feeling unable to breathe. He reaches Veronica again, and though he tries to pull her back up, she’s dizzy and limp, wheezing and groaning uncomfortably as she’s trying yet failing. “Come on Veronica.” He pulls a little harder, and she finally gets her feet flat on the floor. 

It lasts a second before Jamie is hit again. He’s hit across the side this time, and he’s sent into the drum kit set up beside them. As he topples over it, skin splits on his eyebrow, and his entire body feels badly bruised.

Veronica somehow manages to stay on her feet, though she’s swaying. She blinks tears out of her eyes and inhales loud, jagged breaths, quickly until she’s able to step forward to try to make a run for it again. She can’t properly see the path in front of her, blood, tears, and dizziness blurring her vision, but she tries. As she steps towards the door, not quite running but moving fast, the Skeleton swings and hits her one more time. 

This time, they smash the femur bone against her left calf; Veronica screams in agony as a loud crunch and crack sounds, followed by the sensation of her flesh tearing apart in the front of her leg as her bone pierces its way through her. This time, when she falls to the floor, she hits her head harshly against the tiles, and she lays there lifelessly while blood pools around her. 

Seemingly satisfied with his work, the Skeleton walks out of the store, leaving the two victims behind in search of finding the next. 

Jamie waits for the killer to be out of sight before rushing to Veronica’s side. He feels for a pulse - she’s still alive. He quickly pulls off his flannelette shirt, and he does the best he can to tie up the large wound on her broken leg. Veronica comes to with a loud scream of pain. “Sorry.” Jamie tells them hurriedly. 

“Where is he?” Veronica slurs their words, and hiccups as they try to hold back a cry of pain. 

“He walked out, but I don’t trust him to not come back.” He helps Veronica as they try to sit up, shaking with pain and fear. “I think we should hide.” He decides. “I’ll call 911, get you some help, but I think we’re better off hiding out the back while I do.” He swallows thickly; he’s trying to be the strong one. “D’you think you can get there if you put your weight on me, rather than your leg?” 

Veronica isn’t sure, but regardless, she nods. “Hiding- okay.” Veronica is more the fighter type, but she has to accept that she has no other choice right now. They try to stand her up, but even while trying their best to avoid her broken leg, she screams out in pain, the bone pushing up on the torn and bleeding flesh as she moves positions. Maybe she doesn’t even have this choice, after all. 

On the same floor, Juniper Zhao and November Cain are about to walk out of Skin Deep. The lights are all off, and there’s nothing more to do than lock the door and find their way home. Just before they walk out, however, Juniper catches sight of a shadowy figure, and their gut tells them to hang back. “Just a second.” They tell November, a hushed voice and a hand up to gesture ‘stop’. 

November, a cautious person, immediately agrees to stay put when they see the figure, too. They step back into the store a little further, wanting to be sure that they’re definitely concealed in the shadows. 

The two employees wait, eyes wide as they look out and see the Skeleton walking past the tattoo parlour. They both hold their breaths, the situation feeling so scary that it doesn’t even feel real. Once the Skeleton is far enough away for Juniper to risk whispering, she turns her head to look at November. “That was one of the killers, right?” She’s only just begun to learn about the killers, and while November hasn’t lived in Shrike Heights for long, either, she trusts them to know more than she does. 

There’s no way that that couldn’t have been a killer. November has never seen one in person before, but regardless, they’re sure it is. They don’t dare speak, afraid to make a sound, but they nod their head.

Juniper turns back; the killer walks into Fast Times, and Juniper knows immediately that they need to take this opportunity to escape. “I know it’s scary,” Juniper starts, “but we need to run.” With the killer out of sight, and likely preoccupied with others - though that’s not a detail she wishes to think of - it’s now or never. 

November feels as though their heart has stopped beating. “We have to go.” Juniper reaffirms. November swallows hard. They don’t want to risk getting caught, getting hurt, but they don’t much like the idea of staying here - especially not if Juniper is going to flee regardless. They nod their head again. Slowly, and as quietly as possible, the two co-workers open the door, shut it behind them, and then they bolt. 

As they run together, they hear a scream, and they’re not the only ones to hear it. Martin Montgomery makes his way out, too, but he finds himself directly outside of Key Of Reason when the scream comes from inside of it. He looks in, and can’t miss the bloody scene. “Oh fuck.” 

Jamie looks to the source of the cursing, and is relieved to see another person - specifically one not injured. He helps Veronica settle back down before standing up himself. “Please,” he begins, desperate and breathless. “I’m trying to get her out the back, so I can call for help but stay hidden.” He wipes the blood from his eyebrow that threatens to roll into his eye. “Can you help?” 

Martin nods. Jamie hasn’t told them that there’s a killer in the mall, but they don’t need to be told to know; the most common workplace injury in the mall is one inflicted by a killer. “Where’d they go?” They ask, wanting to try to gauge how much danger they’re in by taking the time to help. 

The two wrap their arms around Veronica, who keeps slumping forward, in and out of consciousness, as Jamie explains. “Down to the left.” He says. “The Skeleton.” He adds.

“Careful,” Martin almost cuts Jamie off, speaking to Veronica who almost slumps forward onto her bad leg now that they have her standing. 

As they speak, Juniper and November reach the music store. They look in with horror, so much blood in the place the three are gathered. They hesitate, looking at each other before looking back, and then Juniper walks into the store. She doesn’t like being out in the open, and as they’ve hesitated, not just made a run for it, she’s afraid that the killer will emerge from Fast Times and catch them. Naturally, November follows, though no option available for them to take right now feels like a good one.

The mall employees back down in the Black Cat sit in silence as the attack on Jamie and Veronica unfolds. Their breathing calms, the two injured find the most comfortable set ups for themselves as they hide, and they wait patiently. Even though the snow is thick outside, they’re hoping that the authorities can arrive promptly; it’s all they can really do as they wait - hope. 

In the most unexpected moment, their silence is broken jarringly and abruptly. Calista shrieks, and she stands from her position crouched in front of a rack of clothing. She falls forwards, almost tripping, but steadying herself last minute. Noah, who now sits behind Calista, can see a large cut across her back. He stands, just in time to spot the Ghost. He runs to the door. 

The others all get to their feet too, Michael and Romy both helped, though both in better condition after a moment of rest and some makeshift first aid. “Upstairs!” Eisa calls out in suggestion; they can’t run back in the direction of the Jack-O-Lantern, but it’s clear that they have to move. Junko helps Calista stay steady as they all flee, Samantha helping Michael, and Marina helping Romy. 

The Skeleton walks into the still bright Fast Times, though upon stepping into the store, he can’t immediately find his next victims. This doesn’t deter him. Holding the blood splattered bone in his hand, he starts smashing things in the store, items off of shelves, display cases to pieces, swinging at everything he passes as he moves menacingly further in. 

Ho Duk-Soo and Rune Lancaster are the reasons for the lights still being on, both still there, out the back of Fast Times. Duckie is the first to hear noise coming from the store, extremely alert despite this not being his place of work. “What the fuck?” He mumbles, stepping away from the other and towards the door. He doesn’t think to be afraid.

“Wait.” Rune warns, then jumping as another smash sounds. He doesn’t know what to do. He’s afraid of what’s out there, but he doesn’t want to admit it, he doesn’t want to show weakness. 

Duckie turns to look at Rune, but he doesn’t say anything else before he opens the door. He steps out, and the second Duckie’s eyes find the Skeleton, he rushes back inside the office. He pulls the door shut and he flicks the lock closed securely. “Have you got a knife?” He asks with a casualty that suggests he believes everyone should. 

The question only scares Rune more. “Duk, what?” More smashing, clattering and banging comes from the store front. Rune wraps his arms around himself for comfort. 

“A knife, or a bat, or anything.” Duckie shakes his head, as if frustrated that Rune can’t give him exactly what he’s requesting right away. 

“What did you see?” Rune asks in response, and though he asks this, he knows. He’s not sure which of the killers is out there, but he knows this isn’t just some vandal causing havoc in the store.

“If we don’t have anything I can use to fight then we need to barricade the door.” Duckie clearly wants to take action to help, not interested in talking about it. He steps towards the desk. “Take the other side, help me pull it over the door.” He instructs. Rune listens. Together, they half carry, half slide the heavy wooden desk so that it’s blocking the door. The second they both take their hands off of it, a loud pounding on the door frightens them. Rune jumps, and even Duckie flinches. 

The two of them move away from the door, together towards the back of the office. Duckie’s eyes stay alert in the direction of the banging, while Rune’s flicker between the door and Duckie, his chest moving unevenly. The door cracks, splitting in the middle; Rune jumps again, and reaches to hold onto Duckie’s arm. This time, Duckie doesn’t flinch, but he’s only putting on a brave front. Duckie is scared, too. 

“What do we do?” Rune asks desperately, loud thuds against the door causing the damage to grow. “Duk, what do we do?” He asks again, louder this time, feeling trapped, not seeing a way out. 

As brave as Duckie is, he doesn’t have the answer, and he has no time to think as the door is quickly smashed in. The Skeleton moves with frightening haste, kicking the desk out of the way and swinging his weapon at the two. The femur makes impact with Duckie’s side, and he’s thrown across the small room, into the wall. Rune can’t move out of the way before the same happens to him. 

The victims force themselves to recover. Duckie jumps forward, next to the side of the desk, and when the Skeleton steps forward on the other side to follow, Duckie pushes the desk with all of his strength, temporarily jamming the killer in between it and the wall. He takes the opportunity to run, but before he can make it out of the office, the Skeleton attacks him again, having pushed the desk away with ease.

He hits Duckie in the same place, his ribs cracking, his body thrown out of the room and onto the ground. Duckie groans, unable to move, but Rune scoops him up and onto his feet desperately. “It’s okay Duk, it’s okay.” He soothes, though as he does so he has to push the man forward, prompting him to keep moving. 

They try to make a run for it, but their path is complicated by the mess inside of the store. Duckie holds back groans of pain and discomfort as he manoeuvres himself over broken skateboards and piles of accessories, Rune right behind him, and unfortunately the Skeleton right behind Rune. 

Not even halfway through the store, the Skeleton hits Rune again, square in the back so they’re pushed forward into Duckie. They both fall to the ground. Rune sits up, pushing himself through pain, only to be hit across his side and sent back down beside Duckie. Duckie gets up, and this time, the Skeleton kicks him down. Duckie’s cheek is cut on a skateboard truck as he lands, but he gets immediately back up again, as does Rune.

Rune is the first to keep running again, and as Duckie follows, the Skeleton moves faster to attack him again. The femur bone makes impact with the same, already injured side of Duckie’s, and the cracking sound repeats, the pain increasing tenfold. Rune doesn’t hesitate to turn and pull Duckie back up, and while they do so successfully, Duckie screams in pain.

Finally, the two are able to make it out of the store, though what they find outside of it isn’t any better. 

While the two are attacked by the Skeleton, Junko, Eisa, Calista, Michael, Samantha, Noah, Marina and Romy all find themselves outside of Key Of Reason. They find the two injured individuals, as well as Martin, Juniper and November. 

They rush into the store, some to help, some to be better hidden from any approaching killer. Martin and Jamie have Veronica halfway to the back room when they find themselves with more company. They explain what they’re doing, just as they did with Juniper and November, and they keep going. Even if others wished to help there isn’t much anyone else can do. 

“Should we do the same as the grocery store? Turn the lights off and hide?” Marina suggests. 

“I don’t think hiding helped us very much last time.” Junko counters, still beside Calista, who still struggles to catch her breath after fleeing from the hiding spot in which she was attacked. 

Before anyone else can say or do another thing, November gasps, loud enough to call attention to themself, dodging the Ghost just in time to avoid their blade. They stumble and fall, but they push themself up again quickly. Everyone else scatters around the store, trying to avoid the killer, too. Only Jamie, Veronica and Martin are unable to run. 

“Oh god,” Romy watches the Ghost take advantage of the situation, and before they can move to do anything, the Ghost slashes Martin across the arm. They have to let go of Veronica to move away from the knife before the cut becomes worse, and when they do, both Veronica and Jamie struggle. As the Ghost follows Martin, Romy moves in to take his place in helping Veronica. “I’m hurt,” he prefaces. “but I can try to help.” 

The three move faster, Veronica sobbing with pain. As the Ghost is preoccupied with all of the other potential victims, they’re able to make it into the small office safely. They sit Veronica down on the chair, and only once her weight is off Romy does he realise how badly he hurts, and how dizzy he feels. Jamie sees for the first time, the large, dark patch of blood seeping through their clothes. “We need to get you help, too.” He shuts the door. 

Romy doesn’t want to just hide, not without his sister at least, but he takes one step back towards the door and he collapses. 

The rest of those in Key Of Reason all flee from the store, and when they exit, they find Duckie and Rune, and the Skeleton following them closely behind. In the other direction, the Jack-O-Lantern has found his way to them, too. 

Everyone splits up, running in different directions to avoid different killers. It’s terribly difficult, as it seems each time they’ve escaped one, they find themselves face to face with another. 

The Skeleton first reaches November; in swift motions, before November can move away, the killer beats them over and over with their weapon. Harsh blows hit them on their sides, their stomach, and their back. November gasps and cries, but they can’t seem to stumble their way out of it, not until Juniper pulls on their shirt to get them out of the line of fire, their only choice to help. 

In doing this, Juniper gets hit too, though only a couple of times, and not with as much force as they quickly move to run with November by their side, away from the killer. The impacts still hurt an awful lot, but they escape. 

The Skeleton moves on to Junko. They swing their weapon at them, but Junko dodges it at least three times, hurriedly and desperately; the last time they move quickly to dodge the attack, they fall down onto their back. Eisa is there to pick them back up again, and they run in another direction. The Skeleton doesn’t follow as they turn to find Calista. 

He swings the large bone, and hits Calista over the head. The impact throws her across the floor, and the pain in her back, where she was cut by the Ghost, makes her scream when she lands. Martin is right there, and they reach down to help her back up. “You got this, let’s go.” They encourage her as she begins to cry. 

While Duckie and Rune escaped the Skeleton, as they try to flee towards the escalators to escape the mall, they meet the Ghost right in the middle of the space. Duckie is the first to try to dodge an attack, but also the first to do so unsuccessfully. The Ghost begins to slice his skin open, over his arms and his side opposite to the one the Skeleton already brutalised. 

Rune jumps forward, taking hold of Duckie and trying to pull him away safely. Before they can help, however, the Ghost cuts them both all over, all across their fronts until both their own and each other’s blood is splattered all over them. Despite all of the pain they’re in, they run, just as the rest of the mall employees around them are doing. 

Unfortunately, they run right into the Jack-O-Lantern. With a heavy boot, he kicks forwards, kicking Duckie right under his broken ribs, sending him flying backwards. He makes impact with one of the bench seats bolted to the floor of the mall, and he flips over it. Both the impact and the landing on the cold, hard floor causes Duckie’s arm to snap; he recognises his bone as broken immediately. Rune appears by his side before he can pretend he isn’t crying. 

The Jack-O-Lantern doesn’t pursue the pair any further as Michael rushes past, frightened and woozy from the loss of blood already experienced. As he passes, Jack lunges forward and he holds out his knife; the dirty blade cuts him across the side, and he stumbles. Before Michael even gets the chance to fall, Jack steps forward and he kicks him in the back, harshly to the ground. Michael feels a crack in his chest, and struggles to breathe. 

Marina and Samantha both begin pulling Michael back up onto his feet as Jack once again turns away and finds another victim. Eisa and Junko are moving swiftly, but they’re not quick enough.

The Jack-O-Lantern killer kicks Eisa in the back, and he kicks her right into the large, white sheet known as the Ghost. She screams in pain and fright as she gets tangled in the bottom of the sheet, and is unable to find her way out before she begins feeling sharp pain slicing across her body, over her forearms, her sides and her legs. She’s finally freed with the help of Junko, and while they both try to run, Eisa falls after her first step. She groans in pain. 

“It’s okay, I’ve got you.” Junko reassures her as she stands again, quickly, blinking through tears. Junko takes her arm for support, and they continue on their way. 

Samantha leads the way down the escalator to level two, Marina, Michael, Juniper and November following closely, Eisa and Junko a little way after. All of the attacks have happened so quickly, almost simultaneously, but no one is ready to give up yet. It’s easy to move like your life depends on it when it really does.

As Eisa and Junko step onto the stationary escalator respectively, and begin to rush down it to catch up with the others, Junko is hit in the back harshly. She falls forward, into Eisa, and the two of them fall down to the very bottom. They’re both winded, but they find the strength to get back up before the Skeleton catches them. 

They run, heaving in pain, but it doesn’t take long until they believe they’ve lost the Skeleton. Just as they go to pass Stitch by Stitch, they notice the enormous blood puddle - but Kamila’s dead body is no longer there. Both Eisa and Junko stop running, shocked, confused. But now that they’ve hesitated, and now that Eisa has stopped for a moment long enough to realise just how painful all of her injuries are, she speaks. “I think we should hide.” 

She understands that they weren’t safe last time they hid, down in the Black Cat, but they’re seriously running out of options. In pain, too, Junko nods. They rush into the store, and hide out the back, trying to cover themselves with hung up garments and sheets of fabric. 

As the two hide, Marina, Samantha, Michael, Juniper and November continue down the next escalator to level one. Before any of them can think about feeling optimistic about an escape, the Jack-O-Lantern makes his way down, too. Michael, Juniper and November rush to head down to the ground floor, but before Marina or Samantha can follow, they’re both attacked.

He reaches Samantha first; he makes an attempt at stabbing her, but she jumps to the side, and is only cut on her chest. It stings, but she knows she’s lucky it’s not so much worse. Luck is the last thing she feels, however, when Jack, as if frustrated, smacks her down with a closed fist, causing her to fall to the floor. 

The killer turns to Marina next. She’s steps away from the escalator, but she doesn’t make it as he charges towards her, and he plunges his knife deeply into her abdomen. He twists the blade sickly as he pulls it from her flesh, and then stabs her again, directly above the last wound. Before he can twist the blade to pull it out, Samantha pulls Marina’s body back, free from the blade, and despite her own injuries, she helps to support Marina as they run. 

They make their way to Donna’s, the first available and open store. Marina chokes on cries as she moves, holding the wounds, trying her best to not scream at the pain. She’s a tough girl, she’s been through a lot, but this pain is unimaginable. Samantha helps to guide them inside. She leads them to the very back, and she hides them in between the extremely tall shelves that contain the hundreds of pairs of rental skates. Samantha takes off her sweater, and she wraps it around Marina, pulling it tight to try to slow the bleeding. They wait. 

Michael, November and Juniper are the only ones who make it down to the ground level. Michael’s broken into a sweat, and he sways as he moves due to the severity of his injuries, particularly the blood loss. November and Juniper are in pain, too, though as they’re still at the very least able to stand, they help Michael the rest of the way to the grocery store. Juniper takes Michael’s wait, an arm over her shoulder, while November leads the way, keeping a comfortable distance - if anything can be considered comfortable right now. “Where’s my sister?” Michael slurs, but his speech is so impaired that neither of the others understand what he’s trying to say. 

A grocer helps the three into the dark and quiet store. “Holy shit, where’s everyone else?” They ask as they reach to help take Michael’s weight. 

“Don’t know.” November mutters, shaking their head, too overwhelmed and overstimulated from the traumatic events. They move back to keep more distance between themself and the others, standing behind Juniper, Michael, and the grocer.

“We were all separated.” Juniper says, having missed the deaths of Heath and Kamila, unable to break the hard news even if they wanted to. 

“We’re pretty sure the cops are already here,” the grocer continues, a hushed voice. “A couple of us thought we could hear them. When we called they said something about the blizzard, we think they’re digging us out now.” 

Relief can’t be felt yet, fear still apparent, and that feeling not unfounded. The three from upstairs are led in the dark towards the rest of the group, but as November trails behind the others, they’re suddenly knocked down. 

The Ghost begins to slash them all over as they’re stuck on the ground, cutting them in all the places where they’ve already been injured by the Skeleton, along with across their arms as they try to shield their face. They cry out in pain, and a flashlight pointing to them to see what’s happening leads the Ghost to the rest of the group. 

The Ghost moves towards them, and begins to cut up and brutalise multiple of the grocery store employees. Juniper tries to run back out, though as they reach the grate that is shut over the store once again, they can see through the gaps that both the Jack-O-Lantern and the Skeleton stand outside. She swallows thickly, feeling the blood draining from her face. 

Higher up in the mall, while everyone flees downstairs via the escalator, others decide to run all the way over to the stairwell in hopes of a better pathway down to safety. Calista, Noah, Duckie, Rune and Martin all reach the door together. Martin pulls it open swiftly, rushing in, the others following to the best of their abilities through their pain. 

As Martin goes to run down the stairs, they run right into the Hunter’s knife. The tip of the blade penetrates their stomach, and they jump back instinctively, almost immediately. They gasp in shock, both hands clasping over the wound to stop the blood flow. 

Unable to go down, and not wanting to go back to the rest of the killers, the group must go up. Noah grabs the back of Martin’s coat, pulling on it to prompt him to run quickly, and together, they all climb the stairs. Calista is the first to reach the very last door in the stairwell. “We can’t.” She pants, shaking her head. The roof is too dangerous.

“We have no other choice.” Duckie reminds her, and while it’s far from ideal, Calista opens the door, and makes her way out onto the roof. The rest follow, and once all out in the snowy conditions, Noah, Rune and Martin try to hold the door shut, so that the killer can’t reach them. 

The killer bangs against the door over and over and over. He’s strong, and as the victims out on the icy rooftop are all in pain from their attacks and the running up and down mall floors, he quickly wins. The door bursts open, and immediately, being on the roof starts feeling like the worst idea in the world. 

The Hunter lunges towards Noah, his hunting knife braced firmly in his hand. It’s clear that the killer aims to give Noah an identical injury to Martin, but as both perpetrator and victim slip as they move on the icy roof, the Hunter’s knife only shallowly cuts across Noah’s stomach. They both fall, and while the Hunter recovers quickly, Noah lands on his back with a hard thud. 

The skin on his hands burn on the ice as he pushes himself up, gasping for air, lungs shocked by the cold, and before the Hunter can do more damage, Noah makes his way over to the others, where they’ve grouped together carefully a small way away from the killer on the corner of the roof.

It feels good to have distance, that is, until the Hunter puts his knife away, and wields his bow instead. He pulls an arrow from his quiver. The victims try to move cautiously on the ice and the freshly fallen snow, but Rune isn’t able to dodge the arrow that whips through the air at them. It half lodges itself in the side of Rune’s bicep, before ultimately dislodging itself and flying off the roof.

The impact and the quick movement of Rune reaching up to apply pressure on his fresh wound causes him to slip and fall to the ground. “We need to go back inside.” He begs, and all of the victims agree that they’ve ended up in the worst place, despite it having felt like their only option. As the killer pulls out another arrow, the task of returning inside of the mall is easier said than done. 

Wind blows harshly, snow falls heavily, and they all stand, shivering, hurting, some crying. Only as Calista almost slips, does Duckie get an idea. Despite his horrific condition, he rushes towards the killer. “Duk!” Rune screams, inhaling a cold mouthful of air, but Duckie doesn’t stop. He uses the slippery ground to his advantage, and he builds up momentum by sliding towards the Hunter. He knows he’s too weak to apply his own force.

His body slams against the Hunter’s. The killer is sent backwards, to the edge of the roof. Duckie falls to the ground and loses consciousness upon impact; the entire group on the other side of the small section of roof waits with bated breath. The Hunter slips on the ice and the snow as he tries to regain his footing, but his attempt is unsuccessful. He falls from the roof of the mall, down into inches of freshly fallen snow - but not before he releases his arrow. 

The arrow, like the last, whips through the air. Those at risk of getting hit shuffle away, slipping back towards the edge of roof diagonal to the edge the Hunter fell from. With extreme force, the arrow hits Calista square in the chest. Everyone is silent in shock. Calista takes a step back, already bloody hands coming up to the wound, getting wetter with more of her own blood. She looks up from the arrow, tears silently sliding down her flushed cheeks, and then she begins to fall back. 

Rune and Martin, standing either side of her, both reach out to catch her, to stop her from falling down. They both manage to catch a hand in time, but as Calista’s hands are so slippery, their own wet, too, from their own blood, their grip is quickly lost. Rune reaches out again, he catches the tip of her fingers as her body begins to go down, but again, she slips out of his grip. Noah reaches out for Rune, pulling him back before he can fall, too, and Calista is gone.

A loud crack sounds from down below; the sound of Calista’s body landing on the icy surface behind the mall. 

Nobody can move, but eventually, they do. They help carry Duckie’s unconscious body back into the warmth, and while they make their way down to the ground floor, where the police finally break through the snow covering the doors, they still can’t find the words.

plot drop 012 features fifteen of our muses encountering the jack-o-lantern killer, the ghost, the skeleton + the hunter. 

eisa sanders is left with severe bruising, cuts all over her body and substantial blood loss.

ho duk-soo is left with severe bruising, broken ribs, a broken arm, cuts over his body and a head injury.

jamison ‘jamie’ burr is left with substantial bruising and a cut on his face.

juniper zhao is left with severe bruising.

junko jacobsen is left with severe bruising.

marina davies is left with two stab wounds in the abdomen and severe bleeding. 

martin montgomery is left with a deep cut, a stab wound in the abdomen and substantial blood loss.

michael webb is left with cuts all over his body, severe bruising, a broken rib, a large gash across the side and severe blood loss. 

noah cohen is left with a cut on his stomach, broken skin on his hands, mild bruising and severe chest pain.

november cain is left with severe bruising, cuts all over their body and substantial blood loss.

romulus ‘romy’ davies is left with a stab wound in the back, mild bruising and severe blood loss.

rune lancaster is left with severe bruising, cuts all over his body, a deep gash on his bicep and severe blood loss.

samantha webb is left with severe bruising and a cut on her chest.

veronica velasco is left with severe bruising, a cut on the head, a broken leg, a large gash on her leg from her bone breaking through and severe blood loss.

calista tjhoea is left with cuts all over her body, a head injury, severe blood loss and an arrow through the chest - which is fatal.

[idahofallshq]

03: BLOOD & BLAME. 25TH JUNE - 16TH JULY, 2044.

TW: DEATH, HANGING, GORE.

30th june.

it starts with screams. some human, some less so. 

the sun hasn't so much as reached the highest point in the sky when the mall becomes cold with panic. the first scream is undeniably human, horror-struck and bone chilling. everyone inside the building hears it. then they hear the second scream, no, a screech. it can't be, can it?

the mall breaks out in a frenzy. it's not just one person who turned in their sleep. it's a few, then it's a dozen, then there's too many to keep track of. it's a massacre, and the infection doesn't discriminate. it takes the old, the healthy, and the young. their blood now stains the floors of grand teton mall.

once the last infected is cut down, the powers of observation push through the fight or flight. the runners may be dead, but there are still residents who have signs of sickness. and yet, no scratches or bites in sight. it's in this quieter evaluation of the damage done that discordant laughter cuts through the air. 

there is a man that no one can claim to know very well. some have seen him in the kitchens, some have seen him sitting alone. his laugh is maniacal, and there's satisfaction in his eyes. he is grabbed by the neck, but it does not cut him short.

“the oracle said it would be beautiful.” and he smiles in a way that says and he was right.

the mall goes under quarantine within the hour. no one can leave, no one can enter. 89 bodies are dragged out to be burned. among them, the body of marseline well. twenty-one years young, and mauled almost to the point of being unrecognisable. the young medic in training's end is perhaps one of the most shocking. after all, she was left struggling with a runner until it chewed and ripped her to the bone.

2nd july.

the quarantine is lifted, but not before more infected bodies are thrown onto the fire in the car park. the death count rises to 104.

it's a little after midday when alexei orders every resident to congregate outside the mall. he stands tall on the roof of a truck, waiting for them to arrive. the truck is parked under a street lamp, and from it, hangs a noose. next to alexei, some might recognise the man laughing after the initial outbreak. he's bloody, swaying weakly, with his hands and feet bound together. he's not laughing anymore.

silence falls over the street and alexei smiles. “i've gathered you all here today for answers,” he starts, almost humbly, as if he's giving idaho falls more than it deserves, “the outbreak in the mall was no accident, and we have our culprit.” alexei turns to the prisoner, grabbing his chin as the weak man recoils. “this man comes from up north, yellowstone. some of you might know what sort of people reside there, but for those of you who don't, the people of the national park believe the infection is a gift from god.” there's an outbreak of laughter and jeering, but it stops as soon as alexei holds out his palm. “it was their intention to begin a purge in idaho falls, but they didn't do a good enough job.” cheers come from alexei's most staunch followers, insults hurled at the cultist.

“it seems some of us have forgotten what happens when you stand against me.” there's a beat where alexei looks into the crowd, eyes falling on individuals who have caught too much of his attention as of late. including his last remaining child.

alexei steps down from the roof of the truck, and his brother takes his place at the prisoner's side. alexei's executioner holds the cultist still as he begins to struggle, and puts the noose around his neck. it tightens, and the executioner drives the truck just far enough so the prisoner falls. silence washes over the crowd. there haven't been public hangings since the uprising.

the cultist struggles. he gasps for air. his face turns red, then purple. then his body falls still.

alexei returns to the roof of the truck, not so much as a glance in the direction of the hanged man. “i think you'll all be relieved to hear that there is a silver lining amongst our loss. i will be promoting twenty of you to the rank of enforcer. those of you who have shown resolve, ingenuity, leadership, but most importantly, loyalty, over the past month will be given the privilege to serve under me directly, for the betterment of the zone.” alexei reads out one by one, the names of the residents who will now have enough rations to keep their stomachs from growling. there's jealousy cutting through the wake of the public hanging. alexei reads out the nineteenth name, and then stops. “the last spot is up for grabs. see, i need you all to do something for me. one of my enforcers, mike giraldi, was found dead, but not because of infection. there were no signs of poisoning, scratches, or bites. no, mike was found stabbed, by very human hands. the last spot for enforcer goes to whomever brings me the culprit. you have two weeks.”

it's a tempting reward. even to those who don't want the responsibility of the role, being promoted means more food, better sleeping conditions, and a degree of safety and protection not extended to anyone else. already, bonds are being worn away, and suspicious glances are passed through the masses. the seed of distrust has been sown, and in times of shortages and countless deaths, that seed blooms quickly.

an enforcer takes the stage on the roof of the truck to deliver some changes coming into effect. travelling restrictions are being introduced for resident's safety. from now on, residents may only leave their station with the permission of or by request of alexei or an enforcer. it is also outlined that alexei will only accept evidence in the form of a written and signed or verbal confession from the accused.

3rd - 16th july.

a cold war begins. neighbour turns on neighbour as residents fight for the spot that will guarantee safety in such turbulent times. some try to find the culprit, others use it as an opportunity to incriminate and, hopefully, get rid of enemies and problems. confessions roll in as the weeks go by, and a considerable amount are fabricated. alexei knows this, he was rooting for this. trust amongst residents is being torn apart, and with it, alexei's control over the zone intensifies. few blink when someone gets whisked away from the streets in broad daylight, for they know the resident will return, leaving behind a shaky signature in a blood stained paper with truths or lies.

what lengths will you go to to ensure starvation doesn't take you before something else does?

but there's a light at the end of this tunnel, barely a flicker, or is it a spark? unbeknownst to the tyrant and his loyalists, rebellion takes a stance, and with all eyes on finding alexei his culprit, there's room for a brave few to begin gathering quiet forces.

ADMIN NOTES:

all characters (not all idaho residents) are stuck in grand teton mall for the quarantine, but you are free to decide how your character ended up there, either on purpose by trying to save others or being unable to escape the chaos. 

if you'd like one of your character's NPCs to die in the outbreak, you don't have to approach an admin about it. 

signed confessions don't have to be authentic, but please don't fabricate a confession for a character without plotting it with the respective player first. your characters can also have submitted confessions (fabricated or not) for NPCs if you want your character to look good in alexei's eyes. you can either write up a confession and post it to the dash, or message an admin letting us know who your character has submitted confessions from.

the 20th spot for enforcer will be awarded in the next timestamp, and this role will be chosen by us admins. we will pick a character/player that we think would make the most of this role as there will be plot implications for this role. if you really like the sound of this, then please message an admin and we will consider your wishes in the final decision. 

we actually encourage characters to get into some trouble in this timestamp because alexei will be keeping a note of those who've stepped out of line but won't be punishing anyone heavily but mike's killer for now. getting your character on alexei's bad side will help with future plot drops and give your characters some fun plots, so if you like the idea of this, then please message an admin and we can plot something.

30TH JUNE.

OPHELIA sees eddie, son of the late cook raymond, stabbing mike.

MATTY see's OPHELIA running from mike's body and confronts her about it.

VINCENT manages to get the word out about the outbreak and reaches ZAHRA over the radio.

SIMON and DOMINIC, amidst the chaos, find an unknown laughing man. they grab the cultist and lock him up for interrogation.

3RD JULY.

JESSE, found injured near mike's body in the outbreak, is interrogated by NIKOLAI.

5TH JULY.

ANSO suspects DAIYU, and asks her about the murder on patrol.

9TH JULY.

NELE corners GABRIEL and questions him about his whereabouts around the time of the outbreak.

11TH JULY.

in a joint effort, JOHANA and ORION corner a too-loud cook and attempt to gain a confession. the cook’s friends intervene. [result up to players]

13TH JULY.

MARA approaches ZAHRA about enlisting her help in fighting back quietly against alexei.

FELIX approaches EVA about enlisting her help in fighting back quietly against alexei.

14TH JULY.

TEDDY approaches GILBERT about enlisting his help in fighting back quietly against alexei.

SURI suspects HENRIK and tries to ask him questions over dinner.

[mechahero]

//uhhhh writing exercise i spent too much time on last night

July 13th

Taking the time to write this down since it's important. I just got settled into the house. Or rather, I just got done moving the house into town. Honestly, it kind of sticks out like a sore thumb compared to all of the other houses but it'll be fine? Probably? Anyways, I've never really been anywhere farther than Motor City so to move here is… weird. Not sure if it's the good kind of weird yet. Hopefully, I'll figure it out.

July 14th

Checked in on Motor City today. I can't help it! I'm so used to looking after everyone there! They're fine. Talked to Elevator Steve too. I told him I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing leaving everyone for a year to sort of pick up (or jump ahead I guess) where I left off education wise. He told me that this was just as important as running the city and that if I didn't take this chance, I'd regret it. And then he patted me on the head with one of his tentacles.

I guess he's right but I'm still unsure. Will be feeding more of my attention into city stabilization while I'm gone.

July 16th

The weather's just been awful today. Never could stand those summer days where it's just TOO bright. It always looks weird and it feels wrong. So I've just been staying inside, watching TV with all the curtains in the house drawn, avoiding people. People and the application form for the school I'm going to. There's a whole bunch of info things my parents are supposed to fill out but uh, they're not here..

I'll fill it out…. eventually. Once I actually figure out what some of these things mean and quit procrastinating, that is.

July 22nd

Am I making my entries too long? I worry about doing that so dang much. Anyways! I actually got off my butt and went outside today! Figured since I'd be living here for a while, I might as well get acquainted with the layout of this place so I don't end up wandering the streets trying to find my house like some dumb little idiot.

But anyways, I just kind of poked around. Lots of interesting stuff I wouldn't see back home! I shouldn't really be surprised because yeah, that's kind of expected when it comes to different dimensions but still! I just think it's cool, alright? Didn't go too far into the rest of town though. That'll have to be for another day.

July 26th

Spent the past few days dealing with a massive power outage. Wasn't sure what caused it at first and was going bonkers until I thought to check the inside of the walls. Found what looked to be lab rats chewing through the wiring. Went even more bonkers and chased them off and fixing wires, yelling and cussing up a storm. I'm pretty sure the neighbors could hear me… whoops.

August 12th

Been pretty busy lately. Checked on Motor City again only to be smacked in the face with a rolled up newspaper the second my head poked out of the portal. It seems someone's got Elevator Steve on guard duty. He apologized afterwards but told me he didn't want me to make such a fuss and enjoy myself. It's not like I can't NOT be a worrywart. It's in my nature.

It kind of hurt emotionally though? I didn't make much of a fuss though. I just went home and stayed there.

August 21st

Made the decision to go further into town. I was bored, needed something to do, and the idea was just too tempting. Honestly, not the worst idea because I found out this place has a mall! Can't even remember the last time I saw one of those. (Well, I mean, Motor City has one but uh, I kind of kept forgetting to go in there to be honest…) Anyways, I might've indulged, ha. I bought a whole bunch of stuff. Mostly clothes because yeah, I needed some and they looked nice. It was surprisingly easy to find clothing in the style I like! Honestly? Kind of happy about that. Grabbed a couple of magazines that caught my eye too.

Also went and poked around the tech stores in the mall because come on, if you're a different dimension, you HAVE to see the kind of tech they've got. Imagine my surprise when I saw that their tech is a lot like the tech back home, just more uh, spooky looking? I guess? Anyways, I have a coffin shaped phone now. It's kind of neat. Can't type worth crap though. Fricking claws.

August 22nd

Spent half of the day inside. (How many times have I said something like that now?) Still trying to get used to things. Silly, I know. But there's a lot of stuff going on with a lot of things and I need time to absorb it. Is it kind of stupid to say that I spent most of it with the TV on while I looked through websites? Not the most productive way to spend my time but I mean, I can do what I want so it doesn't really matter. Probably going to set up an account on one of the sites I saw. Lots of activity on there and looks fun enough?

I don't know yet though. Going to read one of those magazines I picked up yesterday, listen to some music and settle down a bit.

August 26th

I'm confused. I keep reading and re-reading a part of this one teen magazine I got. (Yeah, I got one, don't gripe about it. I wanted to live out a part of the quintessential teenage experience I missed out on, sue me.) But my magazine is talking about how to make a good impression on people for the new school year. And what I don't get it, what's with these tips? I keep reading them but they still feel suuuuuper off. I read them but they're just words to me. I can't parse what they actually mean past the surface. Or maybe they're supposed to be surface level? I don't know, it feels like this section is more for people that have an easier time talking to people? I don't know what this would do for me. Tempted to write a letter to the magazine and ask for them to elaborate but it seems like it'd be really embarrassing?

Okay, maybe I'm more frustrated than confused.

August 30th

I think I have way too much time on my hands? Honestly, it feels like that every summer but I really don't have anything to do here compared to being at home. It's weird. Ugh. Maybe I'm more homesick than I thought….

September 2nd

I've still been kind of feeling icky lately? So I went out again in some attempt to try and make myself feel better. Wasn't sure where to go so I went to the mall again. I had fun looking around the stores again at least! (Yeah, I already saw half of the stuff there last time but shut up.) I bought a belt. Also went and checked out the food court afterwards because my feet were KILLING me! (And I was hungry.) The food here is kind of weird too. I very much question the existence of a hamburger with a purple bun.

September 6th

Today is upgrade day. Or uh, maintenance day, I guess. My insides don't really need improvement but Elevator Steve said that it couldn't hurt to be in good shape for when school starts. So I've been allowed to come back to Motor City for the day! (Thankfully I haven't been whacked with a newspaper. Yet.) I'm kind of a nervous wreck, in all honesty. Usually, I'm freaking out when it comes to ANYONE poking around in my insides but instead I find myself worrying about making a good impression and what I'm going to wear tomorrow.

I just hope I don't screw things up completely… Ah shoot. That's my call for maintenance. I gotta go but I'll update as soon as I can.