Chapter 51: All the Missing People
The sprawling mall was eerily silent, an unsettling stillness broken only by the soft echo of Miles’s footsteps against the polished floors.
Beyond the massive windows, twilight quietly descended, painting the world in muted hues and leaving long shadows within the deserted mall. Yet, this subdued illumination was fleeting and would soon be swallowed by the encroaching darkness.
Once nightfall arrived and the mall’s artificial lights were extinguished, one would struggle to see their own hand in the dimness.
“Be careful, there’s someone to your left,” River’s anxious voice advised through the satellite phone nestled against Miles’s chest. Her warning was underscored by the faint hum of electronic transmission.
In the aisle’s corner, a middle-aged man stood still, his face ashen and surrounded by the odor of decay. His eyes remained closed, his posture eerily calm. He was as motionless as a marionette awaiting its puppeteer.
Miles moved towards the man, a quick sidelong glance acknowledging his presence. “I see him,” he murmured as he deftly sidestepped, moving past the inert figure.
Unperturbed, the man remained rooted in place, oblivious to Miles’s passing.
“Your guess was spot-on,” River exclaimed with an excited tremor in her voice, safely ensconced in the surveillance room. “The ghost… it didn’t attack you.”
Miles, however, was far from jubilant. “I’m beginning to think these aren’t actual spirits,” he commented, “more like puppets controlled by a single entity. The real ghost is likely hidden, possibly within someone. We need to move quickly. The surveillance system stores up to fifteen days of footage. I’ve reviewed the mall’s situation. The entire ordeal unfolded within ten days, starting from the initial incident to the temporary closure for refurbishment.”