“I was assigned as a security guard at a newly opened shopping mall.
‘Make rounds every hour.’
‘If you notice any movement, turn off your flashlight and under no circumstances turn it back on.’
‘If you hear a voice calling your name, ignore it.’
They were more like survival rules than workplace guidelines, but management strongly recommended following them. Several employees had gone missing in this area over the past few months.
None of them kept a log, so the exact causes of their disappearances are unknown.
I’m the last one to volunteer to monitor the building until the organization takes further action which they won’t.
The longer I stay here, the more clearly I hear a woman’s voice calling me into the depths of the abandoned center. Abandoned? Was the center ever abandoned? It seems to have changed its appearance while I’ve been in the safe zone is it really safe?
I don’t know how much time has passed—the clock stopped before it even reached three in the morning. All I can do is wait for dawn. It’s safer here in the morning, and the day shift guard will relieve me right away.
Judging by the sound, water is dripping from somewhere. I wonder where it’s coming from? Is it raining outside? Could the roof be leaking somewhere?
I can hear rustling outside. It’s luring me out. I feel like I’m going crazy. I’m supposed to be all alone here, but I know for sure that someone else is lurking nearby. I was warned about this.
Could they have lied to me?… No, there’s definitely someone here. I’m definitely not crazy!!!
A screech, as if something were scratching at the door with claws. An annoying sound—covering my ears with my hands doesn’t help; it’s as if it’s inside my head. I want to smash my skull…
There are only a few hours left. I don’t know how many. I’ve made three rounds and don’t know when to start the fourth. The uncertainty is turning into despair. I’m trapped here. The only way to escape is to head straight for the front door as soon as I leave the “security room.” But I know it’s here. I can hear it breathing behind the door. It’s waiting for me.
It’s tugging on the handle.
It’s gone. Quiet. Very quiet. Morning?
I think I saw a ray of sunlight on one of the cameras. It’s time to go to…»
/the diary entry cuts off/