thursday january 28th, 1988
What was first thought to be a Happy New Year has turned into a Horrific New Year, with the gruesome crimes returning to Shrike Heights. Authorities were beginning to believe that the Shrike Heights Killers had hung up their masks and put away their weapons after their last confirmed attack took place in October of last year and ended with the death of one of the mysterious criminals. Unfortunately late yesterday evening the Jack-O-Lantern, the Ghost and the Hunter were all responsible for the injuries of five employees and the death of two, with two other victims left physically unharmed but mentally brutalized like the rest of them. The attack took place once again in our beloved Shrike Mall, and thankfully our vigilant and dedicated team of authorities were able to arrive on the scene in time to dispatch all victims scattered throughout the mall to Shrike County Hospital; all except those found dead on arrival are reportedly in a stable condition this morning. The killers once again escaped police custody, and as usual residents and mall visitors are asked to come forward with any details on the return of the crimes that they might have.
wednesday january 27th, 1988
“I don’t want to jinx anything, but it’s actually… It’s actually been a pretty good start to the year.” Stevie Serrano’s voice sounds apprehensive over the radio, but his face in the studio has a wide smile spread across it. “1988, you’re cold, but you’re doing good so far - you’re doing alright.” A playful laugh sounds through every speaker that’s tuned into the radio station for the end of another Shrikes! show.
“1988. I can hardly believe it.” Richie Wozniak chimes in now, absentmindedly spinning side to side on his office chair, causing a small ‘ting’ each time he does so; only those with their radios turned up loud can hear it. “It’s actually shaping up to be pretty decent - I mean, less murders for starters, which is always something I look for in a good year.” He laughs, it’s questionable that he does - questionable being typical for the radio host mostly known as Trashmouth.
Stevie laughs too, but turns from his microphone so listeners can’t hear. The amusement over their co-hosts words can be heard as they speak. “I too look for no murders in a good year. And it’s been nice, not having to report about the infamous killers every night. I like having other things to talk about, I’m pretty pleased we’ve moved on from it all.” It’s not easy to talk about death and crime every single night when it’s so close to home.
“We don’t always take what our callers say as gospel, but-”
Richie is cut off by Stevie. “Ooh, but you’re going to? This must be good.” He jests, teasing the other for only a moment before he lets them resume speaking.
“But I’m going to, I am, I’m going on the record and sharing publicly that I think they’re right. I think they’re right in saying that the killers vanished when one of them… you know… died or whatever at the Halloween Spooktacular last year.”
“I think… yeah, I mean, I think they’re right too. We haven’t seen any action since then so-” It’s Richie’s turn to cut off the other's speech.
“So either they’re gone, or they’re hibernating or something.” Another inappropriate laugh leaves Richie. He finds it much easier to laugh about the situation now that friends are no longer being slaughtered in the mall every week.
“Hibernating? Don’t… don’t do that, no. I don’t wanna hear that. I don’t wanna hear anything apart from that they’re gone. They’ve left, quit, given up. No longer in Shrike Heights. That’s the energy I’m putting out there.” Stevie’s tone is laced with both amusement and exhaustion. Richie laughs at the reaction he can elicit from his friend.
“That’s a good energy, I think that’s the right energy, I really do think we’re in the clear now.” Richie sounds so sure of himself, though the simple radio host can hardly be sure of the truth.
Like every other night, Richie and Stevie wrap up their show, bidding their listeners farewell to tune of ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ by Tiffany. They exit the mall untouched alongside most other employees, neither of them worried about anything more than the cold of the winter they step out into.
Despite the amount of time it’s been since the killers’ last reported crimes, and despite the fact that most residents seem to share Shrikes!’s opinion that the killers are gone - perhaps scared off after the death of one of their own - most of the mall employees are eager to leave their workplace as quickly as possible. The threat of an attack might not be so pressing, but regardless no one is especially thrilled about working so late, especially not when the weather is so brutally cold outside. Most employees working the late shift finish their duties as and are able to leave with the likes of Stevie and Richie; few others are left finishing up jobs their co-workers have refused or forgotten to complete for the day, however.
It’s been some time since most workers clocked out but Ian Vogt hasn’t been fortunate enough to leave Late Risers just yet. One step away from completing his duties, he agrees to take two large bags of trash out on his way to his car - it’s only slightly out of his way. After walking out of the mall through one of the side exits, Ian’s senses are overwhelmed. The cold air is harsher than he expected - it always is - and he’s met with a stench coming from the overflowing dumpsters he nears. Ian isn’t surprised to see that the mall is producing more rubbish than what they can handle; the monstrosity has brought more visitors than what Ian can even fathom. He is surprised, however, at the group of large, shining, brand new trash cans lined up against the wall beside the dumpsters. They’re larger than a typical trash can, though Ian still thinks they’ll all be filled by the time he returns to the mall tomorrow. Regardless, it's good to see the mall is at least trying to handle the issue - not that people seem to be honoring their attempt as trash bags pile high up in the dumpsters, forcing their lids to stay wide open. Despite being mindful of the situation, Ian doesn’t act any different from the rest; his hands are both holding heavy trash bags that leave him unable to reach for the lid of the trash can, so instead of depositing his rubbish there he simply throws them up onto the pile. Someone else - preferably someone more appropriately dressed for the cold - can handle that while Ian heads home to avoid getting frostbite.
Ian’s feet crunch down on snow as he walks towards the front of the mall, heading in the direction of his car. It would be a lie to say he isn’t at least somewhat scared walking alone out in the open on the cold, dark night, but his car is soon in his range of sight and his eyes stay fixed there as the vehicle brings him comfort in knowing he’ll soon be inside, safe and warm. His eyes don’t move from their focus even as he turns the corner to stay on the footpath, wanting to avoid the piled up snow and the extra slippery ground elsewhere, wanting to make it home without any new bumps or bruises. With his focus being so wholeheartedly dedicated to his car, however, and to the promise of safety, he neglects to watch out for the dangers that might be hiding around the corner. He wouldn’t have believed there really was a threat on the other side of the mall wall, but she should have, as when Ian turns the corner he finds himself walking right into the Jack-O-Lantern’s knife.
The knife plunges into Ian’s lower abdomen faster than he can comprehend what’s happening. It reaches no further than two inches deep inside of him before Ian jumps back to save himself from further harm, the knife being removed as swiftly as he was initially stabbed. He’s in shock, but he recognises danger and his reflexes immediately kick in and encourage him to flee. Ian turns quickly and steps away, but his movements elicit extreme pain from his wound, and the blow of the pain mixed with the slippery surface he and the killer are on bring him down to his hands and knees. Fear washes over him intensely; he’s sure the stumble has cost him his life, but miraculously his shaking hands are pushing himself back upright before more harm can come to him. A few steps away from the Jack-O-Lantern is when he’s caught again, his attacker kicking him back down to the ground. Ian’s body slides on the ice down the path as he lands, and his head smacks the concrete path with a loud thud that makes Ian feel sick to his stomach. Blood from his stab wound begins to seep through his layers, and more blood drips down onto the path and spreads across his forehead as his skin splits open upon impact.
Ian’s vision is temporarily taken from him, and he’s never felt more dizzy or nauseous than this moment. While the shock sets in Ian’s mind is flooded with thoughts of dread, panic and sadness. He doesn’t think he can get away from the killer who has already taken so much from him and those that he loves, but he knows he needs to try. He screams with pain as he pushes himself back up onto his hands and knees, the icy ground burning the skin on his hands as he moves. He doesn’t get far before Jack catches up and gains the upper hand once more. First he kicks Ian down flat again, then he stomps down on his victim’s back; a loud crack echoes in the cold air around them, and Ian can’t believe he’s capable of functioning through so much intense pain and fear. I should be dead already… he thinks to himself, and the thought is enough to draw his emotions out; he begins to cry loudly underneath the killer.
The Jack-O-Lantern killer raises his knife and brings it down to his victim quickly, but not quicker than Ian’s next movement. Ian balls himself up, pushing his ability to function while injured as the movement introduces an entirely new level of pain to him. Ian screams, but not loud enough to stop him from hearing Jack’s knife make contact with the path beside him - where his body was only a second ago. Disbelief is added to the already long list of emotions the mall employee is feeling when he realises he’s escaped what should have been such an easy kill. Despite dodging him once, Ian still believes he’s near an inescapable death. That is, until he looks to the killer’s large boots and notices them slide on the icy surface ever so slightly as he regains his posture, ready to strike again. Ian might not have a deep history with fighting back, but this time he does fight for his life, and he uses all of his strength to kick the killer’s ankles. The large body standing over Ian slips and falls down onto the icy path; the confidence Ian gains from his plan being a success gives him the strength to scramble back up onto his feet while the killer is down, and he runs.
He quickly realises that the distance to run back into the mall is far too wide; having never been an athlete, Ian’s confidence is stripped from him instantly, and he begins to panic as he knows the killer will be back onto his feet in pursuit of him once more sooner than what he can escape. Instead of fleeing, Ian trusts his next strongest instincts and he hides. He can hardly breathe as he opens the lid to one of the trash cans he’s reached, the cold air, the pain and the cardio all working against him in conjunction. Though there’s a layer of trash on the bottom he knows he can’t waste time in being picky and searching for one completely empty. Ian jumps into the large trash can, doing everything in his power to hold in his screams as agony overwhelms all of his senses. He lets the lid he holds fall back into place over him and he continues to cry, curled up as small as possible, unsure whether or not he’s shivering due to the cold, trembling due to the fear or shaking because his body is in so much shock. Regardless, he thinks he’s found himself safe from further harm, and he finds comfort in the confined space.
That is, until a loud banging sends a sharp ringing through his ears. The trash can he’s crammed himself into begins to get smaller, the metal hitting against him and making his already bad injuries worsen. The Jack-O-Lantern killer had made it back up on his feet in time to catch Ian’s attempt at hiding, and he’s not letting the man escape while still so lively. Ian curls himself into even more of a ball, his arms coming up to shield his already wounded head from more harm. All that can be heard is the loud banging, until Ian’s fingers are caught in between the disfigured trash can and its lid, his screams adding to the noise. His screams grow louder as his fingers are broken, the ring finger twisting around so much that the skin rips open, creating another means for Ian to lose blood and gain more dizziness. Ian is well past his breaking point already, tears and snot mixing with the blood that drips down his face, but now he reaches a level where he’s unable to fight any longer. All energy is drained from him, he has no more strength left due to the intensity of his fear and the impairments from the blood loss. He’s soon rendered unconscious, trapped in the trash can that’s only just big enough to hold his weakened and no longer struggling body.
Perhaps Jack would have peeled the lid off of the can to have more gut wrenching fun with his victim if Sparrow St. Benet hadn't exited the mall from the same side door. His already unconscious victim no longer interests him; Jack begins to make his way over to Sparrow.
She’s never seen the killers in the flesh before but the sight alone is enough to turn her legs to jelly. Sparrow usually considers herself a brave person, but being brave in no way means she wants to fall victim to an attack. Not knowing that there was another victim out there, Sparrow attempts to save herself by fleeing. She runs faster than she ever has before; like Jack’s last victim, she’s never been one interested in sports, but her legs still carry her through the mall as quickly as she needs them to. She makes it to Dirtbusters out of breath, but safely; she pulls the keys from her pocket with trembling hands and she unlocks the door she had only just locked moments before on her way out. She wastes no time in running back into her workplace, not turning on a single light to avoid alerting the killer of her whereabouts, but on her way to the back she knocks over a trolley containing a basket of clothes a customer had forgotten that day. Clothes, towels and sheets fly everywhere, and the sound of the trolley rattles and echoes loudly. Sparrow ducks down in the darkness to hide herself in case the noise gives her away, squatting against the wall at the end of one row of washing machines.
The Jack-O-Lantern killer follows Sparrow inside, but they escape him quickly. Sparrow is only safe from Jack following her when another innocent mall employee emerges from their place of work. Flora Oliva was only a moment away from locking up Perkin’s Pharmacy and heading out herself, but she steps out and walks in the direction of Dirtbusters instead when she hears the footsteps of the employee she only just catches a glimpse of as they run inside. Her focus is firmly fixed on Sparrow, but then Jack’s large, intimidating presence catches her eye. Flora runs, but she’s managed to get too close to the killer and she’s not fast enough to get away. After having Sparrow escape him, Jack doesn’t play any games in catching this kill. He chases after the woman, reaching out and gripping her long, dark hair, using it to pull her down. She hits her head against the linoleum harshly - hard enough to split skin and cause a bleed - and the blow almost knocks her out.
Jack raises the knife still bloody from his last attack, and he plunges it into her chest repetitively. There’s no question whether or not the pharmacist is going to survive the attack as he so viciously takes her life from her, blood splattering the killer and the floor around them. Though she’s dead without a doubt, Jack’s work isn’t complete; he drops down to one knee and he begins to mutilate her face, carving her a smile similar to a real Jack-O-Lantern - much like how the authorities had found Shrike Mall’s first two victims last summer. After so many victims have escaped him, the quick success he has in ending Flora Oliva’s life serves as a reminder of all he’s capable of.
Flora’s attack is another one Sparrow is unaware of. They sit in their crouched down spot in Dirtbusters, ready to wait it out for as long as they need to - they’ll sleep in the back of the store if it comes to it, and get security to escort them out when they arrive for their morning shifts. Sparrow is content with letting go of their bravery to hide like a coward so long as it saves them from the fate of becoming another soon to be forgotten name on a growing list of victims. They’re able to calm their breathing down as they wait, able to recover from the run and begin to try to talk sense into themself; they’re safe where they are, Jack would have followed them right into the store if he knew that’s where they found themself.
Sparrow is right to think that she’s safe from the Jack-O-Lantern killer, but she’s seriously misjudged her safety as a whole considering he is far from the only killer in town. Suddenly a white sheet - one that had been knocked from the basket - stands up behind her. A figure is underneath the crisp white fabric, and as they reveal their knife it’s apparent that this figure belongs to the Ghost. As Sparrow faces the front of the store and keeps her eye out for the one killer she knows is in the mall, the other killer’s presence is completely unknown to her. The Ghost moves towards her smoothly and stealthily, maintaining the secret of their presence until a light outside of the laundromat hits the shining blade of the knife, that light then hitting one of the metal rings around the glass door of the washing machine Sparrow sits opposite. The light catches her attention; she moves her focus from the exit of the store to the glass of the door, and that’s when she notices the Ghost’s movement in the reflection.
Immediately Sparrow jumps up, lunging forward in search of escape. The Ghost swings their knife at Sparrow over and over as they glide smoothly on the ground to follow; while they’re able to reach the back of her shirt with the tip of their blade - cutting the fabric in a straight line - Sparrow remains unharmed and she manages to run fast enough for the distance to further separate them. She bolts out of Dirtbusters, the door opening loudly from the force she uses, but she freezes when she finds the Jack-O-Lantern killer and Flora. Sparrow lets out a cry, feeling nauseous and overwhelmed at the sight of her. She’s paralysed with fear both mentally and physically for long enough to see the Ghost nearly catch up with her, exiting the laundromat behind her. Their presence along with Jack’s movement as he stands and stares in her direction is enough to unfreeze her, though it in no way helps ease the sickness or the terror she feels. With all close exits blocked by a killer being in their way, Sparrow runs in the only other direction she can, right up the escalator that’s now stationary as it always is after hours.
Their chest aches as their lungs show resistance, but they know they must keep running, they know they can’t join Flora and meet the same fate. They try to not look back - they’re not sure they can stomach the sight - but their paranoia and fear fails them. It’s when they turn to assess the distance between themself and the killers that they reach the top of the escalator and run right into Hen Wen Szeto. Hen Wen falls to the ground and begins to curse the other, and the altercation further shocks the already emotionally overwhelmed Sparrow. Hen Wen doesn’t think that they have valid reason for running so carelessly into them as their anger and frustration over being knocked down prevents them from thinking clearly. Sparrow wishes to warn them about the killers downstairs but only finds herself more speechless and in shock over Hen Wen’s reaction. The loud volume Hen Wen speaks at as she turns in her unplanned seated position to look at the clumsy person pulls Alicia Incanti from her own workplace, the girl hesitant yet insistent on finding out what has happened.
The second Alicia spots Hen Wen on the floor, she rushes over to help her up. “What’s going on?” She asks, all of her attention on the two people ahead of her, her eyes not once even glancing down the escalators and catching sight of the killers. “Are you okay?” She asks Hen Wen as she’s pulled back up onto her feet. Alicia assumes Sparrow is at fault - albeit presumably accidentally - until she notices her heavy breathing and the tears rolling down her cheeks. “What’s going on?” Alicia repeats, only addressing Sparrow this time, her voice serious and shaking ever so slightly. She doesn’t want to register that she feels any amount of fear, but it begins to creep up on her. The two look to Sparrow for answers - Sparrow still looking distraught, in an absolute panic having all of this happen so fast - and after her initial struggle with composing herself she begins to warn them; she knows their time is limited, knows she can’t afford to slip up and take too long.
Unfortunately, their time was more limited than what Sparrow believed - but not because of one of the killers downstairs. An arrow whips through the air quickly, a whistling sound trailing behind its feathers, and it lodges itself deep inside of Hen Wen’s bicep. Everything around them turns silent, a collective breath held amongst the group as they’re all stunned. Hen Wen’s face is immediately pale; she steps backwards as her weight distribution shifts with the force of the hit, only the step makes her trip as she finds herself stepping down onto the escalator. Alicia breaks out of her own state of shock to turn as quickly as she can, reaching out for Hen Wen, but all she can reach in time is a bracelet that breaks and sends beads flying around them as Hen Wen falls down. Guilt builds up inside of Alicia, but the guilt is swiftly replaced by the feeling of horror as she sees the killers.
Hen Wen’s fall is intense. The arrow still inside of her bicep snaps off on impact, leaving nothing left sticking out, and as her body is so viciously thrown from stair to stair every inch of her feels bruised. It’s a painful fall. She sticks an arm out to catch herself - the arm without the arrow head inside of it and the wound that oozes blood - but her forearm can’t handle the force or the weight of the catch, and the bone breaks only moments before she lands on the ground of the first floor, all of the air being knocked from her lungs. She’s unable to breathe or move more than opening her teary eyes to see the Jack-O-Lantern approach her. Jack lowers his knife to her, taking advantage of her laying still while she desperately searches for her mobility, and with the tip of the carving knife he holds, the blade dripping a mix of Ian’s and Flora’s blood down onto Hen Wen’s face, he cuts a shallow line from the edge of her mouth to curve up into half of a smile. It’s hardly as intense as the deep cut that went all the way through Flora Oliva’s face to carve her smile, instead it seems more like a guideline - as if Jack is drafting his design while Hen Wen is still able to struggle through the attack consciously.
Before the other side can earn a matching wound, Hen Wen lets out a scream and takes a struggling breath - their first since landing. They raise the hand not attached to the broken arm and they try to push Jack away from their face; they’re unable to move the figure that is simply enormous compared to them, but instead they manage to push themself away from him with their force. Pain inflicts her entire body; as she regains the ability to move once more she makes use of every muscle that will move and every limb that will carry her. She rolls onto her stomach and she pushes herself up onto her feet with another scream. Though Hen Wen isn’t optimistic, though they don’t believe they’ll manage to escape, they begin to run for the door. An intense wave of dizziness makes them stumble, and their stumble costs them their chance at escaping. Jack kicks her lower back harshly so she falls to the ground once again, the impact of his large boots breaks her coccyx and the impact of her head hitting the ground knocks her out cold.
While Hen Wen is now an easier target than ever, Jack’s attention is caught by the rattling of a knife that tumbles down the escalator in a fashion similar to Hen Wen. Jack seems to find this and the prospect of more lively victims more interesting than ensuring his current victim is killed, so without hesitation he leaves them in their growing puddle of blood and he walks with loud steps up the escalator.
As the Jack-O-Lantern took Hen Wen for his next victim, the Ghost had begun their ascent to floor one where Alicia and Sparrow had both turned to find the killer responsible for the arrow that sent Hen Wen down to such a grim fate. Immediately the Hunter loads his bow with another arrow. This arrow whips through the air as his last had, but while the feather brushes against Sparrow’s hair, it doesn’t hit her. The next arrow that is shot in quick succession once again is aimed at Alicia, but she dodges the arrow just in time. As if he finds it fun, how Alicia tries so hard to dodge the attacks, the Hunter’s target stays on her. Arrow after arrow is shot; Alicia can’t run as arrows are flying both in front and behind her, but she slowly tries her hardest to navigate herself back to Snapshot while dodging each next threat coming her way.
Sparrow is so scared for Alicia’s life as the killer makes a game of the hunt to the point where she doesn’t at all see the Ghost slowly creeping up behind her from the lower level. She’s fixated on the Hunter in case he plans to make her the target once again, standing so still with shock, but as Hen Wen screams from the lower level Sparrow turns to check on the scene - despite her horror. Rather than finding the scene of the Jack-O-Lantern and his victim, however, Sparrow turns to find the Ghost right behind her, their knife raised and about to strike. With a shriek Sparrow jumps back, and much like Alicia, she begins to dodge attack after attack. The knife is dangerously close to slicing her each time it’s brought back down to her; Sparrow moves side to side, ducking down and jumping back up again, and while she manages to stay injury free for now she knows it’s only a matter of time before she gets hurt, especially with another killer now behind her. With these thoughts she formulates a plan, thinking that it could be easy to send them down the escalator much like Hen Wen had fallen. They lunge forward and try to push the Ghost down the escalator, but they’re terrifyingly met with nothing under the sheet where they reach. They feel their chest tighten with panic and they try again, only to miss the figure underneath the sheet once more. They know they’ll likely be injured before their own plan can succeed, so instead of trying to get the entire killer away, Sparrow knocks the knife from them, sending the blade tumbling down the steps with one firm push. Sparrow turns to run, and upon looking back the Ghost has seemingly left to retrieve their weapon.
Alicia keeps dodging the Hunter’s arrows as she watches Sparrow fighting the Ghost, unable to help them herself as the killer in the wolf mask seems so adamant about wanting to injure her next. It’s only when Sparrow disarms the Ghost and causes them to vanish that she thinks she can make a run for it, hoping that the Hunter will pause for at least a moment long enough for her to be able to keep running ahead of the arrows. She stops working so hard on only dodging, running with a frightened gasp leaving her, but then an arrow grazes the back of her neck, catching her blonde hair with it and pulling some out as it continues to fly past her. The next arrow hits her as she hesitates due to the first, and it cuts across the back of her calf. The cut isn’t deep, but Alicia underestimates the amount of pain it causes. She steps forward in an attempt to run again, but the pain of landing on her injured leg is enough to cause her ankle to buckle; the ankle is sprained but she pushes herself to keep going. The pain in no way nears the level of fear she feels, nor does it near the level of desperation she feels to get through it alive.
Hot tears burn her eyes as another arrow glides past her and cuts her bicep; with her other arm she pushes through the door to enter Snapshot. She can’t tell if it’s the pain or the fear that makes her cry, but either way it adds to the burdens that overwhelm her and it causes her to falter. Upon stepping on her sprained ankle, her leg gives out and she falls down in the store, hitting her forehead harshly against the counter. It’s not hard enough to split the skin, but she knows she’ll end up with nasty bruising if she makes it out alive. If I make it out alive; the thought she has makes her feel sick, and a cry escapes her before she can conceal it. She has to make it out alive, has to see her friends again, her father. Thinking of him makes her cry harder, but it also gives her more determination to ensure she is successful in getting out.
Alicia pushes herself up with use of the counter and she puts her weight on it as she moves around the other side of it and out the door that leads her to the employees only zone. Once inside the room she takes deep breaths to calm herself, keeping the lights out so she can hide. She believes herself safe for the moment until the Ghost glides towards her, coming from the corner of the room yet seemingly out of nowhere at the same time. She has no idea how she’s found herself in the same room as the killer she hadn’t seen follow her in or lead the way, but she doesn’t waste time thinking about the logistics. Instead in her desperation she steps into the large storage closet behind her and locks herself in it. Alicia knows as an employee of the store that the locks on this particular closet are sturdy to protect their expensive equipment, and knowing the fact adds to her fear and comfort at the same time; she can’t get out of there even with the keys being in one of her pockets, but the killer also can’t get in. She sits herself down on the floor of the small pitch black space, trying to control her sobs and stop them from being so audible to those outside; the last thing she needs is to draw attention to herself or attract a killer more equipped than the Ghost who can get themselves inside of her hideout.
Locked away so safely, the Ghost doesn’t try to get to her, nor do the other killers. Instead the Ghost seems to vanish once more, and the Hunter and the Jack-O-Lantern both pursue Sparrow as she runs up the stairs to floor two. It appears there’s only one person on the floor, Kit Sombun, who wears a look of disappointment on his face as the employee he was hoping to find on this level has already locked up and gone home, leaving only a King of Diamonds employee up there. Thoughts of his disappointment vanish immediately when he catches sight of Sparrow running so hurriedly. He stops walking, furrowing his brow, looking at her with an expression of concern but not being able to think much of it yet as everything happens so quickly.
“Is anywhere still open?” Sparrow asks breathlessly, doing a better job at communicating through her fear compared to when she arrived on floor one. “Is there any unlocked store?” She elaborates, asking frantically, needing to find them both a hiding spot quickly as she knows who’s following her. Kit is confused, not answering immediately as he doesn’t understand the importance of doing so, but then Sparrow elaborates on her words one more time. “The killers!” It’s enough for the diner employee to understand the situation completely.
“King of Diamonds!” He lets Sparrow take his hand as she passes him in her run, and together the two of them flee towards the store. They burst through the door and surprise the one remaining employee, Dakota Smith, who had been just about to turn off the one remaining light - a lamp sitting on the counter - so that they could leave. “The killers?” Kit is the first to speak, informing Dakota of what’s happening while asking Sparrow for confirmation at the same time, as if he can’t believe it. Kit certainly hasn’t had the time to register the events, nor has he seen the killers with his own two eyes; Sparrow doesn’t blame him and his need for the reassurance, and she nods to confirm that what he’s said is correct.
“Three of them, two of them were following me, I was running and got ahead but they’re still coming. We need to hide.” She begins to cry again as she speaks, taking this moment to think about everything she’s endured tonight; she feels bad to have led them this way, to have involved the other innocent mall employees, but she knows she had no other choice. All she can do is hope that they don’t meet the same fate as Flora or Hen Wen; Sparrow doesn’t believe she can handle witnessing something so gruesome again.
“We need to call the police.” Dakota suggests, thinking clearly as they’ve not endured all Sparrow has, not close to being as overwhelmed. “Have you called the police?” They check, and Sparrow shakes their head. “Get behind the counter, get down low. We’ll call the police and then we’ll hide.” Dakota’s voice is dominating and confident; Kit feels reassured in their presence, and the reassurance is more than needed as he begins to grow more terrified, the situation now feeling more real. They all move to behind the counter, crouching down, and Dakota wastes no time in pulling the phone down from on top of the counter, calling the police without hesitation and using their calm composure to explain the situation and get help sent their way. As they do so, Kit thinks about how they should turn the lamp off before they hide, not wanting the light to give their position away to the killers. It’s only moments after he has the thought that the phone call is complete, which baffles him and takes most of his attention. It’s absurd that the attacks are so frequent that the police hardly need a minute on the phone before they’ve understood the situation and have been dispatched, and even though the efficiency should comfort Kit, it scares him more.
Footsteps approaching break all of them out of their separate thoughts. “They’ll be here soon, they’ll at least make the killers flee.” Dakota acts as the voice of reason. They’re not confident that the police will do a better job than what they’ve done previously, but they do believe they’ll at least save them for today. “Follow me.” They say, grabbing one of Kit’s hands and one of Sparrow’s, swiftly pulling them towards the fitting rooms where they can hide - that being the only spot available to them in a store like this. They all enter one fitting room stall together, and they seem to do so just in time for the bell to ring, indicating the killers have entered the store. Kit immediately curses himself as he realises he didn’t turn the lamp off. It’s far from Kit’s fault that the killers have reached them, but in his heightened state of emotions he instantly turns the blame to himself. If he had remembered, maybe they wouldn’t have found them so quickly; Kit thinks he’s led them right to Sparrow and Dakota, and the thought makes him begin to cry. Dakota doesn’t let a single tear fall before they’ve wrapped their arms around him, providing comfort despite not knowing him and not knowing what’s going on inside of his mind.
The three try to remain as silent as possible as they hear the killers throwing around racks of clothing, making a real mess as they’re searching for their victims. There’s nothing any of them can do but pray that they won’t be found, but the odds are not in their favour as suddenly they hear the first fitting room door be kicked open. King of Diamonds contains six fitting room stalls; the three mall employees are hiding in the fourth, and all at once they realise they’re in real danger as the door of the second is opened next. Dakota is once again the one to take charge and help them; they gesture for the two to crawl under the stall wall through the gap into the fifth, then to the last. Sparrow is the first to go as Kit wipes his tears in an attempt to clear his vision; he soon follows behind, Dakota immediately after him. They’re unable to communicate with each other, but they don’t need to speak to know that they have to gain as much distance between themselves and the killers, nor do they need to plan their next move to all know they’ll need to run from the fitting rooms before the killers reach them. Once all standing in the last of the stalls, they all know there’s no room from hesitation. The third stall door is opened by the killers, only moments before Dakota nods to the others and gives Sparrow silent encouragement to open their stall door and flee.
They run. Sparrow is the first to pass the Hunter and the Jack-O-Lantern killer as they move, with Kit stumbling right behind her. It’s the first time he’s seen the killers, and it’s overwhelming - but the stumble from shock doesn’t make him fall or give the killers the chance to catch him. Dakota is behind the two, worried for the others more than themself and fine with being last place because of it. Kit worries for them, even though they don’t worry themself. He turns his head to look behind as they run, and it’s then that he notices the Hunter following closely. The Hunter takes a tie from on top of the counter, holding one end of it with each hand, and he loops it around Dakota’s neck to catch the selfless employee. Kit gasps, and both he and Sparrow - who just reached the door - stop dead in their tracks, frightened and stunned, watching the events unfold so quickly, faster than either of them can act to help.
“Keep running!” Dakota yells before the tie is tightened around their neck harshly enough to restrict their ability to breathe and speak. It takes only a second longer before the tie is dropped and replaced by the Hunter’s knife. Kit and Sparrow don’t follow Dakota’s orders just yet; instead they watch in horror, unable to look away in time before they see him slice the employee’s throat open. Blood begins to pour from the wound. Neither Kit nor Sparrow want to leave Dakota there, but they know they have no other choice. It’s evident as Dakota reaches the end of their struggle that they’re not surviving their attack, and the two victims left know that the least they can do is ensure Dakota’s help and sacrifice have not been for nothing. Kit cries harder than he ever has before, but he allows Sparrow to pull him from the store to keep running, just as Dakota had requested.
They know the killers are still right behind them, they know they must take their closest escape route, which happens to be the stairwell that will lead them to the highest floor of the mall. The two run and climb up the stairs as quickly as possible, both sets of lungs burning to match the state of their eyes that burn with tears. When they burst through the doors that take them from the stairwell to floor three, they startle Nick Jugah and Patrick Webb, who walk towards the exit together. “Killers!” Kit and Sparrow scream in sync, and the second the word leaves their mouths the two men need no more warning or information. They’re all running in the direction that takes them back to their workplaces, back to the only place they think they’ll be able to hide.
“I’ve got my keys, we can go to RadioShack, call the police.” Patrick tells them breathlessly, noticing Nick had been trying to get his own set of keys out of his pocket as he ran; Patrick still held his in his hands, so it would be less fuss. He bends down quickly upon being the first to arrive at RadioShack, and he reaches for the lock that keeps the gate protecting the store closed securely. His hands tremble, and it feels as though his heart is about to burst out of his chest as it beats so hard, but still, Patrick manages to unlock it and pull the grate up as the others catch their breaths behind him. He stands up as he lifts the gate open enough to allow them inside with ease; a still distraught Sparrow and Kit don’t hesitate, but before Nick can follow the gate is dropped closed. Patrick is shot by the Hunter, the arrow hitting him in the abdomen and sending him down to the ground. Nick squats down beside him, wanting to help him, but he’s unable to before Patrick pulls the arrow from his flesh with an uncharacteristically loud scream. Having no history with injuries like this and being frightened by the sight of it inside of him, Patrick thought it was the best move; Nick feels panicked as he reaches to apply pressure to Patrick’s wound, wishing he could have prevented the worsening of it before it was made to bleed so much more. “Get inside.” Patrick tells the other man, speaking through groans of pain, his teary eyes squeezed shut tightly.
Patrick wants to help his friend, but so does Nick. He’s not going to abandon Patrick out there no matter what he says. “Lift the gate, lift it up. Help me get him inside.” Nick requests help from Sparrow and Kit, who obey orders despite their states. Kit lifts the grate and Sparrow squats down. The process is far from perfect, but Nick pushes Patrick the few inches he needs to move to get inside, and Sparrow pulls - they don’t have time to try to get him back up on his feet, not yet. Just as Nick goes to follow, an arrow strikes him next, hitting lodging itself into the outside of his forearm and knocking him back much like Patrick was due to the force. Nick holds in his scream, as frightened and pained as he is, and he turns to see the killers taking advantage of the setback; they approach quickly. “Put pressure on his wound.” Nick orders with an intense trembling of his voice, the pain evident no matter how hard he tries to conceal how much it’s felt. “Get out the back, try to hide.” He continues breathlessly, and then Nick does what he believes is best. He pulls the gate down shut and he locks it without hesitation, wincing as he moves and beginning to feel nauseous. The three inside RadioShack begin to protest and try to argue against his actions, but Nick can’t risk their lives for his. The killers are only steps away. “I’ll be okay.” He reassures the group selflessly, and then he runs.
He uses all of his strength to hold the injured arm against his body, using his other hand, slippery with Patrick’s wet blood, to reach for his keys, pulling them out with a struggle. His own workplace isn’t protected by a metal grate like RadioShack - not containing anything as valuable or as important according to the mall - so he believes he’ll be able to get inside and away from the killers quickly as long as he beats them there. Nick reaches Tracks before the two preying on him do. His body is shaking as it struggles with his injury, and though he holds the key firmly a single twitch caused by shooting pain through his body causes him to drop the entire set of keys onto the floor. He worries his chances of winning are long gone, and even though he knows he’s in a time sensitive situation he can’t help but turn his head to check how far away the killers are. They’re dangerously close. By the time he’s back to standing up straight, the key sliding into the keyhole with difficulty, the Jack-O-Lantern has reached him.
Jack grips the back of Nick’s head, and he slams it against the glass of the Track’s door. Nick had been trying so hard to stay strong, but there’s only so much a person can take before breaking. He shrieks, gasps and groans as the pain overwhelms every inch of him. Jack repeats his actions, slamming Nick’s head against the door so brutally that Nick almost loses consciousness. He does it again, and the glass cracks at the same time that the skin on Nick’s forehead splits open. Blood drips down into his eyes, though it can hardly obscure his vision when the impact of the blows already caused him to lose sight temporarily. Nick’s body is mostly limp he’s that near unconsciousness, but the Jack-O-Lantern doesn’t stop; he pulls Nick’s head back again, and this time it’s brought forward to smack against the surface, the glass shatters completely, falling around their feet.
Nick is so weak, so dizzy and faint; he feels as if he could pass out easily with only one more small touch to his head. The only good thing about being so injured is the way this state helps him not be able to properly register the pain he’s in or the trauma he’s enduring. Nick can hardly register much of anything at all right now, though he’s somehow capable of woozy thoughts, those thoughts including the fact that he’s still thankful he helped the others, despite now finding himself here. Nick is expecting to die; he wholeheartedly believes that this is the end of his life as Jack has such a clear shot in killing him. But then the thoughts he’s having that are steadily growing more and more unclear in his increasingly worsening state are interrupted by thoughts of the police. He thinks about the authorities, how they were hardly of help last time he was in trouble like this, and how they probably won’t be of help this time either. Unbeknownst to Nick in his declining state, those thoughts cross his mind as the top floor of the mall is suddenly filled with the voices of the police squad that have arrived.
Police fill every floor of the mall, paramedics working alongside them as they expect injured victims and know they need to get them to Shrike County Hospital as soon as possible for their greatest chance of survival - they don’t want to have to publicise information of more dead mall employees. They search high and low, following every next trail of blood, their focus being just as much on the recovery of victims as it is on catching the killers - if not even more so. Once the first of the police reach the top of the mall, the Hunter immediately flees, and the Jack-O-Lantern goes soon after him, dropping Nick to the floor in order to do so. As he lands, Nick hits his head against the floor. He’s still unable to register that help has come as this final blow sends him into the unconsciousness he was so strongly trying to fight.
plot drop 007 features seven of our muses encountering the jack-o-lantern, the ghost + the hunter.
alicia incanti is left with a graze on the back of her neck, a cut on the back of her calf, a cut across her bicep, a sprained ankle, substantial bruising on her forehead and a concussion.
christian ‘ian’ vogt is left with a stab to his lower abdomen, a head wound, a concussion, severe bruising all over his body, two broken ribs, four broken fingers, one ripped open finger tip and substantial blood loss.
hen wen szeto if left with an arrow wound in her bicep, a broken forearm, substantial bruising all over her body, a large cut on one side of her face, a broken tailbone, a head injury, a concussion and severe blood loss.
kit sombun is left uninjured.
nicholas ‘nick’ jugah is left with an arrow wound on the outside of his forearm, a split open forehead, severe bruising to his face and a concussion.
patrick webb is left with an arrow wound in his lower abdomen and severe blood loss.
sparrow st benet is left uninjured.
as police and paramedics arrive at the scene in time, all victims are found and survive the ordeal - despite the severity of some of their injuries and the success in some of their hiding places.
