It was Saturday. Normal. The warm boredom air set in. We were all at Katy Mills mall. To what I remember it was still daylight when we first got there.

Inside it was different. Not enough to actually notice. Then again, what teenage would care, especially if they were gamers right? All the stores were oddly illuminated. Same with bathrooms and the food court. Still didn't pay attention. Never really occured to most of us that that the walk around the mall was almost pitch black, aside from the stores, and empty. No that didn't occur to us to much later. Of course who would notice when you're watching your buds play DDR, hoping one of them would get tired and tag you in.

It was me and Nikole. Natalie, her sister was shadowing Matsuri Japan on the side, as usual. Cliff was there too, he was playing Time Crisis 3. Ashley was on the side, leaning on the crane machine, nodding her head to the music. James was behind us, shadowing too.  It was odd though,  no one was there. We didn't even have to put up a fight for the machine. That was a first. It used to be when people would cause fights over who's quarter was who's. Not that we really cared, all we wanted was to play DDR without complaint.

Down to our last dollar. Well I had still had money. It was Natalie and me, Nikole and Ashley shadowing, and James was sitting down, waiting for Jessika. We played our traditional songs Matsuri Japan, Rythm and Police and Captin Jack.  It went by too fast. All this adrenilin rushing and no more money. All except mine. I had a feeling I would need it later. Cliff got bored, no partner. None of us were virtually satisfied.

"I wanna play more DDR!"
Natalie and Nikole always wanted to play DDR. You'd figure with James being there I'd be the one wanting to play. I was fine though, not upset I was just fine.
"We have no more money..."
"You DO, pooh..."
Only Cliff would call me that. Like everyone else he wanted more money, but I had to save it. Just felt like it would come in handy later.  Little did I know how right I was.

We didn't leave. Never do. We waited for others to play and offer games, or for Stina, Ray or Tim to give us free credits. It was Cliff who was out of luck. Not many really cared to play Time Crisis. We played and watched for about an hour or so. It was almost six and everyone was still fired up.

The arcade was still oddly deserted tough. It was Saturday, what's up? Malls are always crowded on Saturdays.

Our prayers were answer finally, somewhat...
"Wanna play a real game?"
"Huh?"
"What?"
"Wha?"
"Eh?"
"Hmm..."
"Uh...sure?"
All of us were a bit surprised by the awkward proposition. None of us had seen this guy before. One of the reasons we were all surprised. He was about late twenties or so, red scraggly hair, as lon as James, about six foot, large built, glasses and wore an EB Games uniform. No we all new the entire EB games staff personally. This guy didn't ring a bell at all.
"I'm Kyle. There's this game, you all would love. If you love DDR and and love to move, you'll love this."

"Why?" Only Randa would ask such an obvious and already answered question.
"Because you have to keep moving and be on guard at all times. Its great for Police 911: 2 fans, too."

My brother didn't have to think . If it envolved 911:2 he was in. "I'm game."
"So am I." Natalie?
"I guess so." and Nikole.
"Meh, sure." Ashley.
"Mkay." not surprised with James.
I was last. I didn't know. Something didn't feel right. I didn't like nor trust this guy. But, the majority ruled. Why not? what harm could a little game do?

Kyle took us to EB games. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He went to the back of the store. Maybe its back there. No, nothing. What was this game? No pad, no VR helmet? I don't get it. He said you had to to "keep" moving.

*Switch Flip*
The lights flickerd as soon as Kyle flipped a switch from under the counter.
"The game has begun..."
"What this is bullshit. No gun or pad? I don't see a console?!" James stop yelling. Its not like we're going to to get answers or lose money.
"The Mall is your pad and console. The light is your weapon. Stay in the light, you live. Walk in the darkness you die. Goal, to make you way back here, alive by going around the ENTIRE mall."
"What?"
"Okay man, you're a nut man. Mirranda lets go."

I followed my brother. He was my ride. Staying a good five feet behind him, looking back at everyone else. Something wasn't right. Some how I felt my relationship with my brother would be severed.

A flash, that never happend before. Just a huge flash like a camera in the whole mall. Wait! Where's Cliff? He was outside in the hall when it flashed. Stepping forward, just one foot in the hall. The flash again? It hurt a bit, my foot hurts.
"Where's my brother?"
"He didn't keep moving..."
"Wait, wait, so you're telling me that if we step out there and we stay stay still for longer than a second we're actually dead?"

Natalie I believe he just established this. Why are you asking? My brother is dead!

"Still game?"

Nikole, Natalie, Ashley and me exchanged looks. Personally I wanted to whimp out.
"C'mon you guys, we could make it through Fatal Frame 2, we can do this."
"Yeah but there's a difference, that was on a game console and this isn't. This is reality! Actually gambling with death!"

Only Nikole and Me would say something like that. It wasn't me. Was to scared to speak up. Was this actually happening? Were we playing a real life Darkness Falls?

"Can I get my brother back?"
"Yes..."
"How?'
"Two ways...for a price...which increases double with each other player you lose, or...beat the game..."

All I could do was breathe. Yes, I did want my brother back. But what about my other friends. If they or we die, and one of us live, we all be revived? Part of me didn't want to take that chance. However the love for my brother was strong enough. I looked at James, we were supposed to meet Jessika later. Even though my bitterness was strong for her, I didn't want her to die because of our stupid pride.
"Okay. Lets do it. We just have to keep moving and time right?" and run to the light if all else fails."
"Yeah we could do this..."
"Yeah."

James, couldn't tell if he was paranoid or scared. He was shaking like Mayu. Never seen him frightened. So not James.  It scared me, I wanted to be brave for him, but I couldn't with how scared he was.
"James, can you do it?" I won't, if you can't."
"If he doesn't complete the game, he will not be able to leave..."
"What!? So you can't Just walk out one of the entrances? No quitting?"
"You quit, you lose."

Nikole knew that would be the answer...Why did she ask?
"So you tricked us from the beginning? You knew being gamers, we would accept."
"Now you're learning."

It took Ahsley silencing both Natalie and Nikole to get us on our way.
"Lets just get this over with."

On the Floor, James grabbed my hand. He was trembling insanely. I felt so terrfied as well. So much I wouldn't shake. We all stood in the door way.
Once we stepped outside this store we would be on our own. If we stood still for at least a minute we were in trouble. Natalie always looked at her watch. If we needed to be stop, we ran into a store, bathroom food court or entrance. This would prove to be difficult.

As we walked rather slowly. You'd figure with our lives at stake we'd walk at a faster pace. But no, we walked slowly but timely, enough to say we weren't standing still. It wasn't too much to worry about. It wasn't until we got back to the arcade things became difficult. Running toward us, we thought was death. No it was Jessika. Right between the arcade and entrance.
"Hey where have you guys been?"
"C'mon guys, entrance, now..."
We all complied, moving into the lit area. Why wasn't Jessika following? Damnit Fallow your boyfriend!
"Where you guys going?!"
"Jessika get over here!"
"No what's going on?"
"Mirrand forget it!"
All I remember is grabbing Jessika and rolling into the entrance and her screaming. Did I hurt her? I didn't mean to. Really, all I cared about was keeping everyone alive. It wasn't until I came to I saw what had happened. Jessika's entire left arm was...skinned! I gagged. It skinned you? Whatever IT was. Now I had a reason to be scared. My fear had not been so prominent, until now.

"Lets walk until we get to a bathroom and then we can clean her up."
We all agreed with Ashley. James and I held Jessika. I had the skinned arm over my neck. Baring it wasn't the problem. It was realizing it had happened. For the time being all the bitterness I had had been thrown to the side. All that mattered was our survival. Thats all I wanted.

In the bathroom, we placed a wet roll of toilet paper on her arm. She kept screaming. Can't say I blame her. I would be doing the same thing.
"What's going on?"
"A game of survival..."
"What?"
"We met this guy. Said he had this ultimate game and wanted to know if we were interested. We accepted his invite. Now he let SOMETHING loose in th mall. You're only way to stay alive is stay in the light and always move. If we sit still for more than minute...we're dead."

Leave it to Natalie to be both polite and blunt.

"Then how do we know its coming?"
"We don't. All we know is to keep moving and run into the light."

How could she look at us as if we were crazy? How could we make something up like this? Why would we? Can't you see even James is scared?! What more proof do you need?! Your other arm being skinned?! For a moment, drop your pride and your shaky faith to thinking this is a plot to get you to lose your boyfriend and just listen!
"Whatever, you can stay if you want, but WE have to make it out. We have someone -"
"I have someone that i love that needs me!"
As scared as I was, I couldn't just sit there and let her think we were crazy. My brother's, ALL our lives depended on this.
"If at least one of us survives, we all live. And if its you, Damn you if you run! Damn you to hell if you run leaving us all to die!"
What as I doing? I shouldn't be yelling at her. She did nothing wrong.
"Calm down, Mirranda. We made it pass the Tea House, we can go all the way."
Ashley was so brave. I wanted so much to be her. So much to have her courage.

Jessika did join us. We continued walking. It was so quiet. Hard to believe that almost everyone was dying, oblivious to what was going on. We were walking so slowly, it annoyed Jessika.
"Why don't we cut through the food court?"
"Becaue the rule was the ENTIRE mall."
Natalie grew more annoyed than me. Not like it mattered. Jessika didn't believe us,we were walking passed the Charlotte Russ When...
"C'mon James, lets ditch the scaredy cats."
Your arm is skinned! How could you not believe us!? We all stepped into the light of the food court to watch. Jessika began running through the chairs, James after her.
"Get her back James!"
We didn't know if he ran after, it would be him we lose. Right before our eyes, it wasn't Jessika it was James in the darkness of the other side we could see them. They were talking, James tried to get her to move but... He was killed. The flash came and he was gone. What did it do this thing do? We couldn't see it, but we knew what it could do.

It took James disappering to finally convince her. Jessika came back, running to us. Tears in her eyes. Mine were silent. But just as strong as hers.
"Okay, I believe you now. You said if one of us lives, we all live right?'
"At least one. Now lets go."

Natalie kept us going. We were moving, this time slower than normal. Noises were heard. Nikole stopped. I grabbed her and kept pushing her forward. We all heard it, it sounded like hybrid screams or something like a chainsaw. She stopped again, we didn't because she was behind us. We didn't notice until Natalie addressed her. She didn't answer.
Pulling us into Old Navy, both me and Natalie were horrified.
"She was with us, wasn't she?"
"Yes, she was...until I let her go when she heard the screeching. Its my fault. I'm sorry, I should have stayed with her."
"No, no Mirranda, you thought she was with us. You thought like most of us, she would ignore the sounds. Its okay you did nothing wrong."

I wasn't sure if Ashley was right . I still blamed myself. Natalie took me in her arms and craddled me.
"Mirrand, Ashley's right. You didn't do anything wrong, okay? Just remember as long as one of us stays alive, we all live."

Wiping my tear, I nodded. We kept moving this time faster, as we got to the Rain Forest cafe, something happened.
We saw James. No! Its a trick. The only one who didn't seem to that was Jessika. She ran toward it and hugged it. It hugged back.
The flash came...she was gone.
"There goes Jessika! Why didn't we stop her?!"
"Because she was moving. And was it just me or did you all think it was James too?"
"I did...I was dazed or something."
"Me too."
"So was I. Now its playing mind tricks? Can't be opened minded, can't think. What next?! Just geting bored it starts breaking the rules?"
The Flash came again...Ashley was gone.
" I think it just did..."
It was me and Natalie. We were almost there. IF just one of us could make it there. Please let it be Natalie. We can depend on her.
Natalie began to feel tired. How? The mall wasn't that big? She wasn't breathing.
"Go...Mirranda...its up...to..."
She stopped at my feet. I tried to take her body with me but...it dissappeard.

It took everything. I ran now. There was no way I was going to walk now. My tears clouded my sight. I was one store away. Kirklands. I ran in there. I was tired. I rested under a desk. Heaving, I tried to gain back my breath. I could do this, just one store away. But I couldn't get up. The light in the store began to dim. What? My whole body shut down with fear. I trembled.
I didn't make it. I'm sorry. Alone I couldn't do it. I was just too scared. All there was now...was the sound of loneliness in the dark...I never saw it. Never saw what killed us...but I heard it...and felt it...

Then I woke up