Entrapment
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
It was 6:00 pm in the afternoon,
And we were all eating an early dinner at some crappy McDonald’s when Amber suggested the idea.
“Guys, I found an abandoned mall complex. It’s multistoried and even has levels that go underground.”
Dylan leaned back in his chair, rolling his eyes at Amber’s idea, already knowing where she was going with this.
Claire forced a smile, clearly nervous about appearing as if she didn’t like the idea.
“Where is it?” I asked.
“It’s down by St. Andrews hospital—about four miles from the county grocery store,” Amber answered quickly.
“Oh, I see what this is,” Dylan said, leaning forward. “You just want to hop on the current trend.”
He tilted his head, smiling, and added,
“You looking to hop on a train? You wouldn’t be helping the allegations.”
Amber shot him a nasty glare.
“No! But I’d be stupid not to record something.”
Dylan tapped the table and opened his mouth to respond.
I cut in instantly, “Why do you care if she records?”
To our surprise, Claire spoke for the first time that evening.
“Yeah, you haven’t cared any other time she does it.”
Dylan’s gaze shot directly at me.
“Why are you backing her, Noah? What are you, a simp?”
Then he looks at Claire, “And I know you’re not talking–”
“Guys!” Amber shouted, snapping our attention back.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, she continued,
“Are we going or not?”
We all agreed. Most of us were excited to go exploring anyway.
But I couldn’t help noticing Claire’s hesitation. The way she stared at the table, or cuffed her sleeve. Everyone else was too busy to notice, but I always saw.
It wasn’t anything new—every time we went urban exploring, she looked uneasy.
She didn’t have many friends at school, and we are all she has to get through high school. So she would agree to things like this so that we wouldn’t leave her behind.
Thinking about it, I always feel horrible for her.
“So, what’s the plan?” I asked, steering my gaze back to the group.
“Why not tonight?” Dylan suggested, his eyes scanning the group for protestors.
“I could do that,” Amber added.
I turned to Claire. “Are you good for tonight?”
Dylan jumped in before she could answer. “Of course she is. Claire’s never had a problem before.”
I nodded, though part of me wished she’d answered for herself. After Dylan spoke, she went quiet.
It was 6:34 p.m. when we all left McDonald’s. We planned to head to the mall complex after dark. It was summer, though, so it would be a while before sunset.
At home, I packed my backpack with everything we’d need—flashlights, a first-aid kit, a painting mask, and a large hunting knife. I hesitated with the knife, but didn’t want to be caught without it if things went wrong.
During our last exploration, we encountered a squatter at an abandoned hospital. Since then, I vowed never to be caught without a weapon again.
When 9:00 p.m. finally rolled around, I walked outside and got into my car. After connecting my phone via Bluetooth and entering the address, I started driving. A few minutes into my drive, Spotify was interrupted, as my phone rang.
Looking down, I could see Dylan’s Icon on my screen.
I glanced between the road and the phone, and awkwardly hit the answer button,
“Hey Dylan. What’s up?”
“Hey! Noah, you almost here?”
Shifting back into a comfortable driving position, I replied, “Yeah, just left. Why?”
“I have been standing here for a while now, and knowing the girls, they’ll be late as usual.”
Dylan’s tone seemed frustrated as he continued,
“And as much as I’d love to stand here alone in the dark, misery loves company. So, what’s your ETA?”
I nodded to myself, then glanced at my GPS.
“Yeah, I’m like… five minutes out.”
“Alright, see you in five, then,” he replied before hanging up.
The music faded back in as the call ended.
And just like that, the drive was back to normal. driving through endless backroads surrounded by forest.
“Where is this place?” I ask myself.
About six minutes later, I pulled up beside what looked like Dylan’s car.
As I got out, I scanned the area. Not seeing him nearby, I pulled out my phone and gave him a call.
After a few seconds of waiting, I thought I heard the faint sounds of Dylan’s ringtone coming from by the mall’s entrance.
Closing my driver’s side door, I followed the sound.
With each step closer to the giant mall, the ringer got louder.
And as I got closer, I spotted Dylan’s silhouette near the entrance where he was shining his flashlight on the ground.
“Why didn’t you pick up?” I asked as I approached.
He looked up at me as he answered,
“Figured you needed the ringtone.”
I shook my head.
Looking around the huge expansive parking lot, where nature had started breaking through the concrete, reclaiming the land it once held as its own. I said to Dylan, “When did you arrive here?”
Dylan crossed his arms, his voice thick with sarcasm as he replied, “It’s not my fault none of you can set a basic arrival time.”
I then glanced back at him as he continued,
“I arrived at 8:45.”
I then smiled and said, “You must be itching to go in then?”
As I said that, Claire and Amber began pulling into the driveway.
“Damn straight,” Dylan replied, turning to watch as they pulled in to park.
Since Claire didn’t have a car, she not only wouldn’t buy one but also never got her license. She thought it would be better to wait until she turned 18 due to insurance reasons.
So naturally, Amber was her ride.
As they slowly came to a stop, they shut off their headlights, got out of the car, locked it, and began walking our way.
Once they had reached us, Amber and Claire walked over and joined the conversation.
“Sorry, we’re late,” Amber said, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.
“It’s fine. We’re all ready now, right?” I asked, scanning the group.
Dylan looked excited—determined, even. Amber was smiling, already pulling out her camera. Claire looked excited too, but with a nervous edge.
“Does little Miss Unoriginal have her camera ready?” Dylan asked loudly when he saw the camera in Amber’s hand.
“Dylan, we’re not doing this again,” Amber replied, rolling her eyes.
But Dylan wouldn’t stop.
“Not one video on your entire channel is original. All you do is copy what you see others doing. Everyone is right about you, you know? Deeply fake, unoriginal, a pain to be around, and disloyal as they come.”
I didn’t even want to step in. After what happened this evening, I wasn’t about to jump into the spotlight again.
Amber’s tone cracked back like a whip.
“Yeah!? Well, at least my mother didn’t eat a bullet two years ago!”
Both Claire and I gasped. We couldn’t believe she went there.
Dylan’s eyes went wide. He stared at Amber for a second before saying, “Well played…”
Then he turned away without a word and started walking toward the mall.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, I jogged forward to catch Dylan. And Claire stayed back to talk to Amber.
When I reached Dylan, I put a hand on his shoulder.
“Dude, are you alright?”
He shoved me off and kept walking.
“What do you have to be concerned about? I picked a fight. And got hit. You don’t see people actively checking on boxers after fights, do you?”
I shot back instantly, “You do when the boxer almost dies. And we know your mother’s suicide is and has been a sensitive topic for you.”
At my words, Dylan visibly twitched, then turned around to face me, “It was 2 years ago. God, Noah, let something die. A lot can change in 2 whole years. It doesn’t bother me anymore.”
We stared at each other for a tense moment. I could see he was in pain. He was shaking slightly, and tears began to pool at the corners of his eyes. But he refused to open up.
He would never open up. Not since his mother’s death.
Nodding, I then said, “Okay, I am sorry. Let’s just get in the mall.”
Dylan nodded, turning on his heel and beginning to make his way to the abandoned mall.
As we walked, I slowed down, letting the distance grow between us.
The group was silent. Not one of us said a word.
As we walked, the silence made me notice more of our surroundings.
The mall loomed ahead—a massive, blocky rectangle being eaten away by rust and crawling vines.
Its windows were shattered, its paint chipped and rotting.
But what struck me most was what wasn’t there.
No graffiti. Not a single tag or symbol anywhere, as if even vandals didn’t want to claim this place.
That’s so weird. I thought to myself.
We kept moving toward the open doors.
Once we reached the front entrance, we all began rummaging through our packs for our masks.
Dylan’s was a heavy-duty gas mask. Something you’d see on a construction site. His dad managed a construction crew, so he had high-quality gear.
Amber, Claire, and I only had basic painters’ masks.
Once, my mask was on. I glanced around at the others, checking their progress and seeing if they were ready.
And once we were there, Dylan clipped the chain that locked it, and we pushed through the doors.
As we filed in, one at a time, I took things in. Noting every detail in my mind.
The place was dark—darker than most abandoned buildings.
Our flashlights shone through the dark in long beams. Illuminating whatever was caught in the spotlight.
As I moved my Light around, I saw the surrounding area. My light danced over the old walls, where paint was chipping, revealing an ugly gray brick layer, dusty escalators, and rows of closed shops.
The place was covered with dust and debris. However, the place wasn’t falling apart, which was odd to me. How could this place be so old and still in such good condition?
I then turned to Amber, “Hey, when did this place shut down?”
Amber didnt even turn her head as she replied; her attention was entirely focused on the mall. “Like… 2-3 years ago.”
Looking around, we saw everything we could possibly want to explore. But I was still concerned about Dylan.
I watched him as his eyes caught the remnants of an old toy store.
I walked over to what Dylan was looking at and read the title, “Dreamforge Labs…”
“Do you guys want to go in?” he asked flatly.
I nodded and replied,
“Yeah.”
After I agreed and started walking toward it, Amber and Claire followed without protest.
The store’s entrance was sealed by one of those metal security gates that roll down when the shop closes. It took all four of us to lift it just a foot off the ground. One by one, we took off our backpacks and crawled underneath.
The store was thoroughly cleaned out—empty shelves, bare walls, not a single toy or box left behind. The air was thick with dust, and for some reason, shards of broken glass littered the floor.
The glass was white and almost flat, without the usual curve of bottles or jars. Curious, I looked up.
Every single light fixture had been shattered. Only the twisted metal housings remained, dangling like cobwebs.
We spread out. Amber started recording, narrating softly into her camera. Claire trailed behind me, and Dylan made his way straight to the front counter.
Glancing over, I saw him pull a screwdriver from his backpack and start prying open the cash register.
“What are you doing?” I asked, walking toward him.
He didn’t respond—just kept working the screwdriver into the seam.
“You know they took all the money out years ago, right?” I added, stopping beside him.
With a sharp crack, the register popped open.
And to no one’s surprise, it was empty.
I saw him shake his head and try to push past me.
“Excuse me.” He said.
“Yeah, it’s no–”
I froze,
It looked like something moved in the corner of my eye.
A shadow darted from the right side of the store to the other.
Claire gasped and started backing toward the exit.
Amber screamed—but she kept her camera up, catching everything.
Dylan spun around, his eyes wide. He saw my expression first, then turned to see Claire and Amber retreating in panic.
“What is it?” he asked, shock etched on his face.
I began pushing him towards the gate, “Just get out!”
As we moved, I pulled my Knife out from my backpack. I threw my pack under the gate and stood guard while everyone was climbing under.
“Any minute now!” I said, anxiously trying to get the group to move faster.
Once they were on the other side. Dylan offered both his hands and said, “Waiting on you!”
I lay flat against the ground and grabbed both of Dylan’s hands. He quickly pulls me out and falls onto his back as I slide against the floor.
I then stand and stare at the gate. Watching and waiting for something to move again.
But Dylan didnt waste time. He quickly moved past me and began pulling down on the gate to shut it.
Amber and Claire joined his efforts, and I wasn’t too far behind either.
The gate shut with a slam that echoed throughout the mall’s entrance.
We all stood in silence.
Dylan and I shone our lights through the gate and into the abandoned toy store.
Leaving Amber and Claire shining their lights behind us to make sure no one snuck up on us.
“What do you think that was?” I ask while not breaking my stare.
“Could have been anything,” Dylan replied, moving forward. He had a hunting knife larger than mine in his right hand. And I could even see a gun on his left hip.
Seeing this did not comfort me as much as I wish it had.
“Could have been an animal,” Dylan continued, dragging his knife along the gate, making a clicking, tapping sound as it came into contact with each bit of grit. “Could have been a squatter.”
“What are you doing?” I ask, quietly but urgently.
“I am baiting it. Whatever it is.” Dylan replies. Continuing to drag the knife.
After 30 tense but silent seconds of waiting, we finally take a breath.
“Is it gone?” Claire asks.
“I don’t know,” I answer.
Dylan then turns to Amber and says, “I know you were recording. Did you catch it?”
Amber was still recording when Dylan asked. But then began to rewind it while she answered him, “Let me look.”
As Dylan and Amber attended to the camera, Claire and I continued scanning the surrounding area with our lights.
“There! Stop!” Dylan shouts.
“I saw!” Amber shot back.
I walked over and peered over Dylan and Amber’s shoulders to get a look at what was in the store with us.
And it wasn’t anything. It was just this dark blur of motion in the dark. Moving from the right end of the store, where the cash register was, to the left side, where all the shelves were.
“So it’s an animal?” Clairr asked.
“No, it’s too tall to be an animal,” Amber replied.
Dylan then added dryly, “Well, I don’t know what you are suggesting, but squatters move and act like zombies. So thiswasn’tt a person either.”
Amber then put her hands on her waist and turned to face Dylan, “Okay, wise guy, so it was nothing then?”
I tried to step in, “Guys, enough. We should be exploring.”
“This is still good clickbait for you. It doesn’t need to be human for you to get likes. You can still say ‘Thing spotted in abandoned mall,’ and it would be just as effective.”
Amber clenched her fists and said, “What is your problem? What if I am worried about safety, and not views?”
Dylan crossed his arms and turned his back, saying, “Yeah, right, we are where we are right now because you love the adrenaline rush of getting a few likes. You don’t care about safety.”
I then physically moved between them and shouted, “Enough!”
Then, pointing at both of them, I say, “Dylan, you want to explore, and sitting here arguing is literally the only thing stopping you. And Amber, you want to record. Well, no one wants to watch you fight like an old married couple.”
Dylan then walks off and says, “Yeah, right, like I’d ever date her again.”
Amber froze. Her eyes widened. She could not believe he brought up their past.
Claire followed Dylan and tried to console him.
I stayed behind with Amber.
I shake my head and turn to Amber. But she was already climbing up an escalator.
“Wait.” I say, climbing behind her, “Where are you going?”
“The opposite direction of him,” Amber replied.
Once we had climbed the escalators, Amber began recording again and narrating the upper floor.
She did that to cope. And to block me from questioning her further.
“Here we are, guys.” She said into her camera,
“Headed deeper into this maze. With a thing lurking around in the dark around us.”
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