text: [Themes: Horror, America, strong profanity, mall, monster girl, scatological, vampire, horror, sexual content]
  
  > Go downwards
  I can't go that way.
  
  There is an exit leading out.
  
  > press down
  I press the down button. After a few seconds, the elevator transports me to the first (ground) level of the Mall.
  
  The doors remain shut for some reason.
  
  > Leave
  Mall, First Level, East Edge
  I'm on the first level (ground floor) of the Mall, a lot closer to the lone exit than where I was previously. I'll need to get past a few more stretches of corridor (which is under a blanket of darkness) and then past the Food Court. And I hesitate to think about what is in store for me until I get to that point.
  
  In the center of the corridor is a sculpted marble statue.
  
  Audrey, Gibs, and Casey follow me.
  
  "Well, we got this far," says Gibs. "What's the plan, now? How are we getting out?"
  
  "We could try the exit by the big Outlet Tech Store, can't we?" asks Casey.
  
  "They went bankrupt," I say. "When the Septium Computer Processor was declared an instrument of bedevilment and banned by the Mayor in 2012, the hottest selling item that Christmas had to be removed from the store. We can try to go that way, but I am almost positive that exit access was cemented over." I shrug.
  
  "So we'll probably have to slog through the Food Court, speedily going about our business with as much haste as molasses slow-fucking a giant land turtle." says Gibs. He spits with disgust -- the Food Court floor never gets cleaned. It's kind of gross.
  
  "Yeah, everyone jump over the ochre jellies," whispers Audrey, almost to herself. After a beat, she realizes what she said and turns towards me. "Hey! You've got me doing it now!"
  
  Gibs laughs. "Duffy's veritable roster of sexually transmitted diseases is not the only thing infectious about him," he
  offers.
  
  > Exits
  There's an exit west to the Mall, First Level, Eastern Edge, or in to Elevator.
  
  > Go west
  Mall, First Level, Eastern Edge
  I enter this bit of hallway and am taken back by the glorious fountain that dominates the scene. I've seen it hundreds, even thousands of times in normal daylight, but the small bits of ambient light currently available reflects off the fountain in a simply breathtaking manner.
  
  While Audrey, Casey and myself are checking out the fountain (and momentarily entranced by the beauty thereof) Gibs wanders off and goes further down the corridor. I forget him for a moment until he lets out a blood-curdling scream.
  
  "Duffy! Look out! It's the fucking ghast!"
  
  I turn and look -- that's exactly what it is. A green-skinned feral beast with glazed-over eyes and torn clothes. Gibs falls to the floor, presumably knocked out by the ghast's stench and so far from where the perfume bottle broke open. The ghast stomps once on his head and runs over towards us. I motion for Audrey and Casey to get back behind the fountain.
  The ghast, Gibs, Audrey, and Casey are here.
  
  The ghast attacks and hits me!
  
  > examine the fountain
  The fountain is rich limestone artifact that was discovered years ago in a poured-over closet in Italy and flown out here at great expense. It has been converted from its original state as a Renaissance-era commissioned sculpture to a marketing tool for the Mall.
  
  It's about six feet at the base and rather shallow -- water would only come up to one's ankles in its normal, calm state. The spout extends a couple of feet up from the dead center of the base. There are a few inscriptions and symbols on the thing, but nothing I can decipher.
  
  Inside the fountain is some water.
  
  Inside the fountain is some water.
  
  The ghast attacks and hits me!
  
  > check what you're carrying
  I am carrying my glasses (being worn), some socks, the Magic: The Gathering cards, the gaming glove (being worn), Gibs's lacrosse stick, the phone, and a pleather purse.
  
  The ghast attacks and hits me!
  
  > take the water
  (I'll only be able to hold the water for a couple moments before it flows through my hands...)
  
  The ghast attacks and hits me!
  
  > throw the water at the ghast
  "Drink up, Dupre!" I throw the water at the ghast's upper
  torso. It screams -- a horrible, piercing shriek of disbelief, and inhuman pain. My aim was a bit off, as the water chews through his shirt, eats through his belly and stomach and begins hissing away at the consumption of his rotting intestines and grodie twists of entrails.
  
  I wipe a little sweat away from my face and see that he truly can't comprehend what has happened to him. I sort of feel sorry for him... not just because the ghost killed him once, but because she brought him back and then he got killed in a second, crueler, manner.
  
  The slashing sounds of evaporation fade away as the last bits of the ghast inanimately fall to the floor and crumble into nothingness. His head bounces to the floor of the Mall. Gibs wakes himself up and blinks stupidly a couple times as he sees the ghast's skull resting peacefully on the floor. He winds up and kicks it down the corridor.
  
  > Diagnose
  I have a critical wound.
  
  > enter the fountain
  Entered!
  
  Mall, First Level, Eastern Edge, in the fountain
  This bit of hallway features an enormous and beautiful fountain. There are exits in all four primary compass directions.
  Gibs, Audrey, and Casey are here.
  
  A little more water trickles into the fountain.
  
  > sit
  Be a little more specific about where you'd like me to sit.
  
  > examine the water
  It's a small amount of perfectly clear, shining and absolutely gorgeous water. It looks far superior than it ever did under normal daylight.
  
  > Drink water
  Ahhhhh! Mine Luftwaffe!
  
  > Diagnose
  I have a serious wound.
  
  > look at the fountain
  The fountain is rich limestone artifact that was discovered years ago in a poured-over closet in Italy and flown out here at great expense. It has been converted from its original state as a Renaissance-era commissioned sculpture to a marketing tool for the Mall.
  
  It's about six feet at the base and rather shallow -- water would only come up to one's ankles in its normal, calm state. The spout extends a couple of feet up from the dead center of the base. There are a few inscriptions and symbols on the thing, but nothing I can decipher.
  
  A little more water trickles into the fountain.
  
  > wait
  Time passes...
  
  A little more water trickles into the fountain.
  
  > Diagnose
  I have a lot of minor scratches, but will be okay, since I still have my looks.
  
  The spectre arrives from the west.
  
  > talk to Gibs
  I can't think of anything to say right now.
  
  A little more water trickles into the fountain.
  
  The spectre heads off to the south.
  
  > Diagnose
  I am in perfect physical health.
  
  The spectre arrives from the south.
  
  > check your inventory
  I am carrying my glasses (being worn), some socks, the Magic: The Gathering cards, the gaming glove (being worn), Gibs's lacrosse stick, the phone, and a pleather purse.
  
  A little more water trickles into the fountain.
  
  > go to the west
  I will have to get out of the fountain first.
  
  > Go outside
  I get out of the fountain.
  
  The spectre heads off to the west.
  
  > go to the east
  Mall, First Level, East Edge
  This is the first level, or ground floor, of the Funtime Teen Mall. The lone Mall Exit leads in a westerly direction, past a few more stretches of darkness-enveloped corridor, and the Food Court. There's also a few more stores to the west, with the Mall passageways expanding to all four directions at that point.
  
  Exits lead west to the rest of the Mall, and inside to the elevator.
  
  In the center of the corridor is a sculpted marble statue.
  
  Audrey, Gibs, and Casey follow me.
  
  > Go inside
  Audrey says, "We'll wait down here for you."
  
  The elevator smells terrible, strongly of untreated or unembalmed cadavers. There are three buttons here in the elevator labelled 'up,' 'down' and 'open doors.'
  
  I'm currently on the first level of the Mall. Aside from the operational panel, there is little else here in the lift.
  
  > go outside
  The floor of the Mall comes up against a rail, forming a barrier which prevents further (sane) western travel. The bottom (ground floor) level can be viewed with ease, though, as the guardrail mainly prevents kids -- future productive Mall denizens! -- from ragdolling their way off the edge.
  
  There is a badly-cracked kiosk in the center of the hallway. At the far end of the rail is an elevator.
  There is a crystal ball holder here.
  
  > go east
  There's only one more stretch of corridor on this level before one gets to the elevator, which leads down to the ground floor. To the south of this area is the Bead Store, exits otherwise lead west and east.
  
  > Go east
  I'm at the eastern side of the Mall. To the north is Choad's Sporting Goods. My store is a bit to the east, and the Bead Store a bit to the west.
  
  There is a table here, set adjacent to the Sporting Goods store.
  
  > go to the south
  The Bead Store smells strongly of incense and stale joints, and it almost overpowers every other sense. There are shelves on all sides of the store, but none in the middle of the store due to the drawn pentagram.
  A postcard, Barnaby's Big Gulp drink, the X-box are here.
  Sydney and the skeleton are here.
  
  > take the drink
  Taken.
  
  It's really cold in here.
  
  > Go outside
  I can't go that way. I can go north to the beginning of the east wing.
  
  > go inside
  Audrey says, "We'll wait down here for you."
  
  The elevator smells terrible, strongly of untreated or unembalmed cadavers. There are three buttons here in the elevator labelled 'up,' 'down' and 'open doors.'
  
  I'm currently on the second level of the Mall. Aside from the operational panel, there is little else here in the lift.
  
  > Go outside
  Mall, First Level, East Edge
  This is the first level, or ground floor, of the Funtime Teen Mall. The lone Mall Exit leads in a westerly direction, past a few more stretches of darkness-enveloped corridor, and the Food Court. There's also a few more stores to the west, with the Mall passageways expanding to all four directions at that point.
  
  Exits lead west to the rest of the Mall, and inside to the elevator.
  
  In the center of the corridor is a sculpted marble statue.
  Audrey, Gibs, and Casey are here.
  
  > go west
  Mall, First Level, Eastern Edge
  This bit of hallway features an enormous and beautiful fountain. There are exits in all four primary compass directions.
  
  Audrey, Gibs, and Casey follow me.
  
  > take the water
  (I'll only be able to hold the water for a couple moments before it flows through my hands...)
  
  > enter the fountain
  Entered!
  
  Mall, First Level, Eastern Edge, in the fountain
  This bit of hallway features an enormous and beautiful fountain. There are exits in all four primary compass directions.
  Audrey, Gibs, and Casey are here.
  
  > put water in the fountain
  Done.
  
  > put the drink in the fountain
  I put the Big Gulp drink in the fountain.
  
  > examine the drink
  It's sixty-four ounces of refreshing lime cola in a cup that looks like a chalice. The 128 ounce version of this drink is called the 'Supreme Maw Thrust' and even though it's a better deal it doesn't get purchased much by many Mall denizens.
  
  The spectre arrives from the west.
  
  > throw water at the spectre
  It doesn't appear as if splashing the water has any effect.
  
  The spectre heads off to the west.
  
  > leave
  I get out of the fountain.
  
  The water flows through my fingers.
  
  The water flows away and disappears.
  
  > go to the south
  This place has been in the Mall for as long as I can remember. It really is just called 'Poster Store,' though when I first noticed it a few years back the 'T' on the sign was missing. For months I thought it was some theme store where white suburban kids exclusively bought cassettes detailing cop killing and bitch slapping.
  
  The Poster Store sells posters... and little else. There's a hanging flip-rack of posters in the corner of the store, and a few hanging up on the walls.
  
  Alongside the far wall is a set of oversized disembodied lips.
  
  Audrey, Gibs, and Casey follow me.
  
  > Kiss lips
  They are too high up for me to kiss, which is too bad, because they look DELICIOUS.
  
  > talk to magic Mouth
  Please select one:
  
  (1) "What on earth happened to you?"
  (2) "Greetings, Mouth!"
  (3) "Tell me a story, Magic Mouth!"
  
  > 2
  The mouth says nothing in reply. I know that it 'heard' me, too, as it did not quiver even slightly while I was speaking to it.
  
  Please select one:
  
  (1) "What on earth happened to you?"
  (2) "Tell me a story, Magic Mouth!"
  
  > 1
  "What happened is, I'd like to say, just a misunderstanding! Why, my soul was a-flutter and a-fizz, there was one particularly hateful day, and then a terrible diversionary landing. But now it seems, hidden around, is the key to pick my lock... but I don't quite think you can do it, you miserable fucking cock."
  
  Please select one:
  
  (1) "Er, excuse me?"
  (2) "Shut the fuck up. You're just shitty lips on a wall."
  
  > 1
  "I think you heard me, Duffinkowski; heard me rather well. I'd sooner wait for Ragnar?k than for your mind to gel. You're trapped here, Doofernowski, drinkin', sleepin', eatin'... and I'll wink and sneeze upon your release, you sniveling dumbfuck cretin."
  
  Please select one:
  
  (1) "Oh, you want to go, eh? Fisticuffs?."
  (2) "Please don't insult me like that. It's, er, insulting."
  
  > 1
  "Oh, I'll have a go, just have no fear -- "
  
  I'm fed up with the mouth's nonsense. I cut it off from going any further.
  
  "Just shut that wretched little hole before I cover you with a custom balm milked from your disgusting, available organs, bitchlips. I need help and answers and I'm wholly not interested in even remotely taking abuse from some matted, chudlike non-life hung up on a wall."
  
  A sudden unease creeps over me. What am I doing with my life?
  This is a terrible time for reflection, and I try to fight it off. Audrey starts to say something, like how lips aren't officially organs or something equally helpful, but I ignore the interruption and continue. "You don't want to be in the Mall any more than I do. Help me out."
  
  Nothing happens for at least fifteen seconds. I get ready to leave before the lips purse. Finally.
  
  "How?" it says, at last.
  
  > Turn rack
  I flip to the next poster in the series and take a look at it.
  
  The first poster in this set depicts a kind of ritual. There is a red pentagram on the floor, and a bunch of pilgrims, quakers or hippies holding hands around it. (I can never really differentiate between the three.) It's eerily reminiscent of the attempt at an invoking performed earlier by Audrey, Gibs, Syd and Casey... Relatively speaking, anyway, as encountering a wraith and zombie tonight has raised the scale for what I will consider 'eerie' in the future.
  
  > Again
  I flip to the next poster in the series and take a look at it.
  
  The second poster shows a ghost -- a child's rendition of a spirit, really, with looming, evil eyes and a reversed teardrop shape. It's emerging from some other world or dimension inside the pentagram.
  
  > Keep going
  I flip to the next poster in the series and take a look at it.
  
  Er, this poster is actually one of Samantha Fox pouring milk all over herself in the shower.
  
  > continue
  I flip to the next poster in the series and take a look at it.
  
  This poster seems to be by the same artist as the other two, but rather than being drawn from a bird's eye perspective like those posters, it is a close-up of a young boy reading passages from a thick, craggily book. Locks of the boy's hair descend over his glasses and he's decked out all in black, wrapped in a weary and somber expression.
  
  > Keep going
  I flip to the next poster in the series and take a look at it.
  
  The fourth poster in this set shows a little girl with her eyes downcast. She is drinking from a radiant, glowing urn. The girl is wearing a silvery dress and has a key around her neck.
  
  "Do you see the symbolism in this picture, Jarret?"
  
  "The girl? No. Is she ashamed? Is that why she's looking down?"
  
  "No... I mean, around her neck. The key."
  
  "What's the key to?" I ask.
  
  "It's... well, actually, maybe it isn't really symbolism. But I think that's to a chastity belt." She releases her study of the picture and gives me a subtle, wry smile. "You know, my father wanted to put me in one when we first started dating."
  
  "It's good that he didn't. I would have just picked it."
  
  "Oh, really?" she says, with a bit of faux, exaggerated inquiry. "You know, skills from a game don't always translate to real life."
  
  "I know. I would have done it with my tongue. I have like a cold iron fetish, I just haven't told you yet because the subject hasn't come up and that's a tough one to drop on somebody." We stare at each other's eyes for a moment, 'till she breaks the gaze with a smile she unsuccessfully tries to hide.
  
  > Continue
  I flip to the next poster in the series and take a look at it.
  
  The second-to-last image is of a person from the first poster surrounded by numerous lit candles. There are seemingly millions of candles in the scene, and it's almost like an optical illusion, as the 'negative space' for certain candles comprise many separate ones when viewed in a different way. No candle seems to have a single, identifiable color (or rather, they seem to include all possible colors) and one can only really make out a single flame glowing serenely upon them.
  
  > look at Poster
  The fourth poster in this set shows a little girl with her eyes downcast. She is drinking from a radiant, glowing urn. The girl is wearing a silvery dress and has a key around her neck.
  
  > keep going
  I flip to the next poster in the series and take a look at it.
  
  yousTayaWayyouSICKLITTLEBOY!!
  
  The last scene shows vibrant fire all over the edges, and the subjects all seem burned to a crisp. There is no sign of the ghost, but the bodies of the boy, the girl, and all their compatriots are viciously chunked and charred. It's a beautiful little bit of art, regardless of how horrible the scene it depicts, and how terrible the ulcer is that begins to grow in my stomach.
  
  > Go north
  Mall, First Level, Eastern Edge
  This bit of hallway features an enormous and beautiful fountain. There are exits in all four primary compass directions.
  
  Audrey, Gibs, and Casey follow me.
  
  > go west
  Mall, First Level, Central Corridor
  This stretch of the Mall hallway is covered with just a bit of rubble. There are clear exits to the west and south (in addition to the east, back from where we came). The gate to the Record Store is down to the north.
  The spectre is here.
  
  Audrey, Gibs, and Casey follow me.
  
  "Where do we go from here?" asks Gibs. "There's an exit past the Food Court, right?" He gestures over towards the west.
  
  "Yeah. I don't think we can get out going to the Tech SuperStore." The SuperStore is to the south. "Audrey and I can take a jaunt down there and make sure, though."
  
  "Either way," says Gibs. "Just be careful. Who knows what's lurking about down there?"
  
  "Well, as my father always said, 'He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. "
  
  Gibs thinks about that for a second. "Your dad didn't say that. Freddie Nietzsche did, dummy."
  
  "What? No he didn't. You're completely wrong." I am really not sure if Barnaby is correct or not, so I just immediately go on the defensive.
  
  "Did Papa Duffy also say 'In heaven, all the interesting people are missing?' Or maybe 'Only sick music makes money today?"
  
  (Truth to tell, my dad did used to say the latter, but I
  don't tell Gibs that.)
  
  "Your father is really weird," says Audrey, unhelpfully.
  
  "Look, enough with ragging on poor, old Nichodeimos. He liked all of you well enough."
  
  "He hated me," says Audrey.
  
  "He called me 'fruitier than a blueberry pudding pop.'" says Gibs.
  
  "I never met him" says Casey.
  
  "Yeah, well, he hated Goths," says Gibs.
  
  "He hated everybody," says Audrey.
  
  The spectre heads off to the north.
  
  > Go north
  The gate to the Record Store is down, blocking my path.