The friends stood at the entrance to the service tunnels, a yawning darkness stretching out before them like the open mouth of a beast. Faint lights flickered from somewhere deep within, casting long shadows that danced across the cold concrete walls. The air was thick with dust, and a damp, metallic smell lingered, sticking to the back of their throats as they took their first cautious steps forward.
“Are we really doing this?” Sophie murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. She adjusted her flashlight, its beam cutting a narrow path through the darkness.
Lex nodded, her jaw set. “We don’t have a choice. If we want to find a safe way out of here—or even understand what’s going on—these tunnels might hold the answers.”
The group fell silent as they moved, the sound of their footsteps echoing off the walls. Lex led the way, her flashlight illuminating old pipes, faded warning signs, and graffiti that seemed to grow more erratic and disturbing the further they went.
“These tunnels were probably built for maintenance workers,” Brandon said, his voice echoing faintly. “Looks like they haven’t been used in years.”
“Great,” Damien muttered, gripping his airsoft pistol. “Just what we need. Another dark, creepy place where anything could be hiding.”
Maya, walking close to Damien, swallowed hard, casting nervous glances over her shoulder. “You think we’re really alone down here?”
Lex hesitated, her eyes scanning the shadows. “I… don’t know. Just stay close. And stay alert.”
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The deeper they went, the more the tunnels began to close in on them. The walls felt tighter, the air heavier. Occasionally, they’d hear the faint, distant sound of water dripping, but otherwise, the silence was absolute. It was as if the mall above had disappeared, and they were alone in a hidden world that had its own rules, its own nightmares.
Sophie paused, squinting at the walls. “Look at this graffiti.”
The friends gathered around, their flashlights illuminating faded scrawls that twisted and wound around the concrete, seeming almost alive in the flickering light. The messages were unsettling, scrawled in messy, desperate handwriting:
"Don’t trust the dark."
"They watch from the shadows."
"It’s always listening."
“Who wrote this?” Maya asked, her voice filled with unease. “Do you think… they’re still down here?”
Lex shook her head. “I don’t know, but… it sounds like they were afraid of something. Something in these tunnels.”
Brandon frowned, glancing over his shoulder. “Whatever they saw, they wanted to warn others. I just hope it’s not something we’re about to meet.”
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They continued through the tunnels, the oppressive silence weighing on them more with every step. But then, faint sounds began to echo from somewhere deep within. A soft shuffle, followed by something that sounded disturbingly like breathing.
“Wait,” Damien whispered, stopping in his tracks. “Did you hear that?”
They fell silent, listening. At first, it was barely audible—a faint, almost rhythmic sound, like footsteps mirroring their own. But as they strained their ears, the sound grew clearer, closer. It was as if something… or someone… was matching their pace, staying just out of sight.
“It’s… it’s coming from behind us,” Sophie whispered, her voice trembling.
Lex motioned for everyone to be quiet, her heart pounding as she raised her flashlight and aimed it down the corridor. But there was nothing there—only darkness and shadow.
“Maybe it’s just an echo,” Brandon said, though his voice was tense. “The acoustics down here can play tricks on you.”
But as they continued walking, the noises persisted. Footsteps that fell in sync with theirs, whispers that seemed to mimic their voices, growing louder and more distorted the further they went.
“Lex,” Maya whispered, clutching her arm. “Something’s… following us. I can feel it.”
“We just have to keep moving,” Lex replied, though her voice was laced with uncertainty. “If we panic now, we’re only going to make things worse.”
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
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Suddenly, Damien’s flashlight flickered, casting eerie shadows that danced along the walls. He smacked it a few times, but the light continued to dim, the beam growing weaker and weaker until it finally went out.
“Damn it,” he cursed, fumbling with the flashlight. “Not now…”
“Stay close to me,” Maya whispered, holding her own flashlight steady. “We can’t afford to lose each other.”
But then, Sophie’s flashlight began to flicker as well, the beam pulsing erratically before it stabilized. The whispers grew louder, shifting from faint echoes to unsettling murmurs that seemed to come from just behind them.
“This… this isn’t normal,” Brandon muttered, his face pale. “Something’s wrong down here.”
As if in response, a shadow shifted at the edge of their vision. Lex swung her flashlight in that direction, her heart racing, but the darkness swallowed the beam, revealing nothing.
“Did you see that?” Sophie asked, her voice barely more than a breath. “I swear, there was something… right there.”
“Keep moving,” Lex urged, her voice tight. “We need to get out of here.”
They picked up the pace, moving faster as the shadows seemed to close in around them. But the footsteps—those haunting, silent footsteps—followed them, never falling too far behind. And then… they saw it.
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A figure stood just within the range of their flashlights, barely visible. It was hunched over, shrouded in shadow, its eyes gleaming with a dull, animalistic intelligence. It moved in jerky, unnatural motions, as if it were only mimicking human movement.
“What… what is that?” Damien whispered, his voice filled with horror.
“A Stalker,” Lex replied, her voice barely steady. “It has to be.”
The Stalker’s head twitched, and then, in a sudden burst of speed, it scurried into the darkness, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. But even after it was gone, the sense of being watched remained, lingering like a thick fog in the air.
“Did it… just disappear?” Maya asked, her voice shaking. “Where did it go?”
“It’s still here,” Brandon whispered, glancing over his shoulder. “They’re following us. Watching us.”
The friends huddled closer together, their flashlights sweeping the tunnel as they moved, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of the Stalkers lurking in the shadows. But every time they thought they saw one, it would vanish, darting out of sight just as quickly as it had appeared.
“They’re toying with us,” Lex muttered. “Just like the Butcher did. They want to see us afraid.”
“Well, they’re doing a great job,” Damien replied, his voice strained. “What do we do now?”
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They pressed on, their pace quickening as the whispers grew louder, merging into an unsettling chorus of disembodied voices that echoed through the tunnels. The Stalkers appeared sporadically, always staying just at the edge of their vision, close enough to be seen but never close enough to be caught.
Sophie clutched her airsoft rifle, her hands shaking. “We have to get out of here. These things are… they’re playing with us.”
But as they reached a junction in the tunnel, they were met with a horrifying sight: three Stalkers, hunched and motionless, blocking their path. Their eyes gleamed in the dim light, watching with an unnatural stillness, as though they were waiting for the group to make the first move.
“There’s no way around them,” Lex said, her voice tense. “We’ll have to fight our way through.”
“Are you serious?” Maya whispered, her face pale. “We barely know what these things are!”
“We don’t have a choice,” Lex replied, raising her airsoft rifle. “On my mark, we move forward. Stick together, and don’t let them separate us.”
She took a deep breath, steadying herself. “Ready… now!”
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They charged forward, their flashlights illuminating the Stalkers, whose faces twisted into something resembling glee. The creatures moved with unnatural speed, darting in and out of the flashlight beams, forcing the group to keep swinging their lights to track them.
Damien swung his flashlight, narrowly avoiding a swipe from one of the Stalkers. “These things are fast!”
“Just keep moving!” Lex shouted, firing her airsoft rifle. The pellets struck one of the Stalkers, making it shriek and recoil, but it quickly recovered, darting back into the darkness.
Maya swung a metal pipe she’d grabbed earlier, barely managing to fend off a second Stalker that lunged at her. “We can’t let them surround us!”
The friends fought desperately, using their flashlights and makeshift weapons to keep the Stalkers at bay. The creatures moved like shadows, darting in and out, testing their defenses, seeming to enjoy the terror they were inflicting.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they managed to push past the Stalkers, breaking into a sprint as they bolted down the tunnel. The whispers faded behind them, but the fear lingered, wrapping around them like a suffocating shroud.
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They didn’t stop running until they saw a dim light ahead, marking the end of the service tunnel. Bursting through the exit, they found themselves in a storage room connected to the sporting goods store. They slammed the door shut, their breaths coming in ragged gasps as they leaned against the walls, each of them struggling to steady themselves.
“I hate those things!” Sophie gasp under her breathe, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I know,” Lex replied, her face pale. “There are more infected like those all over.”
Brandon shook his head, his eyes wide with lingering fear. “They are more than just mindless creatures. They were watching us.”
The friends shared a look, a silent understanding passing between them. They had escaped the Stalkers, but the encounter left them shaken, a reminder that the horrors of the mall were far from over.
“Let’s keep moving,” Lex said, pushing herself off the wall. “The sporting goods store is just ahead. Maybe we can find something there to help us.”
But as they stepped into the store, an eerie feeling settled over them. Mounted animals lined the walls, their glassy eyes watching as they entered. The air felt thick, oppressive, and for a moment, they wondered if they had escaped the shadows of the tunnels… or if they had just walked into another nightmare.