#fff215

A/N: a story of how a person decided to camp out at a mall... for a specific purpose. for an opportunity to obtain something they've been anticipated about. Word Count: 629 T.W/C.W: None-ish

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“Attention shoppers!" a voice screeched from speakers above the wall's corners. "All stores are about to be closed in ten minutes."

Mall at night - #fff215 @flashfictionfridayofficial

This is set in my Claretbury Chronicles universe (no, it's not out or even announced officially yet. Yes it is what I've been writing most recently. No it won't be out for at least a year and a half, possibly longer). No spoilers though. Anyway enjoy.

Billie clutched the daggers tightly in their fists, keeping their hands low and hidden in the open edges of their jacket — almost but not quite in their pockets.

Vampires went down better with wood — ash specifically, which the Hunters Guild had been good enough to supply Billie with. Problem was, the ash had about a 43.5% chance of disintegrating with the vampire. Problem was, the last time Billie had been sent on a mission that was "definitely vampires" they'd ended up taking a Llea demon in the chest. Said Llea demon had morphed the wood back into living form and used it to restrain Billie.

Wooden stakes only really worked on vampires. Silver coated daggers with runic enchantment carved into the blades worked on pretty much everything. Everything Billie could reasonably be expected to fight anyway.

Billie had spent more time in malls than most of their fellows, having not been picked up by the Guild until puberty had hit and their powers had manifested. Puberty would have been hard enough, but no, chance saw fit to equip Billie with magical powers to fight monsters too.

A dark and silent mall, though, was freaky as fuck. The last time Billie had been in a mall their mum had been taking them for new school supplies — supplies that had never come to be used, though Billie still had the keyring from the edge of the pencil case. It had been bright, the fluorescent lights blasting off the white marble-like floors, each shop front shedding its own choice of light out of the huge glass windows. It had been noisy, a thousand people or more all going about their lives in that chaotic way people behaved. Now Billie expected there had been more than humans in the mix, but they hadn't even thought to wonder that at the time. The scents of body odour and too much perfume mixed into a cloying concoction with the food and drink stalls — Billie's increased senses running rampant to categorise everything. Their mum had held their hand when Billie had pulled sunglasses down to cover their eyes, they could practically feel her warm, safe, solid grip now.

They shook it off. This mall was dark. The sting of cleaning fluid the only scent. And it was silent. But for the soft jingle of mayhem.

Billie had been sent out because the Guild didn't know what was here. They suspected vampires, but Billie knew by now that "suspected" was the same as "guessed". Just because they moved around at night didn't necessarily mean vampires.

But Billie's handler, Myles, had also pointed out the security guards drained of blood and the fact that these creatures — whatever they turned out to be — were throwing their party in the kind of place vamps would be naturally drawn to. A mirror shop.

Vampires and reflections. A complex consideration.

Still, as Billie neared the shop their heart pounded, knocking against their rib cage like an instant visitor. Whether it was vampires or something else, Billie was here to dispatch them. However many there happened to be.

Or Billie was here to die trying.

They slipped through the open glass door and into the shop.

Creatures buzzed about inside, too fast for even Billie to track. Could still be vamps. Vamps could move fast. But the noise like bee wings wasn't one Billie was used to vamps making when they buzzed about.

They gripped the handles of their daggers a little tighter.

Kill the beasties or die trying. That was the order. Billie's job. And Billie really didn't want to die.

Black Friday

Written for @flashfictionfridayofficial #215 prompt Mall at Night

“I swore I would never do one of these. Why am I here?”

Her sister laughs, pulling at her hand. “Because it is the first time the mall has been open all night. You don’t have to shop. You can just watch me.”

She shakes her head, a smile spreading across her face. “You and everyone else. This might be better then Walmart.”

“That’s the spirit.”

They are in a group of people waiting on the doors to open. The Black Friday sale will be across the whole mall. The crowd is huge.

“Alright ladies and gentlemen. There will be no shoving, no pushing. You will enter in an orderly fashion. Anyone who doesn’t , will be escorted out of the building. Understood?”

Nods and yes’ all around. No one there wants to miss the mega sale. The rules will be followed.

The security guard looks to his counterpart on the inside. He gets a nod and the doors swing open.

Christmas music fills the air. A giant Christmas tree stands in the center of the lobby. It’s star is inches away from the ceiling. Christmas lights and a few other dimmed ones are the only source of illumination.

The reluctant shopper stands, taken it all in. She feels a sense of awe. Her sister grins at her. “Now aren’t you glad you came.

“I am. This is magical.”

“Good. Let’s do some shopping.”