The Mall (Evenstad Media Presents Book 2) (4 page)

The Mall: Episode One Recap

Posted 1/9/2075

So, I was incredibly excited about The Mall. Regular readers
of my blog are probably pretty aware that I was a huge fan of The Park, last
year. So of course I was going to watch this when it came on last night.

I'm not going to say I was necessarily disappointed in what
I saw on the screen. It was interesting, and the cast they have this year looks
good. That was one of my biggest worries. I thought the contestants worked so
well together last season, it was going to be hard to match. While we haven't
seen a lot of interaction, just the way they're occupying the space together
makes me want to watch them. The fact that they probably know what's going on
because of The Park is going to make for some interesting gameplay, too.

Here's the bad part. Last season started with a bang. We had
Nathan getting shot down at the very end. This time? The first episode lacked that
real punch. Nobody's died, and it doesn't look like anyone has any interest in
killing right now. So I guess they're probably better people, but not nearly as
entertaining. I personally didn't miss the action, that much. It was all shot
well enough that it kept my tension levels super high, and that’s really what
I’m looking for out of this show. Tension. Suspense. But I worry that I'm in
the minority, and that doesn't bode well for the continuation of this show. Which,
at least for me, is disappointing. I want to see this show keep going as long
as it can. Why? Because there hasn't been anything this exciting, this
different, on TV in a long time, and I think it would be a shame if it ended
here.

So if you’re not watching because you think it’s just not
riveting television, give it another chance. For the diehard fans out there
like me, if nothing else.

Phil Boggs

TO: John Lipson

FROM: Veronica Daniels

SUBJECT: Final Instructions – The Mall

SENT 12/18/2074 AT 12:29 p.m. EST

Mr. Lipson,

You should receive this email well before your arrival at
the set of The Mall. These are orders received directly from Mr. Evenstad. The
extra guards being used for this need to do things in a very specific fashion, and
Mr. Evenstad is trusting you to ensure things are in fact done in that fashion.
Mr. Evenstad would like them to only patrol the public areas of the mall. The
area inside the shops is to be kept as sacred ground, so to speak. The
exceptions are the anchor store, Mitchell's, and the food court. Both of those
spaces are to be patrolled every eight hours, but no more often than that. Mr.
Evenstad would also like them to leave the public restrooms as safe zones.
However, access points to any other non-shop area is to be strongly prohibited
at all times. That includes all exits as well as the back rooms of the mall.
Mr. Evenstad trusts your judgment on the specifics, but simply wished to make
certain that these orders were followed to the best of your ability. More
technical instructions have already been delivered to the set, as well.

Veronica Daniels,

Administrative Assistant, Frederick Evenstad

JOURNAL 07NED

ENTRY 002

DATE: 1/8/2075

It's real early in the morning, but I couldn’t help but wake
up. There was this real loud crash. It was the doors opening. I was about to
step out and see what was up, but it was pretty clear just looking out the door.

Those other opponents the letter talked about? They showed
up. With guns. They've got to be military or something, the way they were
marching in unison like that. A few dozen of them, split up between the two
floors. They didn't try to kill anyone, though. I was waiting for them to go
into the shops and get things started, but they never did. They've just been milling
around out there, sticking close to the fountain in the middle of the hall. I
don’t know what they're doing on the second floor, but probably pretty much the
same thing, I would figure. As soon as they came in, a few of them walked off
into the Mitchell's down there. They were in there for about ten minutes, then
they came back out and joined the others. I don't know what they're waiting
for, but I think I might find out pretty soon.

I figure we can't all just sit around here, doing nothing.
So I'm going to make a move. I've got one of those antlers. It seemed like the
best idea, when I looked at it logically. It's probably a good pound, and
pretty much unbreakable. In a pet shop, I can't see myself finding much better
for just straight up… what I'm about to do.

Killing. Straight up killing. I may not be able to say it
without puking, but if I can't write it, then I'm totally hopeless. Maybe I'm
hopeless anyway. And maybe I'm nuts. But this is the best way to get things
started, and establish myself as a threat. If these guys don't have any stakes
in the competition, killing them is just for fun, as far as the others are
concerned. That's the plan, anyway. Look as nuts as possible and maybe they’ll
leave me alone for a while.

I just hope they're watching, is all. I don’t want to do
this and find out it was for nothing.

ENTRY END

TO: Laurie

FROM: Eddie

SUBJECT: [NO SUBJECT]

SENT 1/8/2075 AT 5:22 p.m. EST

I’ve spent a week with the new system, and I have a good
idea of the capabilities. I can do a lot, but I can’t get access to anything
that’s not directly on the network, which puts the actual game location out of
my reach. I’ll do my best to convince someone with more access to shut down
some of the systems, but I wouldn’t count on that happening. Sorry. I’ll keep
you abreast of any changes.

JOURNAL 04DANA

ENTRY 002

DATE: 1/8/2075

He's just… gone. That nice young man from the pet shop is
just gone. He came out there, swinging some kind of club, and headed straight
for the big guys with guns over by the fountain. I don't know what he was
thinking in that fool head, but he seemed to believe he had a chance. I could
have told him otherwise, just looking at him. I wouldn’t have wanted to side
with him if I thought he was even the least bit dangerous.

I also realized I've never seen somebody die before. I've
seen plenty of people after they're dead. You don't live in Miami without
running that risk. But seeing somebody actually lose their life… never before,
and God, I hope never again. At least not like that. The bullets just came
right through his head. Not like the movies or nothing. When you go see it on
screen, they're always just shooting and shooting until there's just nothing
left, and nobody ever falls down. Not for a long time.

They got him with three bullets, right in the head, and he
dropped, and the club rolled across the floor. I can't get away from the sound
of him collapsing, even an hour after it happened. It's stuck in my head. When
a body falls, I guess it makes this sort of wet, smacking sound. That’s the
best I can describe it. I expected it to be harder or louder or something. More
dramatic. Someone dying should make more of an impact, should just be bigger
than a little fall and thud and some blood on the floor.

I hope when I die, it's not so simple like that. Not that I
want it to be drawn out… but I feel like I want something more memorable, after
all I’ve been through.

ENTRY END

JOURNAL 10ALEXA

ENTRY 002

DATE: 1/9/2075

It's been a day since I heard somebody get shot. I didn’t
see it, but I heard it. It’s like the sound echoed even louder up here. A quick
burst of gunfire, and then a thud. It had to be the body falling, but it
sounded like a huge rock just crashing down. Maybe I’m remembering it
differently than it happened, putting more emphasis on things then there really
was, but I swear I can still hear it, if I close my eyes, even if it doesn’t
make any sense.

If those guys up here were as trigger-happy as whoever was
downstairs, I knew I needed some kind of protection, even if it wouldn’t do
anything much. I knocked over a bookshelf in front of the doorway. Got some
nasty bruises doing it, but at least I have some kind of barrier, now. I have a
place to get out over it, which means it's not really keeping anyone out, if
they’re determined enough to get to me. I'll know for sure if anyone's coming,
though. I just have to keep an eye on the door.

It's not a perfect plan, but I think I can improvise.
There's some little snacky foods in the bookstore, which is better than
nothing. I'd be much better off if I had something with actual nutritional
value, but I'd rather be eating chocolate and breath mints than starving.

They won't last. I know that. I'm saving the really good
stuff for when I'm actually in need. The bags of nuts have good protein, and
I've got plenty of bottled water. All the sodas up by the front counter are
just going to have to be for nothing. There's really no point in drinking them.
Sodium's just going to make me run through the water I have faster. Not that
I'm really going to run out. Can drink it from the tap if I need to. I should
probably stop writing in this journal and figure some stuff out. If there's
anything for me to figure out. But if I stop writing in here, that means I
actually have to do something else… and I'm just not sure what that can really
be.

ENTRY END

TO: Niels Evenstad

FROM: Edward Andel

SUBJECT: Doubts

SENT 1/8/2075 AT 7:45 a.m. EST

I saw the footage of the first contestant getting shot.
Niels, I don't think I can do this, anymore. I thought I knew what I signed up
for with all this, but to actually have to watch it… I figured because I'd
grown up watching bloody movies and stuff, I would be okay with it. Maybe not
okay with it, but I could handle it well enough. Everyone says people are
desensitized. I guess I’m just not.

I want to learn how to do what you do, and get into a
position where I can move up into the company. That would be good for me,
financially, and you say it will help you out, too. But this killing thing just
seems wrong. And unnecessary. I don't want to keep watching this, every single
day. I can’t watch it every single day without losing it.

—

TO: Edward Andel

FROM: Niels Evenstad

SUBJECT: Doubts

SENT 1/8/2075 AT 10:19 a.m. EST

I know this isn't easy to do, Edward. But it's going to be
very important, even if it doesn't seem like it. Sometimes, the things you'll
have to do in this job aren't easy, and they aren't pleasant. The work that
goes on behind the things we produce here is much more difficult than the
audience should ever know. But it does need to be done, Edward. It truly does.
This is part of it.

You told me that you have a mother who you'll probably have
to take care of, someday. I assure you, that day will come too soon for you,
and you'll need to be prepared. I also have a family to care for, after I'm
gone. I want both of our problems to be taken care of, and this is the best way
to go about this. I would welcome any other options you have, believe me. But
until then, this is the way to take care of my family and your mother, when
that day comes. I'm sorry it's difficult, but it is the best way.

Niels Evenstad,

Chief Operating Officer, Evenstad Media

JOURNAL 03BILL

ENTRY 002

DATE: 1/10/2075

There's a little skittish boy down on the other end of the
mall there on the first floor. I think it'll be easy enough to manipulate him.
Probably gay. Looks well-groomed. Definitely dresses feminine. Metrosexual, if
nothing else. I'm guessing all of this from afar, but it’s the theory I’m going
on until I learn otherwise. If I give him enough compliments and sleep with
him, I bet I could make him do just about whatever I want. I don't know for
sure, but it seems like a valid enough hypothesis. He picked a makeup shop, for
Christ’s sake. Probably puts quite a bit of value on his appearance. I just
have to play that a little. If I’m wrong then I’m wrong, but going for him is
better than waiting.

The problem is that I have to make it down there in one
piece to actually go for him. I'm willing to do it, but it would work better if
I had someone to throw to the mooks along the way, if need be. Someone
expendable. Which really just means anyone I can get to come along with me.
Whoever these gunmen are they’ve gotten, they're obviously not squeamish when
it comes to killing. It's not great news for me. I have to switch floors to
avoid the patrols they put through here. None of the other shops look to be
having the same issues, but that's okay. I'm willing to take that trade-off
until something better presents itself.

There's a woman up in the sex shop on the second floor. It's
close enough I could dart in. My best bet is probably her, I think. And if she
doesn't want to take part, I can move on. She doesn't look like much
physically, the couple times I've actually seen her, but if it comes to it,
I'll still have the baseball bat with me. She'll have to die one way or
another, if I'm going to get through this and win. Hopefully, I can use her to
get a little further, first.

ENTRY END

JOURNAL 08QUINN

ENTRY 003

DATE: 1/10/2075

There's something weird going on in here. Weirder than being
locked up in a mall, even. I thought it might have been a fluke or a
coincidence or something, but it's been a couple days and nothing's changed.
There are guards around a door on the first floor. Half a dozen, totally
blocking off the space in front of this door. There's another door they're
guarding, but it's plainly marked as an emergency exit. Even if I managed to
get through all those guards there, I doubt they'd let me escape. Not with all
the trouble they've gone to getting me here and keeping me here. Not even going
to try that door.

But the other one is marked employees only, which normally
means a back room or something like that. And if they're guarding it… well, I
don't know exactly what might be back there, but obviously something they don't
want anyone getting to. The kind of stuff a mall wouldn’t want everyday
customers having access to, either. I guess it could be a red herring, but I
just don't see a TV company wasting money guarding something that doesn't need
guarding. Especially not as expensive as this shit probably is already. No, I'm
pretty sure there's something back there.

I want to find out what.

ENTRY END