After Hours at the Mall (A New Year's Dream)
Featuring: Rachel Moore and Narue Nanase
(Written on December 21st, 2008; was never presented)
Writer's note:
This story was thought of and written by me, a couple of years ago. It came to me in a dream I had. And, no, it was NOT a wet dream (Since this story is rated M). This was my very first RachelXNarue I wrote, WAY before "Rachel's Memories in Fighting"; except that I never presented it to you guys down there. Think of it as a "lost fanfic" I wrote.
Okay, bye.
On January 1st, around 1am (Japan Standard Time) after celebrating New Year's, Rachel Moore was having a sleepover in her house with, Narue Nanase, her erstwhile best friend from Sakura.
"Hey, thanks again for celebrating New Year's with you and Conan, Rach," Narue said, who was wearing pink pajamas, "Though, I'd stay away from your father, if I were you. He somehow took a look at me and was afraid of me."
Rachel, who was wearing lavender pajamas, sighed, "Yeah, well, after what happened, you seemed okay. Besides, at least it was fun with you, rather than with Jimmy."
"He hasn't come back yet?" Narue inquired.
Rachel replied, "Not recently. He did show up, but left me again. But knowing my heart, he'll be back."
Narue giggled, as she draped the covers over her, "Oh, you. You'll see him again. I just know it! If Kazu left me, I would've done the same thing!"
Rachel placed her head on the pillow and grumbled, "Yeah… you would've…"
Narue grew a bit worried, since her friend still found her as annoying with her goody-goody attitude.
"Good night, Rachel," she whispered, "Happy New Year."
"Yeah, good night," Rachel yawned, as she turned out the lights.
Both girls were sleeping in Rachel's bed together, peacefully and serene. But minutes later, Narue extended her right arm up while she was sound asleep. She held it up like she was posing for something. She started to experience a dream… like no other. And since it was New Year's Day, she had a New Year's dream.
It started as a simple day at a local mall in Japan. Everyone was shopping like crazy in each store, including the latest costume and clothing store on the second floor. The costume store had a lot of beautiful attires that are suitable for all people, whether they decide to cosplay or dress up for a costume party. Mostly, it was for Halloween, whenever October looms around, which is a popular sale. So, why is this store very popular, you say? It's very easy. Up in the huge glass window, located beside the entrance, two girls are dressed in very beautiful costumes, standing in the window, all motionless and stiff. Yep, you guessed it; these two girls are actually store mannequins. One of them has long sienna hair with blue eyes, and she, or it, is wearing a long blue dress and white stockings, vaguely similar to Magical Girl #4. Her body is somewhat the same size and type of a 15-year old middle school girl. The other has dark brown hair, with the same length. This store dummy is wearing a bright green mesh shirt, pink vest, and a dark green miniskirt with fishnet stockings and a shiny violet tube top. Her body was more like the perfect woman, except her chest is slightly bigger than the other. She's, of course, 3 inches taller than the mannequin standing next to her. They were eye candy for all the customers, who shop there for the fun costumes. Every day, they admired the beautiful girls in the store window and said that they should wear what they're wearing. Of course, they sold out every six days, before a new shipment would come. The people who bought the costumes thank the girls who wear the costumes to show off. This is how this story ends… in broad daylight. The mall closes at 10PM (Except on Sundays, which is at 6), leaving every store locked tight.
The clothing store plays a huge role in the dead of night. These two store statues, located in the window, are no ordinary wooden girls. Every often, whenever the mall security guard walked around the mall, a faint giggle is overheard. In reality, it was just a mannequin laughing. The guard was hearing things, especially since it came from the small shops. On occasions, nothing goes on around midnight, especially the trained guard bulldogs and pit bulls patrolling around the floors. They always make sure that no one enters the mall nocturnally. However, that's a completely different story, which brings us to what we'll bring in.
On one sudden midnight, a full moon shone above the mall, with its moonlit beams reflecting into the glass roof. The beam went straight into the costume store and shone the two mannequins. As the moonlight faded, one of them started to blink. The other began to stretch her muscle.
"Oh, man, what a month," the mannequin in blue yawned, "I almost felt like I was frozen stiff."
The other in pink and green exclaimed, "Every month we come out… and we just feel good about this."
She patted her head and smiled, "Oh, Ran, you're so tense after last month's full moon."
"What do you expect, Narumi? We were built two months ago!" Ran growled.
These two mannequins, named Ran and Narumi, were special types of mannequins. They were also the newest mannequins in the mall. Every time the full moon comes, they want to experience their own fun in the mall. However, they have one common goal: freedom.
Ran then moaned, "When the hell are we supposed to get out of here?"
Narumi scolded, "You're being rude again. You've acted like that since you were assembled."
Ran was more of an annoyed person, and she loves to escape this place. She just cannot stand Narumi's polite tone. Narumi, however, is more of a nice and curious mannequin. She sometimes discovered the things around the mall, so she wants to address her discoveries to someone. The only friend she could talk to was her friend, Ran. Of course, Ran couldn't stand her constant cheery look.
"Well, if only we escape this mall, I wouldn't stand being with you," Ran huffed.
Narumi sighed and said, "Oh, well."
She stepped down from her pedestal and brushed her faux hair. She then exclaimed that she found something last month, when she was walking around the food court for a snack.
"If you want, I could show you later," she smiled as she adjusted her dress.
"Maybe later, when I feel like it," she said, as she jumped down from her pedestal.
Ran went outside of the store and was stretching her arms. However, she heard a faint bark. It was a white bulldog, rushing towards her. Ran was frightened by the upcoming dog that she jumped back in. She let out a pant and was scared stiff, stiffer than ever since she's a window doll.
"Ran-Chan, what happened?" Narumi asked.
"Shut up and lock this door!" Ran screamed, "I want to leave!"
"What's your problem?" She snapped.
"I said, shut your fucking mouth!" she cried out.
"RUDE! You're doing this to spite me, huh?" Narumi gasped.
Ran then showed Narumi the bulldog, barking at the door, with Ran and Narumi watching.
"Wow, he sure is pissed," Narumi exclaimed.
She then held up a round ball and opened the door. She waved the ball from outside the door and threw it to the pathway. The bulldog ran after it, mesmerized by her moments.
"Now why didn't you do that before?" Ran shouted.
Narumi hushed her and exclaimed, "Well, last month I was so curious of what I saw, I never knew that the dogs would come. It'll be a while, before they return."
Ran sighed in annoyance and asked, "How much time do we have left?"
"We've got plenty. We have about four hours left before we are back to mannequin form," Narumi stated.
Ran then said in anger, "Well, then, you can count on me being pissed at you for the last FOUR HOURS OF MY FUCKING LIFE!"
"Ran, you mean…"
"No, I mean, my life will end until the next full moon."
The mannequins coming to life is temporary. When the moon shines on them, they've got until dawn to return to their spots. For Ran, she and Narumi must escape together. But for what?
Narumi asked, "Well, I have been smart about this motive. But unlike last month when we had to find our way back home."
"Yeah, and nice call on the sausage trail, which you smuggled in the food court," Ran snuffed.
Narumi stated, "Well, they were out of bread! Think about it. When I was built, I always remembered the story of Hansel and Gretel, which these two kids placed a trail of breadcrumbs on their pathway."
"You did not," Ran sneered, "You read that fairy tale at the bookstore, when you and I left to read some magazines."
Narumi giggled and said, "Aw, where was my head at today? A month can go away fast."
"And where the hell did you get those stupid sausages?"
"Geez, you're all question-y. Okay, after we woke up and I found something in the food court, I grabbed the sausages and returned to the store. Then I set a trail of sausages home, so I can find my way back, in case it's almost dawn."
"Okay, shut up…"
"I found it like that in the bin, and then I grabbed about an armful; nearly ruining my designer blouse."
"Shut up…"
"I mean, they had to take me apart, just to remove the dress."
"Narumi, did you ever think that dogs are attracted to meat? Maybe that's why it was your fucking fault when they chased us around!"
"Well, obviously no one caught us on tape," Narumi stated.
Ran said sarcastically, "Oh… no kidding, airheaded Barbie…"
Narumi then sat down on the bench and moaned, "I don't know. Maybe I'm just a little uneasy."
"Maybe, but it's because you forget a lot," Ran explained, "Right now, we should not worry about our feelings. We have to get out of this godforsaken place and see the world. Think of it: just us two, escaping the hollow world and see the clear blue sky and green trees. I grew tired of standing around the mall as the mannequin I am; and neither do you."
"We've got plenty of time, which is about three hours and forty-five minutes, without playing the blame game and refurbishing our dreams." Narumi exclaimed.
Ran then asked, "If we escape this world, what do you think we should do together?"
Narumi then replied, "Well, I've always wanted to go to the hot springs. Maybe I'll get rid of this crick in my neck."
Ran then sighed, "It's going to take a lot of time to be free from this shitty place. I've been trying to escape for years."
"We've only been built for two months." Narumi exclaimed.
"Who cares?" Ran shouted.
"Anyway, I heard that this place is perfect to relax. They told me that there are lots of popular places down in Tokyo that serves a very relaxing bath for two. In fact, there's one place here in the mall that has this sort of treatment. It's too bad the place is artificial."
"I'm sorry?"
"There's no real trees and blue sky. Just a painted mural."
"How the hell did you go there?"
Narumi then walked with Ran to the spa, located about four stores down in the second floor. Narumi arrived and magically opened the door. Of course, all the stores are closed, but when it comes to these two, it takes magic to open the doors.
"Wow… how ridiculously amazing," Ran sighed, "Besides, won't we get caught if we bathe here?"
Narumi went to the locker and took off her dress. She answered, "No. Every time we awaken, we always visit these cool places. However, the guard doesn't know it was us."
"Yeah, thanks to your fucking sausage trail, you dimwitted ponderosa pine," Ran growled.
She walked to the Boys' locker room, to get away from Narumi.
"Since I mentioned the bath, I feel like I should bathe before we go out," she announced, "I have to be squeaky clean and shiny just to leave this world."
Ran muttered, "Yeah, yeah… just as long as we have three hours left; because I want to leave… NOW!"
Narumi shook her head and thought, "Sometimes, I wish she wouldn't be so uptight. I like her as a mannequin, like me, but I want to be with her as my best friend."
She wrapped a towel around her body and proceeded to the bath. Narumi removed the towel and went in the water.
"Are you ready yet, Ran-Chan?" She called out.
Ran appeared, wrapped in a blue towel, with a basin.
"This is stupid," she groaned.
She took off her towel and stepped in the bathtub with Narumi. She then grabbed a brush and lathered it in soap. Narumi was blushing, staring at her breasts. Ran then looked at her and was shocked.
"Why are you staring at me?" She asked.
"I grew jealous of you, Ran-Chan," Narumi said, "You're breasts are so bigger than mine. Of course, that's the way it is, since those people created you like that. I'll never understand why you all of a sudden have a cute body."
"Narumi?" Ran blushed, covering her bosom in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry. I guess I was being too personal. I'll never understand that I am a C-cup and you're a D-cup," Narumi explained, "I am sorry about that."
Ran then sighed, "Well, for what it's worth, I'm glad that I am the sexiest mannequin in this mall, comparing the both of us. You, however, have a cute factor. Who painted your eyes, making it so glittery?"
Narumi said nothing. She sunk down and was gurgling. Ran then scoffed.
"Oh, quit your bellyaching, or whatever you do for ache," she sighed, "That is nothing more than a stupid remark, which is pretty obvious. I happened to have a sturdy look of muscle in me. Why do you think they created me as the athletic-type?"
Narumi went to Ran, who was lathering her hair with shampoo. She asked, "I'm sorry. But you know the old saying: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
"You must've heard that remark from "The Twilight Zone", huh?" Ran griped.
"Yes…" she pouted.
Ran poured water on her head with her basin. Narumi grabbed a soapy sponge and went towards her. Ran looked at Narumi, while opening her eyes.
"What are you doing?" She retorted.
"Can I wash your back, Ran-Chan?" Narumi asked.
She turned around and brushed her faux damp hair off her back.
"I suppose so," she sighed.
Narumi began to scrub her very lightly. Ran started to enjoy the moment, as she was being clean.
"Narumi… please don't stop… until I…" she moaned.
"I'll stop, but only if you wash my back," Narumi informed.
"Okay, I will…" Ran moaned.
Minutes later, Narumi finished. Ran began to scrub her back with the sponge. Narumi then asked, "Say, Ran-Chan, how come you never smile with me?"
Ran then inquired, "Why would you say that?"
Narumi explained, "Well, I never saw you smile, except those times when you pose for the people."
"Oh, well, I never find the time to smile, except for those occasions, during the full moon."
"But we've been around for two months."
"I don't care. Besides, what I am saying is that it's kind of a weird way to say."
"I know. But you'd never smile with me around."
"Narumi, please. You're such a goody-goody and an idiot, since you have no brains."
"What? How would you say that?"
She turned around and cringed, "Why would you call me that?"
"Let's face it! You're such a dummy as a curious girl doll." Ran snapped.
Narumi then fainted and sunk into the water. Ran was frightened that she picked up her body and tried to revive her. She placed her on the floor, with no clothes on and is all damp, and did CPR on her. After five tries, Narumi was revived. She coughed up some water and gasped for air. She sat up and breathed heavily. She scratched her head, thinking what Ran said earlier.
"Are you okay?" Ran asked.
"Ran-Chan!" She whined.
"I'm sorry, but what I said was all true!" She cried out.
"Okay, look," Narumi exclaimed, "If it were me, blaming you for stupidity, which I'll admit it was my own fault, I'd do the same for my best friend."
Ran sighed and muttered, "I'm not your best friend. I'm a mannequin."
She hugged Narumi and said not to faint like that again. Narumi nodded and said that she'll be okay.
After their bath, they put on their clothes and walked together to the food court. However, Ran grew worried about Narumi.
"Say, how come you never yell at me?" Ran asked.
Narumi replied, "Well, I find you as the big sister I never had, and never will, for that matter."
Ran then remarked, "Well, you might be able to escape to the real world, when we-."
"Uh, let me stop you there. I checked the time, and we only have three hours left," Narumi interrupted.
Ran shouted, "WILL YOU QUIT FUCKING INTERRUPTING ME?"
"Sorry."
"Anyway, when we leave here, I've always wanted to find some happiness with a guy. Maybe I'll find one who is destined to go to Koshien or the World Cup."
"You're more of the athletic type, eh, Ran-Chan?"
"What about you?"
"I don't care, as long as I'm happy with a boy, who loves me for what I am."
Narumi then held Ran tight and added, "Besides, aside from a boyfriend, I can hang with my best buddy."
Ran griped, "I would rather be friends with THEM!"
The dogs appeared, barking at them. Two bulldogs and one pinscher ran towards the mannequins, who scurried off in fear. They ran off into a toy store, which Ran opened the door to. She shut the door, but the dogs tried to break in, somehow.
"We're surrounded, Ran-Chan," Narumi said, "Nice dogs, though."
Ran then sighed, "Now, we'll never get there to outside."
Narumi approached a jukebox and played a song on the machine. The machine played a musical jingle. The dogs charged in, while Ran and Narumi hid inside the stuff animals. The dogs looked around, trying to find the girls, but they ended up lost. Narumi then whistled to the dogs and cried out that she's over there. Ran appeared on the other side and call them dirty mutts.
"Ran-Chan! That's rude of you!" Narumi cried.
"I know! But they are mongrels!" She shouted.
The dogs barked towards Ran. She snuck off, hiding inside the bikes. Narumi thought of a plan. She grabbed the crate of rubber balls and threw them towards them. The dogs, which saw what came ahead of them, scurried away, to avoid being chased down. Ran dashed past them, but was hit in the head with a blue ball. The dogs lost them. Narumi and Ran sprinted out of the toy store and went off to the escalator. Narumi tripped a bit and they stumbled down the escalator and landed on the ground on the first floor. Both of them were hurt, but luckily, they didn't break. Well, they are mannequins, but with human forms. Narumi stood up, staggered and dizzy. She held up Ran and asked if she's okay.
She swatted her away and cried, "That was brutal! Why the hell would you do this sort of shit?"
"Ran-Chan, I'm sorry, I had to react. I couldn't risk seeing my friend in danger." Narumi cringed.
Ran shouted, "Nobody said you went this far, you moron!"
Narumi shushed her. They looked around and found that they are close to the food court by a couple of yards. They made it, eventually.
"Whoa! This must be different from what I remembered," Narumi groaned.
"And you still didn't answer my question!" Ran griped.
"Which is?"
"What did you find there?"
"Oh, right! You won't believe it! I mean, you'll turn you wig around inside-out!" Narumi cheered.
Ran snuffed, "Try me. I am not happy for it, but if it'll make you shut up for the next month, which by the way, we have now two hours to go, show me."
Narumi shushed Ran and then looked around for some dogs. She told Ran to follow her. They sneakily went to the food court, all the way to the wall, near the emergency exit.
"Wow, yeah," Ran snubbed, "Real original."
Narumi opened the emergency door and showed her some markings she found by the hallway. Ran held the door, just so they won't get trapped. They noticed some scribbling on it that says "Hello. Can you escape life as wood?", "Help find us the way out of here…", and "You cannot stay out forever!" on the wall. Narumi turned on a flashlight she swiped from the toy store and shone its light on the markings.
"And this would be…" Ran asked.
"Well, they were written by mannequins from the past," Narumi said, "You see, when the moon is full, certain number of mannequins come to life, only to find a way out of this mall. Why, one mannequin told me, when I was on my way to the food court last month, that years ago, three mannequins like us tried to escape, but failed. They were always caught parading around, having fun, and eating food that isn't theirs. Also, she said to me that when they fail, they come back here in the next month and scribble what they thought of their experience. Of course, this area, right beside the door, was always unnoticeable; but it's always a perfect place for us to write it down, since it is dark around here."
"Amazing," Ran said, "Even for you, you are knowledgeable. Why are you suddenly oblivious?"
Narumi then pouted, "I'm not ignorant. Besides, mannequins who don't escape are better off stuck in shit creek, without a paddle!"
"You dumbass!" Ran snuffed, as she ran off in anger.
Narumi followed, "Wait!"
Ran sat down, moaning and groaning over Narumi's story, which is all a fable, according to Ran. Narumi found her and asked, "Why did you run?"
"Apparently, this whole BS is rotten, unlike your smelly sausages from last month!" Ran snapped, "Let's face it! Mannequins have no brains, which is what you have, you brainless bitch!"
Narumi gasped and swelled up in tears, "Ran-Chan! What are you saying?"
Ran then shouted, "I'm better off being in the junkyard, than be in the mall with you!"
Narumi was about to say something, when she dropped some sausages she had in her pocket. Ran grabbed one and struck it onto her head continually.
She screamed, while hitting Narumi, "YOU STUPID… ROTTEN… DOG FOLLOWING… FOOD DUMPING… LITTLE PORCELAIN REJECT!"
"Okay, I'm sorry!" Narumi cried, "I was hungry! I learned from my mistakes from that time. And besides, I was telling the truth. The young mannequin told me, when I went to the ladies' lingerie store, near the stereo shop across the hall."
"You had to believe those slutty underwear brats? You fucking idiot!"
"Okay, I'm sorry again. But they did told me who it was that tried to escape."
"Who?"
"Them."
Ran grabbed a broom from the janitorial cart and pointed at Narumi.
"Okay, you liar! I am going to break you and escape!"
Narumi grabbed a mop and cried, "How about I break you and escape?"
"Game on, bitch!" Ran shouted.
They began to fight, like it was a sword fight to the death. They began to battle, all over the mall lobby, nearing the fountain. When Ran stumbled a bit, Narumi rushed towards Ran. She ducked, and Narumi fell into the water. She swam up and was soaking wet. Her faux hair was soaking wet and covered all over her face. Ran then began to stifle her laughter, noticing that her body and clothes were soaked.
"What did you expect me to be, water logged?" Narumi shouted.
Ran said nothing. She burst out laughing, knowing that it was funny. Narumi then adjusted her hair and was laughing with her.
"Ran-Chan," she smiled, "I knew you'd smile one day."
Ran then giggled, "I'm sorry. I guess I was clouded by anger and denial. All I wanted to do was escape the mall and be free. But then, you came to me and told me such a tall tale."
"It was no tall tale," Narumi whined.
"I didn't say I didn't believe you," Ran sighed, "I was angry by your stupidity. Besides, you were worried about me."
"I thought you would leave this place real soon, so I wanted to show you. You escaped before, but didn't last."
"I know. It was last month, and I escaped through the mall window, but I was magically transported to the pedestal and stood there for an hour or two. I guess maybe this time I didn't want to be punished again."
Narumi then held her face and smiled, "I had to make you feel better, since that happened. When you were punished, I went to those dolls in lingerie and they told me about that writing on the wall. It's not even a joke."
Ran then smiled and said, "Yeah, screw it. I wanted to leave, but-."
"Well, there is one exit," Narumi smiled and pointed at the front gate.
"FIGURES!" Ran shouted, "WHAT THE FUCK?"
"I wanted to show you, just in case, Ran-Chan."
"And you didn't tell me?"
"No, I thought I'd show you, anyway."
Ran let out a smile and then giggled, "Thanks."
Narumi then exclaimed, "I forgive you, by the way, for the language, the broom fight, and for calling me a bitch."
Ran then asked, "Never mind that! How much time left?"
"We only have about one hour left. It's only 4am now." Narumi stated.
"We can make it if we run, since it's a short minute." Ran exclaimed.
Narumi then stood in place and shook her head.
"No, Ran-Chan," she said, "I don't want to leave yet. I haven't become happy with my customers. There's so much I wanted to learn, even as a doll. Besides that, you don't find me as a friend."
Ran turned around and asked, "You're still mad at me about me yelling at you?"
She nodded as Ran went to her. Ran held her hand and walked with her.
"Ran-Chan?"
"Fuck those people and their eyes on us! This is what I wanted: freedom! They'll remember us out there. And who knows? Maybe they'll make newer mannequins like us one day."
"Ran-Chan, I don't understand. Are you sure about this?"
"I do… friend."
Narumi smiled big and giggled. They both ran off to the exit, but as they approached the handle, a black pit bull arrived and barked at the mannequins. They were terrified by its bark.
"RUN!" Ran screamed.
She and Narumi scattered away into the west corridor, with the dog barking and chasing them. They ran for about thirty feet, ending up into the huge tree, by the fountain. They climbed up and were trapped.
"Man, I hate that freaking dog!" Narumi snapped.
But as he was barking continuously, a girl appeared and batted the dog with an old magazine.
"Bad dog!" She shouted, "You should've known better!"
She chased the pit bull away, who was whimpering off. She called up to the girls and safely held them to the floor.
"Oh, thanks for saving us," Narumi smiled and bowed.
"Yeah… and who the hell are you?" Ran asked.
The girl, who was dressed in red underwear and stocking, then replied, "I take it you tried to escape, huh?"
"Hannah?" Narumi asked, "Hannah? Is that you?"
The girl, named Hannah, was actually a mannequin, as well. She was one of those lingerie models, except with long braids and glasses.
"Hey, Narumi! It's been a month," Hannah greeted.
Narumi introduced her to Ran. They shook hands with each other. Hannah then asked them why they'd escape. Narumi was worried about Ran's happiness for the outside world.
"Of course, I did told you the story about it, right?" Hannah stated.
Ran then thought aloud, "Narumi wasn't lying?"
Narumi then explained to Ran about Hannah:
"Hannah was one of the lingerie mannequins from long ago. She, along with two others, tried to escape, but couldn't find the exit. Two years ago, Hannah, Sandra, and Katie found the escape route, but the door was heavily guarded by a vicious guard dog. He almost mauled all three of them, when he chased after them. Luckily, they remembered that the front gate was the only exit. Unfortunately, she and the others NEVER tried again, since then."
Hannah added, "That's why we decided to write on the wall that we tried but failed. Of course, we wanted to make sure that we'd leave out clues. For instance, when you write that you cannot escape, it leads to reverse psychology. Or, when they say that they want you to help them, you should do it for them, by escaping for the mannequins of the past."
Ran then asked, "And what does that have to do with us?"
Hannah replied, "Well, you two have been running each other rugged throughout the night. And when Narumi met up with me and told the whole story about you, I couldn't bear to see you suffer in your glass-plated tomb."
Narumi then mentioned Sandra and Katie, the two mannequins, and also what they did, after failing:
Aside from Hannah, Sandra, with short brown hair, was in a white bra and blue-striped panties, and Katie, a girl with dark brown hair, done up in a ponytail, and wearing aqua silk lingerie, went there to the front gate, but the guard dog stopped them before they'd reached the exit. They ended up running to the food court and hid behind the emergency exit. When the dog ran off, they knew that they cannot escape. Hannah snuck a pen in her bra and began to scribble some words, which were the words that Narumi found. Sandra and Katie did so, as well. Hannah wrote "Help us find the way out of here…", while Sandra wrote "Hello, can you escape life as wood!" and Katie wrote "You cannot stay here forever…"
"Egad!" Ran gasped, "I never knew you'd go through all the trouble. You're like legends."
"Oh, we're not all great," Hannah blushed.
"By the way, how did the guard dog notice us?" Narumi asked.
Hannah pulled out some spare sausages from her pocket. She explained to them that they were blood sausages.
"It seems Narumi couldn't tell the difference between British foods to German wurst," Hannah giggled.
"OH! So that's how they were following me!" Narumi groaned, "What a dunce am I."
Ran was annoyed, but then realized what Hannah did to the dog earlier.
"Wait, why was it afraid of you?" She asked Hannah.
"Hey, after all these years, that bowser really knows its place, being feared by a mannequin like me. After that dog barked at us, the next morning, it ended up frightened by my painted face," Hannah jeered, "One glimpse of me, coming to life, and it acted like they've seen a ghost. Maybe the scent of those meats you had must've attracted you."
Ran then turned to Narumi.
"God, you're so fucking stupid," she moaned.
"Sorry…" Narumi blushed.
"It's all right, guys," Hannah smiled, "We had that mistake before. When we were first made, we almost got mauled by those pitbulls, after Sandra ate some leftover pre-heated buffalo wings, which dribbled on her skin."
Ran giggled, "Whoa! That must've been some sweet aromas."
Hannah continued, "I know. We had to clean up afterwards in the bath. Luckily, we tried again, but we ate salad, just to avoid having a meat scent."
Narumi asked, "By the way, Hannah, where are the other girls? By the others, I mean your friends."
Hannah responded, "Oh, them? Well, Sandra was transferred to the wedding boutique in the mall. She loved to wear all those cute wedding dresses, especially that emerald sequined gown she had recently. Katie became a mascot of a music CD store. She is always there, outside the store, wearing a black grunge shirt and denim skirt, with a sign over her body saying "Welcome! Enjoy our latest albums." She didn't like it out there, but she loved to get her picture taken by those fan boys. They came to life earlier and met up with me for a reunion. I asked if we would try to escape again. However, they chose to stay here, so I agreed to stay with them. They're gone now; they've returned to mannequin form, fifteen minutes ago. I was on my way back to the lingerie store. To tell you the truth, I wanted one more stint, before I leave altogether."
"Why?" Narumi asked.
"Well, my time here is almost over," Hannah exclaimed, "Today could be my last chance to escape, but I decided that that's life. One day, I'll be removed and replaced by newer mannequins like me. I've been here for three years and I am starting to crack a bit."
"Aw, that's too bad," Ran said, "Maybe the guys who created you will give you a new paint job."
Narumi then asked, "But will you reconsider one day?"
"Probably not," she answered, "But I suggest you do what the writing tells you to do and do it for me and my friends on the next full moon."
"Hey, Narumi," Ran asked, "Speaking of which, how much time do we have left?"
"There's not enough time left," Hannah exclaimed, before Narumi could answer, "You can't escape now."
"Huh? Why? There's 45 minutes left," Narumi cried.
"It won't work! We tried to escape after all these years, but we never had the chance," Hannah said, "We gave up after that. And besides, if you decide to right now, there's a 99% chance that you'll fail, with only less than an hour to go."
"So, Ran-Chan and I are going to be stuck here forever?" Narumi whimpered.
"No, you won't," Hannah exclaimed, "And don't worry. Next full moon, you'll be ready to try again."
"What about you?" Ran asked, "What's going to happen to you?"
"Well, I could be discarded as an old mannequin. Who knows? Maybe I'll be remade. If I meet Sandra and Katie again, we're to have fun in the wide open indoor field; that is the the mall," Hannah said, "Also, can you make a promise to try again? Do it for all of us, okay?"
Narumi and Ran agreed and vowed to escape one day. Hannah then exclaimed that no mannequin has ever escaped here; they did, but never through the front gate. But she'll be cheering them on, since she won't join them. They bowed to them and went back to the costume store. Hannah left, as well, returning to the ladies' lingerie store.
Narumi called to Hannah, "Tell your friends that I said Hi!"
Hannah called back, "Okay!"
She then smiled and adjusted her glasses. She then whispered, "I'll miss you guys."
"So, we can't make it now, right?" Ran asked.
"That sucks," Narumi said, "I almost fell like I was to blame."
"No, it wasn't," Ran explained, "It was mine. My feelings were clouded and I just couldn't stand seeing you being such a worrywart, an imbecile, and a nice statue."
"I know. But, I wanted to make you happy, since you were punished last month," she explained, "It's just that when you were angry about this whole escapade, I wanted to make you feel better. So, I wanted to help you out."
"Hey, super," Ran snuffed, realizing that she cannot escape until next month.
She then apologized to her for not believing her, since she found the exit last month, thanks to the information by Hannah.
"No, it's okay," Narumi explained, "That's what friends are for. But we were this close to escaping."
Ran then went back to the food court and grabbed a pen on the table. She called to Narumi that she'll meet her there in a bit.
"Well, hurry! We've got 30 minutes left!" Narumi cried out.
With only five minutes left until dawn, Ran returned to Narumi and stood up on her pedestal, right beside Narumi. She was dressed in a canary yellow dress with blue frills.
"And dare I ask why are you dressed like that?" Ran retorted.
Narumi responded, "Well, the sausages were a bit greasy, so I changed out into a new dress. I hope they didn't see me naked. Besides, people would be suspicious about a greasy stained dress on me."
"Why would they? We're mannequins. No one will believe us."
"Hey, thanks."
Ran then said, "You know, there were times wh-."
"Wait! Ran-Chan, I want to know," Narumi interrupted.
"What is it?" Ran asked.
Narumi asked what she was doing at the food court. Ran explained that she was writing down a message by Hannah's written words from years past. Narumi smiled and told her that she did right.
"Thanks, Narumi," Ran said, as she hugged her.
Narumi then asked, as the sun began to rise up, "Will I ever see you again?"
Ran replied, "Oh, who knows? When the next full moon comes, we'll make it out of here as best friends. And hey, maybe someday I'll even treat you to lunch here."
Narumi and Ran giggled together, as they started to pose forcefully, being turned back to mannequins. Their giggles echoed around the store and then faded away.
The sun rose and a new day began.
What did Ran wrote as she returned? She wrote it on the wall, and it still stands:
"Friendship leads to freedom."
The following morning, a mall security guard shooed away a bulldog, sniffing and barking at the window, where Narumi and Ran, who were in mannequin form, stood.
"Shoo, you mangy mutt," he growled, "Let's not have any disruption here."
The dog went away, whimpering in sadness. The mall cop then noticed something on the ground. He then found a sausage on the floor and wondered how it was left there. He then looked at the mannequin of Narumi and saw that she's wearing a different dress. He couldn't tell what was going on, so he went back to his office, a bit puzzled.
Two faint giggles were heard as he left. However, no one ever guessed what happened, especially since few of the stores in the entire mall were slightly trashed, including the toy store. People say that there might be burglars, but it looks like they'll never know.
Elsewhere, the Hannah mannequin watched on and let out a smile, seeing the mall cop returning to his office, all confused.
She whispered, "He'll find out soon enough."
The End
The next morning, Rachel woke up from her dream.
"Man, what a bizarre dream," she thought, "I dreamt that Nanase and I were mannequins and we tried to leave."
But then she remembered about her friendship with Narue, who was still sleeping.
"Poor alien girl," she whispered, "I'll bet she said that about me and Jimmy last night just to make me feel better. Stupid teen detective."
She tried to wake her up, but she was frozen stiff, holding her arms up. She was like a mannequin herself, just like in Rachel's dream.
"Narue?" Rachel tried to wake her, "Narue? Hey, wake up. Wake up!"
She pulled her out of bed and stood her straight up, with her body stiff. She tried to revive her, but couldn't.
"Could she be having the same dream that I had?" She thought.
"Earth to alien; Earth to alien; can you wake up with response?" She called.
Narue didn't respond. As she went closer to her face for air, she heard a small whisper.
"Oh, Kazu, I love you, even if you, Rachel, and I are different," she spoke softly and clearly, without moving her mouth.
Rachel was stunned in disgust. Narue was probably still asleep, in the most unusual way.
"Uh, what was she dreaming about?" She thought.
She shrugged her shoulders and said, "Oh, well."
She went to her closet to change. Narue remained in place, still frozen stiff and still dreaming.
…She eventually woke up an hour later.
Cast of characters
Rachel Moore (As herself and Ran)
Narue Nanase (As herself and Narumi)
Hajime Yagi (As Hannah)
Serena Sebastian (As Sandra)
Kirsten Thomas (As Katie)
Detective Conan characters created by Gosho Aoyama
The World of Narue characters created by Tomohiro Marukawa
Interesting facts: Rachel's mannequin is named after her original Japanese name, Ran Mouri; Narue's mannequin was named after her late mother, Narumi Mutsuki, from The World of Narue