I was about to apologize for being late, but then I looked at the clock and realized that it isn't actually that late; it's just really dark outside now because winter is coming. I guess that means I'm on time then? I don't know, but yay!

Uh, anyway, this is something of a transitional chapter, in that we're gonna go through it and end up somewhere else, somewhere very important...! But that somewhere is about two weeks away, so let's buckle down for some unnerving liminal experiences with our cool friend Dave! See you at the bottom of the page!

Shop 'til You Drop (idiom): to keep purchasing things until you run out of money; alternatively, to pursue a goal until it becomes physically impossible to keep going

Dave wasn't even sure if he was still sinking at this point. The plastic balls in the pit slid up and around him in a way that seemed to suggest that he was still sinking, but there was no way that a ball pit was this deep. Then again, there was no way that cakes and balloons could possibly chase him throughout an enormous playhouse either, and yet that was exactly what had led to him being here in the first place. Dave's stomach twisted. Anything was possible in this strange place; it was even entirely possible that this ball pit just went down forever and ever.

Desperately, Dave flailed around, hoping that he could figure out some way to crawl back out of the pit. Mystery cakes chasing him be damned, he needed to get out-

His hand burst free of the plastic balls, hooking onto a ledge just above him. He kicked his legs beneath him as he reached to grab the ledge with his other hand, pulling himself out of the ball pit with surprising ease. In fact, he'd used more strength than he needed, and accidentally launched himself onto the floor by the pit in a heap. He lay there for a moment, taking deep breaths of air that didn't stink of plastic and sweat and preparing himself to face the temptation of cake once again. The air had an odd, salty smell to it now, like a mix of fast food and cash that was familiar in a way that Dave couldn't quite place, and the floor was hard and cool against his cheek.

Dave peeked his eyes open, only to sit up in shock. The room he'd been in before was gone, replaced with shiny marble tiles and high, arching ceilings covered in industrial lights. Glass windows and open doorways lined the walls around him, which formed a hallway that stretched off in one direction before it seemed to split into several other directions. He looked back at the ball pit and saw that it was more like a kiddie pool full of plastic balls, maybe no more than two feet deep. How had he been sinking for so long?

Dave slowly got to his feet, looking around at the many windows and doors in the hall. They looked a bit like shops, some with awnings or hanging displays where a logo might have been, though none of these stores appeared to have names. Peeking through the nearest window, he could see shelves of colorful goods lined up from the floor to the ceiling.

...Was he inside a shopping mall?

He was pretty sure he'd only gone to one once in his whole life, when he was still searching for work after the layoffs at West Mesa. As interesting as the concept was, Dave quickly realized he was not built for customer service (apparently bursting into tears when a customer raised their voice at a cashier on the opposite side of the store was not particularly impressive to potential employers).

Something didn't make sense here. The hallways he'd wandered through when he started were empty and old, with no discernable details to provide a sense of direction. The tiled hallway with the water had a direction, but still had that empty, unsettling feeling to it. Even that room with the cake, as colorful as it was, was empty and unsettling, less like a real room and more like a place he might see in a dream. This mall was empty of people, but it felt so much more lively than everything beforehand. The floors were polished but with the occasional skidmark or patch of stickiness, like someone had spilled a drink and it hadn't been cleaned properly yet. The stores looked well kept, and there were benches and tables scattered around the center of the hall, ready for anyone who might need a brief rest. There were even potted plants scattered around for decoration, he was pretty sure that he could hear a fountain somewhere in the distance. The only thing it was missing was-

He spotted it out of the corner of his eye: a terminal, standing a dozen yards away. It was lit up and displaying a number of shapes that seemed to form some sort of pattern. Maybe a map?

Dave stumbled over to the terminal and tapped the screen with his hand eagerly. It was warm and buzzy under his touch, and the map zoomed out to display the full thing at a distance. The mall seemed to be shaped a bit like a compass, or the spokes of a wheel; numerous hallways stretched out from a central point, each one lined with a variety of symbols that probably represented what sort of shops they had. A bright red dot sat firmly at the end of one of the hallways with a tiny little arrow pointing to it. If that wasn't a "you are here" marker, Dave would eat what was left of his hat.

He searched for an exit symbol, scanning the edges of the map inch by inch until he spotted an image of a stick figure leaving through a doorway. It was at the end of another hallway; all he had to do was walk to the middle, then walk back out again. Could this really be the end? The thought almost made him lightheaded with relief.

Nodding eagerly, Dave hurried down the hall, nearly tripping a few times in his eagerness to be quick. He made a beeline for the center of the mall.

...Or rather, that's what he'd intended to do.

Despite his eagerness to get out, Dave had to admit that whoever had designed the displays inside the shops knew exactly how to draw the eye. He found himself idling by each window, peering inside to see what lay within. The shops came in a variety of styles, some with wood floorboards and pastel wall paints while others had glass fridges lined up in miniature aisles like a grocery store. There was also an almost tangible warmth to each shop, like they were all heated, giving off a cozy and inviting feeling that made Dave dawdle for solid periods of time before he managed to shake himself out of the haze and keep going.

By the time he reached the central point of the mall, his legs were even more sore than he thought possible. He gasped for breath as he reevaluated his surroundings. The hallway merged into a round balcony that overlooked a large fountain in the very center. When Dave leaned against the metal barrier to peer into the water, he could see numerous coins shimmering at the bottom of the fountain, as well as a few other glimmering objects that he couldn't identify from up here. There appeared to be more hallways on the same floor as the fountain, though Dave couldn't see any stairs that would lead down below.

He spotted another terminal nearby and tapped the screen with his hand. Much to his relief, the map at this terminal was the same as the previous one, and the exit symbol was still at the end of the same hallway it had been at previously. The way out was just a straight shot away.

He turned around and began to stumble down the hall with the exit. Each step hurt to take, dragging Dave's pace to a crawl. He tried to sit on a bench to rest, but the thing was impossibly hard and uncomfortable, hurting almost as much as walking did, so he kept trekking.

Dave bumped his head against a window, wincing at the impact and peering into the store it was attached to. It appeared to be a clothing store, though there didn't seem to be a particular theme or main selling item. There were racks and racks of shirts, dresses, pants, suits, swimwear, and other clothing items he couldn't identify from out here. There were also shelves of shoes in the store, a sight that suddenly struck Dave with an idea: shoe stores had benches to sit on while people tried on the wares, right? Maybe not the most comfortable ones in the world, but definitely better than what was out here.

It would just be for a minute, he promised himself; just until he could gather the last bit of strength he needed to reach the end of his journey.

The door chimed as he pushed it inward and was instantly hit with cozy, warm air, as well as the smell of fresh clothes and new shoes. He took a deep breath in through his nose and sighed contentedly, taking another step inside.

He jumped when a tone started to play above him, and he looked to the ceiling to see little speakers dotted around here and there. It took him a second to realize that the tone he was hearing was music; a catchy elevator jingle that was repetitive but cozy. Considering the absolute silence he'd been experiencing up to this point, the sound of any music at all made him feel much more cheerful already.

He stepped further into the store, peering around the racks of clothes in the hopes that he'd spot a bench to rest on, though so far, there was no luck. Were the benches kept in the back of the store? He crept further and further through the racks, pausing after a bit when a particularly colorful piece caught his eye.

It was a deep green dress made of velvet, with some sparkly bits here and there. Dave tentatively reached to touch the dress and pinch the fabric between his fingers. It was thick, high quality material, and he had to admit that it looked beautiful.

Growing curious, he shifted the dress to the side, revealing an elegant dress shirt that shimmered like silk. Golden threads were woven into the sleeves in random patterns; they felt scratchy and a bit itchy under his fingers. He started sifting through the rack, admiring each piece on its hanger before moving onto another one. The seemingly random combinations of textures made him shiver oddly, unsure if the sensation was pleasant or unpleasant.

Dave had never really cared what he wore, but he'd been wearing the exact same uniform for who knew how many months now. It would be good for him to change into something nice and clean… once he could settle on what to wear.

He pushed piece after piece to the side, the ever expanding choices incredible but quickly becoming overwhelming. In fact, there seemed to be infinite options, and he felt an odd twist in his stomach at the thought.

It occurred to Dave that even if he finally came to a decision, there was no one to sell him the clothes, nor did he have any money to pay with. Taking the clothing without paying was out of the question; what if alarms started going off, or what if the clothes came to life to bury him and he suffocated to death, like he nearly had earlier?

Making a strangled sound, Dave pulled himself out of the rack of clothes, leaning against the wall behind him and setting his hand over his heaving chest. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his mind and catch his breath.

When he'd calmed down, he looked up and was stunned to see none of the clothes he'd been sifting through. Not on the rack, not on the floor; in fact, the clothing rack wasn't even that big, only long enough to fit a dozen coat hangers or so.

Dave stumbled out of the store as quickly as he could, his aching legs now joined by an oncoming migraine. He felt like he was losing his mind. He dragged himself past the remaining shops at a snail's pace. He could see the exit from here: a series of glass doors that led out into the night, or perhaps an underground parking lot. A sign with the word EXIT written in glowing red letters hung above the glass like a beacon.

Dave nearly collapsed when he reached the exit, but he was so close. Forcing himself to take one step after another, he set his hands on the metal push bar and peered eagerly through the glass towards the sky as he pushed the door open.

Then he stopped and pressed his nose to the glass, peering around with increasing frenzy. His legs gave out and he fell to his knees, burying his face in his hands.

There was no sky. There was no underground parking lot. There was no night.

Beyond the exit doors was a solid black void, so dark that it absorbed what light managed to escape through the glass. There was nothing outside. There was no exit. Dave breathed in shuddering gasps, fighting the scream that was crawling up his throat. He was still trapped, now more than ever. Every place he'd been seemed unending and infinite, but this mall very much wasn't. It was big, but not that big; it was like a cage, a box, a prison, like his cell on the airship.

"I don't want this," he choked out. "I don't want to do this anymore. I want to see the sky, I want to be outside, I want to go home. Please, please-!"

CHOOM!

Dave gave a strangled shout and whipped his head around. It sounded like a deafening explosion, but that wasn't what it was.

The sound he'd heard was the sound of the lights flicking off, one by one, creating a wall of darkness that was creeping closer and closer to him with every second. He scrambled to his feet and looked around wildly, but there was nowhere to go except that dark, cold void just beyond the glass. He was trapped.

"Help!" Dave shouted. "Someone help me! Please, help! Rupert! Help me!"

The darkness moved faster, booming echoes slamming into his ears like the beating of a drum, counting down the moments until his death. Dave pressed himself against the door, eyes clenched shut and bracing for death.

There was a sudden shift behind him, accompanied by the creak of metal hinges. He'd pushed the door open with his back, teetering further and further past the threshold.

"No, no, NO!" He screamed as he fell into the void. Above him, the last bit of light quickly grew smaller and smaller as he fell further and further away. There was one final CHOOM, and Dave was plunged into darkness.

My main inspiration for this chapter was Kane Pixel's original horror series "The Oldest View", which plays with the liminal horror of the Backrooms in a defined setting (a mall) while adding a persistent and unique entity of uncertain intent. It's very fascinating, and a good time if you're looking for some analogue horror to watch for an hour or so. The themes are very thought provoking as well; it's a good piece of art all around!

Dave's whole "shopping spree" is something that was inspired by my own dreams. I often will dream about walking into a store of some kind or another and begin examining the wares; usually it's clothes or candy. I can never decide what I want, and if I decide I want to go back for something I skipped, it's like it disappeared; completely gone but now impossibly desirable for the simple fact that it is *not there anymore*. Dreams are weird. What sort of dreams do you usually get?

We're approaching the end guys, don't worry! I'd say we're... around three fourths of the way done with the whole thing? Plus the epilogue? Things are aligning, people are going places (or staying right where they are), and it's only a matter of time until Dave and Rupert's paths finally cross! It'll be about another month and a half, I think, and then we'll see what happens from there.

Don't feel sad though, there's still a lot of things that need to happen! Enjoy the ride as it begins to crescendo; the best is yet to come! Leave a comment if you liked this, and I'll see you next Monday. Until then!