kpwu
long
tale

They were in a lobby. There were chairs, like a waiting room. From behind a desk, they had been told that their appointment would start soon, and that they should wait in one of the chairs.

A clock was ticking. 4:48. AM ? PM ? They weren't even sure of the day.

After some wait, the person behind the desk told them they could enter. They stood up and went to the large double doors. The cashier was told that they would have to take another appointment and sat back down.

With a nervous hand, Melissa pushed open the door.

They entered the office, tense.

They were offered two seats in front of the large desk.

Behind the desk, a large chair was turned away from them. On the back wall, many monitors showed pictures of various floors of the mall, switching regularly between them.

"Yes, I had wanted to see you. Hello."

Slowly, the chair spun around.

"I am the one you call the boss. You may call me ▓▓▓▓."

The screens flickered. Now, they all showed static.

"In this mall, I try to keep things orderly. But sadly you have done everything to be the opposite of that."

Through the curtains, sunset light came out in horizontal bands.

"It's rare for customers to be so unruly that they are summoned here."

Neither Jhin nor Melissa had the nerves to talk. They were too anxious.

"Ah, well."

On the screens behind, the statics seemed to arrange themselves so that a giant eye appeared, staring them down.

"Even the angels didn't dare to harm you, since you had that cashier with you."

Everything was calm. And yet everything was unbearably awaiting.

"At least they can't come in here. I will be able to deal with you without being interrupted."

The voice had not come from the figure in the chair. It seemed like it had come from everywhere around the room, from beneath its walls.

And then they noticed, that the figure in the chair was simply a mannequin with sunglasses.

Its head fell on the side.

The walls fell away, like pieces of cardboard.