Mysterious Awakening

“Ethan, why don’t you go in first?” Miles suggested.

“No, no, no, big brother, you should take the lead,” Ethen replied, his grin softening his words.

“Come on, I’m only eighteen. Besides, I’m just filling in temporarily for the city head post. You should take charge,” Miles shot back playfully.

“But Miles, your abilities are impressive. You should be the one leading, I’ll follow.”

“You’re too kind, Ethan. You’ve got way more experience in this ghost-taming game than me. I’ve learned so much from you,” Miles responded modestly.

This congenial back and forth took place as they stood before a clothing store, each demurring in favor of the other.

The automated glass doors swished open, revealing a shadowy interior that gave off a disquieting vibe.

An unseen entity awaited them, heightening their apprehension.

Their mission was to combine their abilities to exorcise the ghostly being, but the prospect of being the first to enter was daunting. Any misstep could prove fatal.

Although their roles as ghost tamers prepared them to confront evil spirits, they were not reckless enough to provoke them unnecessarily.

Their friendly disagreement led to a deadlock. Neither could summon the bravery to go in first.

Eventually, Miles proposed, “If we can’t decide, perhaps we should call it off?”

Ethan was momentarily lost for words.

“But if we skip this one, we may face a more dangerous spirit next time. That will be a greater challenge.”

Miles nodded in agreement, “That’s true. This spirit doesn’t seem particularly strong, otherwise we’d have seen more disturbances lately. We should seize this opportunity and enter together.”

“Right, let’s confront it side by side,” Ethan concurred, determined not to waste this opportunity. With time running out, he was desperate to make a stand.

“Let’s get this over with.” Miles took a deep breath and boldly took the first step toward the ominously beckoning glass door, with Ethan following close behind, his features set and ready to deploy his powers when needed.

The store was a compact space, just over a hundred square meters. It was crammed with mannequins and stacks of merchandise, lending an air of claustrophobia.

“The ghost has possessed one of the mannequins. You’ve seen the photo. Find it, then we tackle it as a team,” Ethan whispered. He flicked on his flashlight, its beam swept across the shop from a shelf near the entrance.

“I recognize that mannequin. It’s distinctive; impossible to miss,” Miles affirmed.

Ethan didn’t respond, instead ventured further into the store, scanning every corner.

All was quiet. Nothing unusual.

It seemed like an ordinary store that had temporarily closed.

But then, a repugnant smell of decay began to permeate the air, followed by a subtle creak.

The previously open glass door slowly, silently, swung shut. The sound, though soft, ricocheted in the tense silence.

Both Miles and Ethan whirled around, finding nothing behind them.

The door appeared to have closed on its own.

“It’s nothing,” Ethan said, his voice straining.

“Perhaps, but given our situation, I’m sure of one thing: the ghost… is here,” Miles declared.

The remainder of the mall seemed perfectly ordinary, yet this clothing store stood out as a disquieting anomaly. River’s analysis of the surveillance tapes had traced the initial paranormal activity back to this very spot.

“Is it important that the door’s closed?” Ethan asked once more.

“We’re not planning to run, so a closed door doesn’t matter. If we had to bolt, we wouldn’t go through the main exit anyway,” Miles responded nonchalantly.

“Wait, do you hear that?” Ethan’s features tensed, alert to a new sound.

A soft, unusual noise began to filter from within the store. It was a sound of slight friction as if something were rotating.

“Miles, the mannequins…” Ethan’s voice trailed off in astonishment.

But Miles had already observed it without Ethan’s observation.

The mannequins scattered around the store were slowly turning their heads.

Every single one of them, moving in an eerie mechanical harmony, their painted eyes glowed ominously as if conveying an icy message – I see you.

“Keep them within your sight,” Miles commanded tersely, “One slip-up and we could end up losing a lot more than just our heads.”

He watched as a legless mannequin on the floor abruptly lifted its head to fix its gaze on him, its plastic hands reaching out towards him.

The rest of the mannequins seemed to follow suit, their movements becoming increasingly noticeable.

It was as if the ghost was beginning to stir.

However, the movement began to subside as Miles and Ethan deftly maneuvered, ensuring they never turned their backs to the mannequins.

“Can the ghost really control these mannequins?” Ethan queried, his voice laden with anxiety.

“It would seem so,” Miles confirmed, “It appears to manipulate any object it has swapped heads with. But I still can’t pinpoint the exact form of the ghost. Whether it’s a mannequin or a beheaded corpse, they’re merely its pawns. The real ghost hides somewhere in the shadows. We’ll need to draw it out to trap it.”

“Do we have a strategy?” Ethan inquired.

“Not as such,” Miles confessed.

In truth, he could attempt to cover the area with his ghost domain, in the hope of luring the ghost into it. But if his speculation was incorrect and the ghost had already left the store, he would miss a crucial chance.

“We should wait and activate the ghost domain only when the ghost fully shows itself. We can’t trap what we can’t see.”

“Miles, see that changing room? The door’s slightly open. Could the possessed mannequin be inside?” Suddenly, Ethan gestured towards a barely ajar fitting room door.

“It’s a possibility, let’s check it out,” Miles concurred.

With a mutual nod, they advanced towards the fitting room, their path lit by the beam of the flashlight. They gently pushed the door further open.

Inside, a figure loomed.

A woman stood stiffly in the corner, her eyes closed, her face a ghastly white. This unidentified person was probably one of the mall’s unfortunate casualties. Though the head was human, the body was distinctly that of a mannequin.

Could the ghost have grafted a human head onto a mannequin?

The woman’s head had been here for quite some time. The flesh had discolored, radiating an unbearable stench of rot.

“It’s not her,” Ethan declared softly.

Just then, the neighboring fitting room door creaked open.

A grotesque mannequin, towering nearly two meters tall with elongated limbs, silently emerged. Its form blocked the illumination from the flashlight, casting long, eerie shadows. From its back extended hands, reaching out towards Miles and Ethan.

“Huh?”

Observing the shifting shadows at his feet, Miles’ eyes narrowed abruptly, recognizing the impending danger.

His heightened senses kicked into gear.

A crimson eye erupted through the skin on the back of his head.

With the emergence of the ghost eye, the scene unfolding behind him projected directly into his consciousness.

To his shock, the mannequin from the cell phone picture was looming behind him, hands outstretched.

“Behind us.”

Miles grunted a warning, sidestepping the impending assault.

Ethan, however, was a split second too slow, and his head was grazed.

A cold sensation spread from his scalp throughout his body, causing him to shudder.

Reacting instantly, Ethan, his hands already slick with blood, reached out and seized the mannequin.

“Caught you.”

His blood-soaked grasp fastened around the mannequin’s extended arm, the blood seemingly infiltrating its artificial skin.

Fresh blood started to seep out of the mannequin’s joints, eyes, and neck.

“My ghost blood can subdue any ghost’s powers. Use this opportunity to restrain it!” Ethan cried.

But his words were cut short when the woman’s corpse behind him lurched into motion.

A decayed, bluish-black arm reached out from behind, aiming for Ethan.

It was clear that merely stopping the mannequin wasn’t sufficient.

“Catching one is pointless. You need to be aware of other threats too,” Miles retorted, swiftly kicking the suddenly animated corpse. His foot was encased in a soft red glow.

The force sent the corpse flying into a wall, embedding it there.

Despite its legs thrashing, it was unable to free itself.

Ethan spun around, his face ashen.

He was grateful for Miles’ cooperation. Had he been alone, he would have met his end the moment he was caught off guard.

However, an even more terrifying sight awaited.

As Miles emerged from the changing room, ready to assist Ethan against the menacing mannequin, his gaze was drawn to the shop entrance, causing him to halt abruptly.

Unbeknownst to him, the area outside the shop had filled with figures, effectively barricading the entrance. One of them strolled into the store, casually lifting his flashlight from a nearby shelf.

This figure wore a security guard’s uniform but was devoid of a head.

“Strong?” Miles identified the corpse.

“Miles, we’re in trouble. I just saw Strong’s body walking out. I was too startled to say anything. Stay alert,” River’s voice trembled over the GPS-enabled phone.

“I’m aware,” Miles replied, his expression grave.

Her warning arrived a moment too late. The former security guard, now a walking corpse, was already in his vicinity.

“Click.” A soft sound echoed as the headless security guard flicked off the flashlight.

Instantaneously, the room was consumed by pitch-black darkness.

Amid the blackened void, Miles could hear the unsettling sounds of more entities entering the clothing store.

The number of ghosts had steadily increased, seemingly intent on crowding the compact clothing store to its limits.