The Mall (Evenstad Media Presents Book 2) (3 page)

JOURNAL 08QUINN

ENTRY 002

DATE: 1/5/2075

It's already been five days. I've been waiting for people to
pass out for the night, then I go around and scope shit out. I've got this whole
place pretty well figured, now. But I've also been seen. The big guy I saw in
the beginning, before he got conscious again. I don't know if he just sleeps
during the day or what, but he's always there, and he’s always watching me.
He's the only one right now who really unnerves me. He's over in the big Mitchell's
they've got as an anchor store, and I think he's the only one there. The other
ten are all accounted for. The fact that he's in Mitchell's is probably the
most concerning thing about it. He's got what he needs, so long as he can hold
it down. They've got a little bit of everything.

Aside from him, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of
threats. I haven't seen these other opponents the letter talked about yet, but
I'm sure I will eventually. Unless it was a bluff to make everyone worry. Somehow,
that doesn't seem very likely. The letter laid out how everything was going to
work and, best as I've seen so far, it was honest. No reason to have just a
single lie in there, and not one so tame, if they were going to have one.

The lady in the sex shop across from me went out last night
and dragged some stuff back from the food court. Looked like it was mostly buns
and other bread kind of stuff, but whatever. If I run short and I can't make it
all the way over, I know where to go to keep myself fed. I'm pretty sure I can
take her, if need be. I've got myself armed pretty well with all the hunting
gear. No guns, but that's probably intentional. I've still got some good knives
and a bow and arrow. Not that I'm any kind of good shot with a bow and arrow,
but I'd rather have it than leave it for somebody who actually knows how to use
it.

I'm going to go into the food court tonight. It's the only
place I haven’t sort of scoped out, yet. Aside from the Mitchell's, that is,
and I don’t think I'm going to get the chance to look around there. Not unless
that guy gets taken out of the picture. I might have training on my side but,
even if he doesn't, he's a beast. He’s got about a foot on me, maybe more, and
he’s muscular. I’d be a smear on the wall if I got on the wrong side of him.

Still, even with him there, I think I’ve got things handled
pretty well. Unfortunately, that’s when everything always seems to go to shit.

ENTRY END

Buy ALL the Things! Evenstad Enterprises Wants Your Money

Posted 1/4/2075

So, with only a few days left until The Mall, the sequel to
Evenstad's hit infomercial, The Park, I can't help but wonder what the plan is
this time around. I mean, I think it's pretty well considered a fact at this
point that The Park was only made to sell Evenstad Tech's newest, shiniest
toys. For now, we'll leave the fact that they killed eleven people just to
prove how good those stupid little medallions were.

I'd rather focus on the fact that, with the launch of season
two, there's got to be something going on behind the scenes. Now, I'm not one
of the conspiracy nutters who think that Evenstad was doing this to start a war
in Egypt and get farmland. Yeah, people really believe that. They think
Evenstad’s trying to monopolize the food industry and blah blah blah.

I don't think they're all that evil. But I definitely think
there's going to be a money-making angle. We've already received word that
their MMORPG, The Park: Live and Breathe, is getting an update in the next few
weeks to include the new elements and players from The Mall. Yeah, I admit to
being a pretty active player on there. Sue me. That part, at least, isn't
getting people killed.

So again, I'm going to watch this play out, just like I did
last season. But the difference is that I'll know the signs. I'll be able to
tell when they're trying to just cram some new product down our collective
throats. And then I'll let you know so we can all have a good laugh. Because I
can almost guarantee that it's going to be just as heavy-handed as it was with
the CESUs last season.

Love and kisses,

Sugar

JOURNAL 11KIM

ENTRY 001

DATE: 1/7/2075

This isn't like how I thought it was going to be. Last year,
when I was watching the Park, I thought I could do this. I sat there rooting
for Rita the whole time. Bitch was fierce, and I was damn positive I could be
just as fierce as her and get through all this. I figured it wasn’t really that
hard, once you were in the middle of it. Survival instinct would kick in and
that would be that.

Damn it if I wasn't as wrong as I could possibly be. I've
been sleeping maybe an hour or two at a time. I keep telling myself I need to
move upstairs, get out of the makeup shop and try to find some higher ground.
But then I think about what that means and I just go back and hide behind the
counter again. Got some good makeup here, though. It’s a distraction, but it’s
one I’m giving in to. At least until it doesn’t work anymore. It’s way better
than the stuff I schlep around door to door back home, I can tell you that much.
Maybe if I win this, they'll let me take some home.

Like I'm really going to be the one to get out of here.

I did take a little trip out, just once. A jaunt upstairs at
night, just to look. If I ran really fast, I could make it to the food court,
and then just pray there's something over there and it's not just one giant
trap to try and get me killed.

But I've had a week to think about things. There are going
to be other people out and around, and it sounds like they're going to jump
right on killing us. Probably there to speed everything along. I watched the
show, and I stuck with it, but six months was a long-ass time to make a weekly
commitment, especially for me.

But since we didn't get those fancy little medals that they
got last year, I'm pretty sure we're all fucked. I sure as hell am, since I
decided a makeup shop was my best choice. There's not even any food here. Which
is another wrinkle they didn't have to iron out last season. I guess they
really want us to start dropping off, this time. Most bang for their buck,
there.

ENTRY END

TO: Niels Evenstad

FROM: Frederick Evenstad

SUBJECT: The Mall Preparations

SENT 12/18/2075 AT 11:26 a.m. EST

Brother,

I've had Veronica send word already, but I thought I would
let you know personally: I've just approved the final shipment to the set of
The Mall. So far as everyone can tell, things are working just fine. I have
people en route to meet them and adjust programming for the security systems.
Everything should be working just fine by the time you launch the competition.

On the subject of the launch, I have to wonder why you can’t
delegate more of this. You’ve taken quite a lot of stress onto yourself, and
it’s starting to have a negative effect on you. I can practically see you deteriorating,
when I get to see you at all. Rarely, since this all started. I think you need
to find ways to cut some of your tension back. Otherwise, I worry this whole
thing might kill you.

I know that you won't talk to me about any of this, but I
wish you would. And I hope you know that you can. We run a business, and we may
have grown distant, but you are my brother, and I worry when I see something
like this happening. Marta's worried, as well, and I suspect the others are,
too, though they haven't voiced any concerns to me of yet.

At any rate, things are taken care of, so you can at least
stop worrying about that.

Frederick Evenstad,

Chief Operating Officer, Evenstad Technologies

—

TO: Frederick Evenstad

FROM: Niels Evenstad

SUBJECT: The Mall Preparations

SENT 12/19/2075 AT 12:03 a.m. EST

I had just received word from my secretary that the shipment
left your warehouses when I got your email. But thank you for informing me all
the same. If it’s at all possible, while your team is there, have them do a
final sweep for batteries, or anything else that holds a significant charge
that they can safely remove. I want to eliminate the risk of a system short if
we get someone as smart as Craig was last year. I shudder to think what he
could have done in this situation.

You may be right about me needing a break. Marta told me
that as well. Perhaps we should celebrate what promises to be yet another
highly successful collaboration. Just the two of us. I realize it's taken me a
while to respond. I've been excessively busy lately. But I've made dinner
reservations for us at Martinson's tonight at seven. This stress really isn't
good for my health, and I know that.

I look forward to tonight, Brother. I hope you can make it.

Niels Evenstad,

Chief Operating Officer, Evenstad Media

JOURNAL 03BILL

ENTRY 001

DATE: 1/7/2075

This is very different from The Park. I watched The Park. I
enjoyed The Park, when I didn't think about it too much. If I just pretended that
it was a movie, that meant no one was actually dying. And that made it all okay
for me. I can't pretend that anymore, but I have to keep going and doing this
thing no matter what. I guess it's kind of good that I watched the first show,
now, even though where they're doing it this time makes it really different, I
think. The lights are on a timer in this place, so they stay on for hours at a
time. Probably however long the mall would be open. They've taken away all the
clocks, though. I can tell they used to be there. I can see the outlines,
because there's clean circles on the walls. I tried to guess what time it might
be and set one of the clock radios I found in the aisles, but I can't know for
sure how close I got.

Having the lights on most of the day means that there's no
darkness we can hide in or anything like that. And we're all close to each
other. I haven't seen very many people, yet. I've been staying over here in the
big store on the end. Mitchell's. It gives me an advantage over everyone else,
as long as I can keep them out. Which would mean that I might have to kill one
of them eventually. I don't want to do that, but sometimes you have to do
things you have no interest in. That's something I learned a long time ago.
I've got a baseball bat from the kid's section. It's pretty small, but it’s
solid wood. I think it'll work for as much as I need it. Hopefully not a bunch,
but I don't know anything for sure. It could be a lot I'll have to use it, and
this'll stand up to that, too. And if it doesn’t, I can always go get another
one.

I'll definitely use what I can to help me stay alive. The
money would be nice, but I don't think it's really the important part. I'd rather
be alive and walk out without a single penny than die. I wouldn't turn down the
money if I won, though. That wouldn't make any sense. I still won't make any
plans on it. I don't want to die, but it's pretty good chances, when I look at
everything.

ENTRY END

JOURNAL 04DANA

ENTRY 001

DATE: 1/8/2075

I won't make it through this alone. I'm not a strong enough
person to do that, but I am a strong enough person to admit the truth to
myself. My life's been too easy and too cushy for any of this. I need someone
on my side to help me out, if I'm going to do this right and make it out of this
mall. But I'm too afraid to go out there. Not afraid for my life. At least not
yet. Nobody's died that I've seen, and we've just crossed the one week line.

Maybe not afraid, then, but I'm definitely nervous. If I go
out there, and everyone says no, that means I won't make it out for sure.
That’s assuming they don’t kill me right there, just for asking for help. I
would hope these people would have compassion, since we’re all in the same
situation, but I know it's pretty likely that won’t happen. People see my age
and they think I can't handle work, or that I'm not going to do my part. I’m
used to it. But my age hasn't slowed me down yet, and I don't plan to let it
happen any time soon. Especially not with all of this going on. That would be
about the worst decision, if I just let myself give up now.

I've been watching the young man in the pet shop across from
me. He's been very active lately. The fact that he chose a pet store is
probably pure chance, but it's making me like him a lot more. Pet people are good
people, I've always believed that. He seems to be confident, and he seems to be
doing something, though I don't know what.

Maybe if no one's died in the next couple days, I'll go and
talk to him, see if we can work together. I certainly hope so.

ENTRY END

JOURNAL 12IMRAN

ENTRY 001

DATE: 1/8/2075

Most of my family died years ago, and I can finally be
thankful for that. If they were alive, they would have to carry a burden, now
that I've been fated to participate in this game. Either the burden of my murder,
or the burden of my moral downfall. Neither of these things are something I
would wish on them. Them or anyone else. Now only my son will have to bear it,
and it's only in fair kind that he should, after what he's forced upon me.

What worries me most is not my death. I can face death, even
if I don't wish to do so. What worries me most is the blood on my hands. I can
try to remain clean, but I don't see any way I can, unless I die soon, before I
need to defend myself. I am almost certainly too weak to resist the call of
murder for long, not if it's all around me. Maybe the people who chose me knew
as much, and they count on it. If that's true, then I fear I won't disappoint.
Already, I can feel it within me, a strange sensation ballooning in my stomach
and in my chest. I want to begin, if only to end the horrible waiting. I could
be the first to kill. Or the first to die. Now, both options seem preferable to
simply sitting, expecting death to find me at any second.

I fear this is madness. And if I am already mad, it doesn't
bode well for the fate that awaits me at the end of this competition.

ENTRY END