The Mall After Midnight
Story by Payton
"This could either be the best or the worst idea we've ever had," Jared said with a mischievous grin, holding open the janitor's closet door on the first floor of the two-story mall.
Paige rolled her eyes as she stepped inside. "Definitely the dumbest. We're going to jail."
Isaac followed, phone in hand, already recording in hopes of going viral. Elana hesitated, clutching a bag of chips in one trembling hand and a flashlight in the other.
"Guys, I don't like this."
Scott chuckled, giving her a nudge. "It's going to be awesome. Quit being such a scaredy-cat."
They'd been inseparable since elementary school. Jared, the fearless ringleader. Paige, the reluctant mom friend. Isaac, chaos incarnate. Scott, the class clown with a gift for getting on nerves. And Elana, the quiet one who usually needed convincing.
Growing up in South Jordan meant summers biking through neighborhoods, sneaking snacks into movie theaters, and getting into trouble—just enough to make things interesting.
Now, they were seniors. College loomed, life was about to scatter them, and they'd made a pact: one last epic adventure.
So, what was tonight's plan? Sneak into South Towne Mall after closing, hang out all night, and try not to get arrested. Or worse.
At 8:55 p.m., they crammed into a dusty janitor's closet by the food court.
"We're in," Jared whispered as the last shoppers trickled out. A minute later, the final gate clattered shut.
***
They emerged into the empty hallway. Overhead, lights buzzed faintly, casting a sickly yellow glow on the polished floor. Every footstep echoed like a warning.
"I heard this place is haunted," Scott said too casually. "Shoes vanish. Sometimes right off people's feet."
Before anyone could groan, a loud CLANG rang out behind them.
Elana jumped at the noise, her heart racing. She hugged her jacket tighter, the cool air giving her goosebumps. Jared, startled, tripped and crashed into Scott.
"Ow! Get off me!" Scott snapped, his face flushing with rage. "You crushed my new sneakers! Do you know how long I waited for those?"
A vending machine hissed and clicked somewhere nearby. It sounded like it was breathing.
Isaac wandered off toward a machine.
"Ooh, Snickers." He shoved in some quarters.
The machine growled. Not a glitch—an actual, angry growl. It spat his money back with a violent jolt, glass rattling.
Then, it lunged forward. Yes, it lunged—its plug snapping at Isaac's feet like a snake.
"Nope, nope, nope!" Paige shouted, already backing away.
The machine swiped at Isaac's shoelaces.
They all screamed and bolted.
Down the echoing corridor, they ran, shoes squeaking, hearts pounding. The vending machine clanked after them, metal limbs skittering like claws on the tile. Elana dropped her chips but didn't stop. Jared shoved open the arcade gate. They tumbled inside and slammed it shut.
***
"What the heck was that?!" Elana gasped.
"I think it tried to eat me," Isaac wheezed.
"I saw it, too," Scott said. "It growled!"
Then they heard it:
Clip-clop... WHIRRRR... clip-clop.
They turned toward the arcade.
Several giddy-up pony rides were trotting toward them on stiff mechanical legs. Each carried a vending machine on its back like some unholy cowboy. The coin slots blinked red. Static hissed like robotic whispers.
"What. The. Actual. Nope," Paige muttered, backing into the metal gate.
"They're riding mall ponies," Isaac whispered. "We're gonna die… because of mall ponies."
Lights flickered. A long-abandoned carousel began to spin slowly, eerily, without power.
Jared spotted a yellow flyer under a broken arcade machine. He picked it up and read aloud:
"Grand Opening: South Towne Mall, built on the site of Remington's Handmade Shoe Emporium."
"Wait," Paige said, "wasn't Remington the guy who disappeared?"
Isaac's face paled. "Legend says he cursed the place when the mall was built over his shop."
Jared held up the flyer. "It says they buried a time capsule where his shop used to be."
They sprinted through the arcade past the ponies until they found an exit door to the central mall. They shoved it open and ran through dark corridors to the far end of the mall, into a forgotten department store.
***
In the stockroom, they found it: a dusty box labeled To The Future.
Inside, they found old cobbler's tools, a faded photo of Remington, and a pristine pair of handmade leather shoes.
They all jumped and turned around when they heard clopping and whirring behind them.
The machines had them surrounded.
"Wait… are the machines haunted by the old shoemaker?" Scott asked skeptically.
"It makes sense. Why else would they be trying to eat our shoes?" Elana said, her eyes lighting up.
"The shoes!" Elana whispered. "What if the original shoes are what they want? Paige, wait!!"
In a rush of desperation, Paige took off her shoes and carefully set them in front of the largest vending machine in the middle.
"Take these. We're sorry for trespassing," she said softly.
The machine paused—and then started to tremble.
It let out a mechanical screech and exploded in a burst of sparks, flinging them all backward. The vending machine snatched the shoes in its snack slot and shredded them like paper.
"That was the wrong move!" Jared yelled, helping Elana to her feet.
Panicked, they started ripping off shoes and flinging them like projectiles.
Sneakers bounced off the glass. Sandals smacked against pony helmets. The machines wailed in protest and anger, metal groaning.
Elana turned to Isaac. "The real shoes—give them to me!"
She grabbed the handmade pair and stepped forward, her whole body shaking but her hands steady.
"You were forgotten," she said aloud. Her voice echoed. "These belong to you."
The machine froze. All of them did.
A low hum filled the air. Lights flickered. The air vibrated.
Then there was silence.
***
At sunrise, the mall's emergency lights flicked on. The front doors unlocked with a soft click.
They limped out barefoot, dazed, bruised, and wide-eyed.
"Did we just get haunted and chased by a ghost shoemaker?" Scott asked, breaking the silence.
"I think we made history," Jared said, grinning.
Behind them, a vending machine buzzed softly like it was satisfied.
Then, faintly, from deep inside the mall...
Clip-clop... clip-clop...
Elana dropped her chips again.