Chapter 50: Head Replacement
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
Miles fixed Strong with an intense, unwavering stare. “Have you noticed anything unusual about your behavior recently, Strong?”
Strong was still reeling from the surreal images that played out on the surveillance screen. It was as if his mind was a puzzle, and there were crucial pieces missing. Outwardly, everything seemed ordinary. He was merely going about his day-to-day tasks at work.
“Do you think I’ve been manipulated or changed like those people in the video?” Strong asked with a hint of disbelief in his eyes.
Miles replied with a probing tone, “You seem unaware of your own condition. Can you recall how you arrived in this surveillance room?”
Strong tried to recollect, “I remember… wait, no.” He paused, confusion evident on his face. The events leading up to his arrival in the surveillance room were murky. Was it after the power outage? What route had he taken? Had he spoken to someone or noticed anything unusual?
The answers remained elusive, either buried beneath genuine lapses in memory or perhaps deliberately removed.
“Why don’t you take a look at your own surveillance footage?” Miles suggested. “The mall cameras are equipped with night vision. Even in complete darkness, they’d capture everything.”
Resolute, Strong began combing through the surveillance archives. In no time, he found the footage in question.
It displayed Master Catch engrossed in his peculiar rituals. The mall-goers had gathered on the ground level, their attention held captive by the enigmatic performance. Miles, seemingly unimpressed, had confronted Master Catch, leading to a heated confrontation.
But in that footage, Strong was a stark contrast to the rest. He appeared detached from the chaos, slipping away unnoticed.
“Why was I headed to the power room?” The disbelief was evident in Strong’s voice as he witnessed himself on screen.
The tape revealed that soon after Strong entered the power room, the mall was engulfed in darkness. The blackout was his handiwork.
“A missing memory doesn’t mean the event didn’t transpire. Keep watching,” Miles calmly advised.
Post blackout, the footage displayed Strong standing still, as if in a trance. But it lasted for only a fleeting moment. He then headed to the first-floor restroom.
Everything became clear to Miles. The mysterious entity they had earlier confronted in the restroom was Strong himself.
“It’s impossible. Why don’t I remember any of this?” Panic and disbelief surged within Strong as he rose from his chair, his face drained of color, looking desperately at Miles.
Maintaining a cautious distance, Miles responded with a chilling calmness, “In the period you can’t recall, you weren’t truly yourself. You were a ghost, or perhaps a doppelganger. You still have memories because your brain remains undamaged, resisting decay. But as decomposition begins, those memories will vanish entirely.”
Miles took a deep breath, his gaze distant as he processed the grim scene that had just transpired. Strong’s demise was an unnerving reminder of the consequences of the ghostly interference plaguing the mall.
“You’ve been dead for several days,” Miles reiterated to Strong, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. “Check the back of your neck. The mark from where your head was replaced is still fresh. Such an injury wouldn’t exist without the involvement of these ghosts.”
Strong’s fingers trembled as he touched the back of his neck, feeling the jagged, still-healing incision. The stark reality of the wound, combined with the unmistakable scent of rotting flesh, caused him to stagger. “This is impossible,” he gasped, his voice a mix of horror and denial. “I’m still breathing, still thinking. How can I be dead?”
His distress grew palpable. As he fixated on the wound, the decay seemed to progress at an accelerated rate. The texture of his skin changed, turning soft and putrid. Fragments started to peel away, revealing the rot that lay beneath.
The suffocating stench of decomposition filled the room.
“I can’t accept this. Miles, there has to be something you can do. I don’t want to end like this,” he pleaded, the whites of his eyes reflecting raw terror. Blood smeared his hands, and his neck, unable to support his deteriorating head, bent at a grotesque angle.
His eyes, shimmering with unshed tears, looked toward Miles with a last desperate hope. “There’s no way to reverse what’s been done,” Miles admitted, pain evident in his voice. “The best you can do now is reach out to your loved ones and say your farewells.”
As Strong reached for his phone, his feeble neck gave way. With a horrific sound, his head dislodged and rolled away, coming to a rest against the wall.
His body remained motionless, the lit phone screen serving as a cruel reminder of the call that would never be made. Miles exhaled deeply, his eyes shadowed with grief and regret.
Pushing away from the morbid scene, Miles spotted River, looking petrified, pinned against the wall. Without hesitating, he approached her, inspecting the back of her neck, searching for a scar similar to Strong’s.
Finding no trace, he looked into her eyes, relief evident in his. “So, you’re not one of them?”
Regaining some of her ghost, River retorted, “Did you seriously believe I was one of those entities?”
“Considering the circumstances and the unknown extent of their influence, yes. Any employee here could’ve had their head replaced. All of them could be ghosts, living unaware of their fates,” Miles explained, releasing her.
River’s resolve hardened. “So, what do we do now? We can’t stay here forever, especially with those things outside. How do we get out?”
Miles contemplated, weighing their odds, then firmly replied, “We need a plan.”
Miles began to strategize their escape, his voice resolute and clear, “There are still people trapped in this mall. I need to gather them and find a way out. Sister Pear should have the main door key. Once we have that, we can all escape.”
River nodded but then added hesitantly, “Before anything, you’ll need to review these surveillance videos. They may have clues about the ghost’s identity and origins.”
She held onto his arm, her eyes pleading, “I’m scared. I don’t want to be here alone. I want to come with you.”
Miles firmly responded, “River, we need to understand what we’re up against. The footage may reveal critical details about the ghost’s behavior or intentions. How will I know if I’m about to confront one? Or if someone has already been replaced? Time is not on our side. Soon it will be dark, and with limited visibility, our chances will decrease.”
River looked at the gruesome scene nearby, “Strong’s body… It’s terrifying.”
Understanding her fear but knowing the urgency of the situation, Miles took the phone from Strong’s lifeless hand and quickly dialed his own satellite-connected device.
“Keep this line open at all times. Inform me immediately if you see anything unusual. And always remember, the ghost seems to act from behind. If you keep facing it, it may not be able to switch heads,” Miles directed, placing the phone into her hand.
“But Miles, I’m genuinely scared,” her voice quivered.
Recalling a previous conversation, he said, “Remember what you told me earlier? On the first floor? If you break that promise now, you might not make it out. I trust you, and I know you can handle this. It’s time for action, not words.”
Without waiting for a response, he quickly left the room.
River’s hand reached out, trying to pull him back, “Wait, Miles!” But the door closed behind him, sealing her inside. She considered following him, but the thought of the supernatural threats outside held her back. Only someone as brave as Miles would dare venture into a ghost-infested mall.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed her fear aside, focusing on her task. She approached the control desk, Strong’s phone clutched tightly in her hand. She didn’t dare glance at Strong’s decapitated remains again.
Miles’s voice crackled from the satellite phone, breaking the oppressive silence, “River, are you there? Can you see me on the cameras?”
Her voice, though anxious, was steady as she replied, “Yes, Miles, I’ve got you on the monitor. Stay safe.”
“Understood. Keep your eyes peeled and let me know of any suspicious activities or entities around me,” Miles instructed as he securely clipped the walkie-talkie-style phone to his vest. He then set his course toward a group of people that included both Mr. Calm and Sister Pear. However, unbeknownst to the others, Sister Pear had already been replaced by one of the unnerving ghosts.
Miles’s thoughts wandered briefly to the million-dollar prize that had lured him into this paranormal nightmare. “Will I still be able to claim that prize?” he pondered internally. “But with River’s cooperation and keen eye, perhaps I can secure the reward without having to use the mysterious power of the ghost eye.”
The mall, once a desolate, quiet place, began to exhibit signs of supernatural activity. Phantom-like figures emerged from dark recesses, drifting out of closed shops. Their ghostly complexions, devoid of color, contrasted sharply with their closed eyes, and they moved with an eerie, almost robotic precision.
Witnessing this macabre parade from the surveillance room, River felt her heart rate spike. The encroaching specters around Miles seemed to multiply.
“Miles, they’re emerging. They’re everywhere,” she voiced out, a note of urgency lacing her words.
Miles, ever the picture of composure, responded, “I see them. Stay focused and keep feeding me information about their movements and positions. And remember what I told you earlier.” The calm and determination in his voice offered River a small comfort amidst the chaos.