This was the fourth time you read the directory. You were deciding which part of the mall you'd patrol next. During the early part of your shift, you swept the first floor and then informed your fellow security guard that you'd likely make your way to the second floor.
You pulled out your transmission and clicked it. "Hey, I'm heading to the second floor. Is everything good where you are?"
Your radio speaker crackled and a Mid-Atlantic accent spoke through it. "I'm right behind you."
You turned around and waved at her. She was only several feet away from you and attired in a similar uniform to yours. A typical badge, polo shirt, black jacket, dark boots, and for the both of you, tasers guns. "Are you following me?"
"Perhaps," she smirked, toying with the flashlight hanging from her belt. "How are you handling your third week?"
"The hours don't go by fast enough. When I'm pacing these empty storefronts, it amazes me how many times I pass by the same food court or circle back around to the kiddie equipment only to realize that only twenty some minutes have passed. But I know I shouldn't complain. I'm a night owl and that's why this job suits me. It's a bit tedious, I admit, but never lonely. Although it helps me to know you're walking around this place."
Hearing that comment of yours pleased Alcina. Admittedly, you made her shift less lonely, and after doing this gig for several weeks longer than you, Alcina found that she didn't mind having you here. After all, you were the new security guard. She felt it was her obligation to look after you, making certain you were familiarized with the layout of the mall. "Does the silence unnerve you?"
"Not at all. I welcome the silence. I just don't want to hear any ghostly whispering or sudden screams during my shift, you know?"
"Like last week when you clutched your chest in fright?"
You grimaced at her and despised that memory. It was so humiliating for her to have caught you off guard like she did. You were sitting in the food court and taking a break when Alcina had sneaked up from behind you. She failed to spook you because she dropped her flashlight by mistake, which caused you to nearly fall out of your chair. She couldn't keep herself from laughing at how you released a muffled squeak. Her flashlight had done a much finer job than she could've imagined.
"That doesn't count! And I'm pretty sure you dropped it on purpose."
Her face grew serious. "I didn't drop it on purpose."
"Really? Then why were you sneaking up on me?"
"I was testing your reflexes. On a scale from one to five, I would give you a...two."
"Two? I'm flattered." You tried to appear tough by crossing your arms. "Just admit that you got pleasure from seeing the horrified expression on my face."
She inclined her head and then scrunched her face in an adorable way. "Well, that I won't deny."
"You're incorrigible." You playfully bumped her arm as you passed her, heading toward the escalator. "I better keep walking before I get another cramp in my calf."
Worry lines framed her mouth. "Are you experiencing cramps? I have a banana packed in my sack? I can get it for you."
Your eyes flickered with merriment. "A banana? Why do you have a banana with you?"
She neglected to answer your question. "They're well-known as muscle cramp relievers."
How you got paired to work with this sweet woman was astonishing to you. "I'm good, thanks. Say, be careful and call me if you need me. If there's any trouble, you know I'll be there in a heartbeat!"
She rolled her eyes at you and strolled away in the opposite direction. "Try not to get scared, Y/N."
You snickered at her remark and continued on with your patrol throughout the night. The second floor was much more interesting to you because it had fewer clothing departments and more things that you personally preferred: Music, home appliances, gift shops, and a gardening department. Honestly, you wished you could've spent the rest of your shift up here. You hadn't yet grown bored with these same sights.
Glancing down at your watch, you had an hour to kill before returning to the first floor. It then crossed your mind that perhaps you ought to accept that banana from Alcina. At least it'd give you an excuse to talk to her again. Her company was pleasant — more than pleasant. How you would've loved to have spent the entire night conversing with her.
As you were thinking about her, a sudden light alerted you from down below. You leaned over the glass, steel railing and determined that the light was coming from the public restroom, between the Jewelry and Health and Beauty departments. That wasn't too odd, considering that the motion sensors were occasionally glitchy anyway. Alcina might've even been using it.
You shrugged it off and descended the spiral staircase instead of the escalator. However, once you reached the main lobby, that light was still on. Squinting your eyes, you let your vision create a more focused image for you.
Something wasn't right.
The light was shining from the men's room. There was no reason Alcina would've ventured in there. Feeling nervous, you immediately lifted your radio speaker and checked in with her. "Alcina? Are you on the first floor?" Your heart skipped a beat when she didn't respond for several moments. "Alcina? Do you copy?"
"I'm here," she replied through her radio, bringing you much relief. "I'm outside in the parking lot. There are a few teenagers riding around on their skateboards and I'm about to tell them to go home."
"Outside?" A lump formed in your throat. "Well, is it normal for the lights to turn on in the bathroom?"
There was a brief pause from her end. "The restroom next to the Jewelry department on the first floor?"
"Yes, that one."
"I've never seen that occur during any of my night shifts. But who knows? The lighting could be faulty."
"That's what I was thinking."
"Hold on, Y/N. They seem to be arguing about something. Let me talk to them and then I'll contact you right after." She switched off her radio.
You had answered her truthfully when you claimed that silence didn't unnerve you, yet you didn't share what unsettled you. Noise. The kind of noise that'd pierce the silence when you least expected it. At that instant, you heard a toilet flushing and your body went stiff with dread. Maybe the plumbing was defective as well?
Your radio then blasted static and scared the life out of you. "Y/N? Are you there?"
Covering your face with one hand, you sighed and could feel how your pulse raced. "Yes, Alcina. I'm here."
She had no trouble detecting the distress in your voice. "What's wrong?"
"The toilet just went off in the men's room and I'm kinda nervous. Are you sure this isn't a normal occurrence?"
"Stay right where you are," Alcina ordered. "I'm on my way right now."
Further dismayed, you felt like a scared child while waiting for her. This was ridiculous. You reminded yourself that you were a grown ass adult. This was your job as a security guard. You had to get used to investigating strange noises on your own and realize that you couldn't have someone holding your hand through it.