The mall was closing. The intercom's tinny voice echoed through the wide, empty aisles: "Attention shoppers, the store is now closed. Please make your way to the nearest exit."

You were late leaving, still wandering the men's fitness section, shelves stacked with protein powders and racks of gear. That's when you noticed it—a mannequin. He was posed near the display window, broad-shouldered, locked in a flex, his smooth face hidden under a baseball cap. You could've sworn you'd passed this aisle earlier, and he hadn't been there.

The lights above buzzed. One flickered....when you glanced back, his pose was different...arm lowered....head tilted just slightly toward you. Your chest tightened. You scanned the store for workers, but the floor was empty. Just you, fluorescent hum, and the echo of your own shoes.

Another flicker and the mannequin was closer to you..still, silent, but now standing at the end of the aisle, blocking the way. His blank plastic face pointed directly at you..

You backed away, bumping into a rack of clothes that swayed with a dry rustle. When you looked again he was gone. Behind you, you heard the faintest creak of shifting joints...then, closer to your ear than you wanted to believe, the soft snap of plastic flexing.