Kenopsia: GM and Author- Alex Sun

Kenopsia: "the forlorn atmosphere of a place that is usually bustling with people but is now abandoned."

Settings and Time Period: September 9^th, 2022, Massachusetts.

Hook: 20ish Urban explorers delve into the abandoned Elm Plaza Mall.

Lincoln Hale (Max) Crypto Bro; future billionaire, fiat prized possession. Looking at Ethereum for investment. “Bitcoin? SO last century bro.”

Carla Nelson (Jan) Burger Flipper; petite girl considering whether she should tip at this burger joint. Likes fast cars.

Elias Adams (Laska) Hipsta Barista; He just loves urban climbing and spelunking. Exploring needs research, and that means hacking which is just virtual spelunking. It’s the same buzz, though he’s no pro hacker. Needs to be alert for the cameras and motion sensors that corps employ. Beard and tats on one arm. Pay is shit. Cooks oatmeal, hipster stuff. Money good, would buy beard oil and more tats. “Stick it to the man.”

Rockets Redglare (Bill) 21yo Wanna-Be Musician (college dropout) who gained his [limited] skills per PlayStation “Guitar Hero”. Works a local bar behind stage (Electrical, Mechanic Repair) before finally convincing the owner he “belongs” front-and-center for his looks [APP70]. Singing OK [55], playing so-so…OK, crap [35].

Burger World: Carla, Elias, and Rockets crowded into the booth waiting for their numbers to be called. “Damn Lincoln, late again and him with a car. And his turn to pick our next urban spelunking.” And that’s when they heard the muffled speaker “Order #47 ready. One ‘Travis Scott’ meal” drowned out by the arrival of Lincoln’s loud mufflerless Fiat. Lincoln slid into the booth with his classic hands raised palms up "What? I'm here ain’t I? Needed to print out the floor plans. Gentleman, and lady, we are about to delve into a 1980s wonder on the outskirts of town.”

Lincoln plopped a printout on the table, “Has anyone heard of the Elm Plaza Mall? Feast your eyes on this beauty. No basement but 2 floors filled with movie theater, food court, and multiple side stores laid out in this most peculiar plan.” Rockets blurted, “Looks like a dang spaceship!” Carla already chewing her food, spit out as she exclaimed, “Holy crap! I just saw that symbol in my alchemy class… it’s antimony. My professor said it was used in Egyptian times in eye cosmetics. Yet it’s highly toxic per today’s standards.” 

Carla thumbed thru her class notes, “Here’s a drawing of the Egyptian Eye of Horus, their symbol of antimony, said to represent well-being, healing, and protection.”

And that’s when Dave, their server, arrived with their check. Lincoln offering, “Just split it down the middle.” Elias objected, “You’ve ate double our orders in half the time. And haven’t paid in a month.” Lincoln deflected, “I don’t carry cash. I deal in crypto-currency and this burger joint doesn’t. Cover me and I’ll seed you into the Ethereum market. The next Amazon explosion.”

Showing his phone portfolio, he explained, “Bitcoins so outdated; look, here’s other possible crypto-currency available, but I’m telling you, Ethereum is the way to go. That little investment strategy itself ought to pay for my bill.”

McDonalds: Rockets interrupted, “We need to take the discussion to the internet, and I can’t get wifi here. Way over my allotted data-plan. Let’s go to McD’s and their free wifi.” Carla rode with Lincoln as the others used their longboards and held onto the Fiat’s bumper. The McD cashier gave them the ‘stink-eye’ when they ordered “5 small drinks and one large fry please.” The cups included the wifi password. They crowded around the table and in no time were looking at the mall’s Wikipedia history. “Simon Property Group invested $75 million. Planned 1973 construction, but local opposition forced delays and relocation. Completed in 1980, just before the 1981-82 recession. Which contributed to its closing.” Elias asked Lincoln, “What’s 1980s $75 million in today’s dollars?” Lincoln [failed] authoritatively offered, “At least $2 trillion man!”

Carla dug deeper, “Architect was Philip Kroft. Looks like part of the cost was from him over-ordering material. He then went missing in 1982. No heirs and a cold case.” Lincoln excitedly offered his research, “Antimony! Element LM51. Occult articles list it related to animal instincts and freedom.” All the while, as they slowly nibbled on the fries and slurped their drinks, the cashier Melissa eyed them with disapproval, especially when Lincoln tried to refill his drink. “Sir! Free refills only with meals.” Elias tried to appease her by ordering “another large fry please.”

Rockets whispered, “Researched other urban explorer sites. A few pictures of the central court but mention of light security. Maybe 2 perimeter guards. Can’t find any code words how they got in.” Melissa even more pissed when Lincoln plugged in his multiport USB charger for all to charge their phones. 10pm came too soon. But not for Melissa who happily kicked them out, “Sorry, we’re closing.”

Saturday morning: Lincoln texted the others, “Rise and grind!” They used public transport, the route 316 bus, then legged it to the mall. The surrounding fence labeled “No Trespassers!” Rockets found the security car parked beside another building; the lone occupant sipping his paper coffee-cup. Elias surmised, “Look, they’re not THAT dedicated. Let’s get to the back fence and sneak in.” Heightened tension made worse by the creepy echo of crickets suddenly silent upon their approach as they trudged thru overgrown weeds and brush outside the fence. Them scratching for tics or who-knows-what, “Who’s got bug spray?”

Back of the building, plan to use a trash dumpster for climbing but them on the inside. Rockets and Lincoln did a ‘fireman’s left’ to get Carla started over the 8ft fence. “Clang, rattle.” Meanwhile, Elias kept walking outside. No sooner Carla over than he whispered, “Over here. There’s a break in the fence to slip thru.” But that’s also when Lincoln heard a female voice on radio, “Squawk! Murphy, come in. Heard a noise; going to check it out.” Those outside quickly scattered into the brush like kitchen cockroaches scattering at the light. Carla panicked, then found hiding behind a dumpster. Blood leached from thorn-bush wounds. Tension rose as surely her pounding heartbeat would give her away as she heard the radio oh so nearby. “Squawk! Negative Murphy. Must have been another racoon.” Carla in the clear, except for that LARGE spider on her shoulder! She bit her lip to stifle the scream as she brushed it away.

Once the guard cleared the corner, they all squeezed thru the break in the fence and joined Carla at a mall service door. Boarded up. No windows. The external fire-escape a deathtrap. Lincoln found a drainpipe overgrown with vines that added additional handhold. He climbed to the rooftop and threw down a rope to aid the others. Atop where they found vents, skylights, and a newly padlocked door obviously to a stairwell. Obvious for most. Footprints even shouted prior spelunkers used the stairs. But Nooo. Lincoln in his zest to perform for his twitter followers, with phone recording, scanned the view then selfied a pose atop the skylight. That not good enough as he adlibbed, “What’s uuup!?” And began jumping on the skylight in performance. The others dumbstruck… about to scream warning… “CRACK!” Lincoln disappeared.

They rushed to the broken skylight and peered down at the unconscious “Lincoln ‘Deathwish’ Hale.” Rockets pulled out his crowbar and took off his coat to muffle the noise (as if a broken skylight wouldn’t be heard) and broke the stairwell lock. A faint moldy smell had Carla and Rockets already donning their respirators. Elias wet a kerchief from his water bottle and covered his mouth and nose as they rushed down the stairs. To the 2^nd floor and along the dark hallway only illuminated by their flashlights to find their unconscious member under the skylight laying in a pile of broken glass. And Lincoln the proud owner a multiple slivers of glass Carla carefully removed to bandage his wounds.

Once Lincoln revived, they took stock of their surroundings. More broken glass swept into piles, graffiti laden walls, and tons of fake ceiling tiles littering the floor.  Lincoln woke with a groan, “Tada! My disappearing act. Ow. The fast elevator, not for everyone.” Rockets’ inner voice deemed, “Dumbshit! Get yourself killed before you actually pay a tab.” Silence filled the mall except for the rhythmic “plink, plink” of dripping water. It did rain a few days ago so maybe puddles leaking thru the 40-year-old roof. Or vandals busted plumbing. But the sound still unnerving.

And that’s when they saw the graffiti. Multiple tags. “Suck my Ass. Fucked. You are dreaming. This is not a dream.” A crude drawing of a dead face and even drawing of the antimony symbol. Yeah, prior spelunkers had a field day leaving their tags. Speaking of which, on the graffiti, a splatter of blood?! Still wet? Lincoln mimicked actually licking the blood for his twitter audience. Him close enough, without respirator to smell iron, “Damn! I think it actually IS blood.” Elias just shook his head, “Some people don’t deserve to reach maturity.”

And that’s when they saw the trail of blood that led beyond, deeper along the 2^nd floor covered in a thick layer of dust, toward a side shop whose grated entrance pried open. And more piles of glass from a broken mirror once decorating a pillar. A shopping cart filled with stuffed animals. Some spelunkers are just weird. Lincoln a prime example! And that’s when a fog rolled in out of nowhere. Clammy, warm. “That explains the mold and mildew. But where did it come from?”

The question quickly forgotten when Carla shrieked at the foggy impression of a mannequin hanging from another skylight. Linc and Rockets more interested in the blood trail, squeezed thru the forced opening. Elias and Carla more interested in the source of the fog, looked for air currents. Which drew them closer to the mannequin. “Is that sand piles beneath the skylight?” And that is when the fog began to dissipate. And the mannequin proved to be a real man! “EEEK!” Eilas and Clara both thinking a recent suicide, “We got a follower; probably tried to repeat Linc’s plunge.” Out of sight, Linc and Rockets both thinking “she saw another spider.” They delved deeper into the store following the blood trail, now hearing a bubbling sound ahead. Them unaware Elias and Clara close enough to the body to realize it old, almost mummified.

And that’s when someone checked their phone for the time and realized their clock app stopped. Their phones powered but inoperable. Carla lost in thought at the silence and eeriness of the place, suddenly aware of a “thud” then another “thud”. Almost a rhythmic pattern of someone walking, coming closer. But these not human footprints. Almost able to visualize the click of claws accompanying the “thuds”. Enough stress to get her to bolt towards the others who had entered the side store. With Elias following.

Meanwhile, inside the side store, Linc and Rockets delved deeper till they could hear bubbling sounds beyond a back door. That opened near the food court. The scent of cookies penetrated Rockets’s respirator, “More spelunkers already here?” No one in sight. The distant flicker of a waning flashlight gave them guidance forward to a ‘Taco Bell’ store. Behind the counter, back in the kitchen area, they found a milk crate filled with empty syringes. Some countertops littered with broken beakers, but on the stove, with bunsen burner as fire source, boiled a pot of something. “Crackheads already starting a meth lab. Great!”

Except, Lincoln saw the open book to the side. It’s label, “Alchemical Potions, by Farik Kor.” It written in ballpoint pen with blue ink with a shaky handwriting. And that’s when Clara and Elias appeared, “What’s that?” Clara stepped towards the boiling pot … and shrieked… as an eye bubbled to the surface. And as if showing off, Linc grabbed a syringe, drew up some of the boiling concoction, and aimed for his tongue. Clara tried to slap the syringe away but failed as Linc dripped first one drop, tasted, then four more. “You Jackass! Quit playing for your audience and be serious. We have a dead body outside in the courtyard. And something inhuman walking below us.”

But Rockets was busy with his nose in the open book, “Salt, pepper, human eye, invoke the name of a god to create a ‘warding spell’. Serum of Return, Vanishing, Indomitable… what the hell is going on?!” And that is when the ceiling speakers came to life, “Bing, Bong. Attention shoppers, stock up today, …” They all looked at each other, “There’s no power in this mall! Who the hell is playing around?!” Another phone check confirmed no wifi signal. Then, “Bing, Bong. I’m going to find you. 30 seconds. 29, 28, …” They scattered like cockroaches. Rockets paused to fill a syringe with the boiling concoction for future use if needed. Because whatever shit was going on…

Rockets sprinted around a corner and ran into someone else. Man. Ashy white skin, unkempt hair and teeth, haggard. Both screamed at the sight of each other, “Where’s you come from?!” Elias stopped in his hiding to query the man (who shivered while itching) who only offered, “No exits. You’re stuck.” When asked his name, he cocked his head side-to-side as if a forgotten item, “Donny… Green, Donny Green. Yes, Donny Green.” He smacked his lips as if tasting the sound of that name for approval. “Survive? Food? The vending machines.” Rockets padded him down but didn’t find a wallet for confirmation. The vagrant only offered, “No. All alone.”

Carla jumped at new sound, “Did you hear that?! Below us, first floor. Gibbering, clacking as if claws. The same sounds I heard earlier.” Rockets leaned over the railing to get a better look. And had to grab the railing per shock, “Oh shit! Shit, shit! Leathery arms that end in 4-inch claws, elongated snout, humanoid but hunched on all fours!” Lincoln resumed his hiding as the others ran in the opposite direction, back towards the stairwell to the roof. Their eyes bulged at the incomprehensible sight of mannequins set up in front of a store in various poses (not there before). And the floor clean… no dust or grime, “This is a sick fucking joke!!”

They dashed up the stairs and opened the rooftop door and stepped unto a desert scene. Sand dunes, violet sky, a distant graveyard of protruding bones. They turned in unison at the rustling behind them. Donny sat on the roof of the stairwell with legs crossed, “Like I said, trapped.”

Lincoln hid under a clothing store counter and tried to hold his breath as he heard stomping getting closer. What the hell was it? He had to look… he leaned out for a little glimpse. [8 point Insanity] Tree-trunk size hairy legs inches away. His gaze climbed to the torso where 4 arms sprouted, ending in long claws. But worst... its head and face... towering at least 15 feet overhead… only to be described as female genital lined with teeth!! Lincoln gasp and tried to scramble backwards to bury himself deeper but the backwall betrayed him. He fainted.

Rooftop, Rockets teetered on the edge of insanity and did the only reasonable thing. Rusty needle, tetanus? He injected the serum he’d taken from the boiling pot. A warm burn coursed thru his veins. But Elias was busy with the book saved from the kitchen, “We are not in Kansas anymore Dorothy. Serum of Returning: Sugar, human heart, ground mummy, what the hell is a gug? Let’s gather what we can now, and deal with the rest later.” Donny sat on his perch and recrossed his legs as he watched the men rush to the skylight and begin pulling up the suicide man. His wallet confirmed him a proper-aged mummy, “2004 driver license for one Jacob Tilman.” Only then did they realize Lincoln missing. Maybe their needed heart? And all the while, poor Carla sat broken and in tears. [Jan (i.e. Carla) had to depart game play] 

Meanwhile, Lincoln woke with a headache and aching feet above him. Hung upside down in the food court swaying over a table as a huge claw stroked his chin and face. From the vertical mouth full of teeth, “And who are you, young man? Final words before I feast on your soul?” THAT woke Lincoln from any drowsiness. He scrambled to reason his release. An exchange of comments. “Oh, great genitalia, PLEASE let me be of service to you!” “What formulas do you know?” “I…I know of Ethereum that offers time-travel.” “Then make it for me.” “It is pricey and would take time to collect. I’d also need the ganglia of a virgin.” “A minor sacrifice from yourself?” “Me? A virgin? No, but there is a woman who accompanied us.” “Then you best get going.” Before the great genitalia cut him down, it clawed a symbol on Lincoln’s back, “Just so I don’t lose sight of you.”

Rockets and Elias were locked in debate what to do when they heard footsteps approach. “Lincoln! Where have you been? What was that thing? How did you escape?!” But Lincoln ignored most of their questions, “Rockets, do you have any of that serum left? What? You injected it all?!” And that’s when Elias saw the bloodstain on Lincoln’s back and reached to lift his shirt, “My God man, are you alright?! Did that thing do this to you? It’s almost a recreation of the antimony symbol.” Lincoln quickly pulled down his shirt, “I didn’t stick around when it found my hidey-hole. I snuck out thru vents. It must have scratched me, or I scratched on edges of the vent.”

Rockets let him in on their plans, “We’re concocting a serum to get back to reality. But we have no clue about this referenced ‘claw of a gug’.” Lincoln perked up, “Gug? That’s what that thing was! I heard crashing while escaping. Racks toppled on it. It lies dead back there but I didn’t want to stick around. I can lead you back to retrieve claws. Let’s bring Carla along as safety in numbers.” And all the while, Donny sat perched on the stairwell laughing. And the others not fooled by Lincoln’s ramblings. Disbelief the gug dead.

Rockets remembered another spell from the book, “Serum of Indomitable.” He broke a finger off of the mummy (“Doesn’t say it has to be fresh”), dug thru their backpacks of food supplies and plastic-wrapped utensils complete with little packs of salt and pepper. Dumped all into the eyepiece of his safety goggles and used Lincoln’s vap-pen to boil the concoction as he danced and sang. Elias joined in. [Each unknowingly sacrificing Magic Points.] 5 minutes later Rockets and Elias injected the serum into their own arms. Using up all the serum on themselves, “Sorry Lincoln, but we just don’t trust you right now.” A burning sensation… a rush as if they had injected cocaine. “Let’s go get us a gug claw! No telling how long this protection lasts.”

Only when they turned toward the stairs did they realize Donny gone. They left Carla and Lincoln behind and descended back to the 2nd floor. They weren’t that surprised to hear stomping ahead. But the sight of the monstrosity called a “gug” shattered their sanity. [Bouts-of-Madness per 20% sanity loss] Elias fainted as the gug approached and now pounded with all 4 arms onto the chest of the helpless Elias. Death blows… yet Elias still breathed. The serum had worked!

Meanwhile, back on the desert roof, Lincoln brewed his own serum. Sang and danced to a ‘Radio-Head’ tune stuck in his memory. He too maddened with euphoria of his godlike status per his own protective serum. He stepped to the broken skylight and jumped down. Like a Marvel superhero jumping from skyscraper and landing unharmed. A cruel grim plastered his face as he rushed to the sounds of a fight, “I’m coming master!” He arrived to find Rockets attacking his master.

Rockets burst into a violent rage and attacked the gug with his crowbar, aiming for its claws. One such skittered across the floor, stopping at the foot on the now arrived Lincoln. Who just stood and watched. [Probably waiting to see which the victor and thus where his loyalty lay.] And Elias awoke to the scene. And jumped on its back wielding a knife and stabbed its neck. Nothing. So, he aimed for its eyes. Which drew the gug’s attention and distraction [fumble] such that it tumbled over the railing and fell to the first-floor courtyard. With Elias along for the ride… fall. And Rockets still raging, jumped over in pursuit. Attacking to free another claw. Elias continued stabbing but soon realized his invincibility waned. Such that as soon as he stabbed its second eye, he knew it now time to escape, “We got what we need. RUN!”

Lincoln the first off in a dash towards the broke escalators, split in half from the rampaging beast. Lincoln tripped [fumbled] and fell into the escalator gears. Stuck but unharmed. Elias arrived and paused. Contemplating. All the while Rockets fought the gug to give his allies time to escape. Him glancing to see Elias reach for Lincoln and pull him free. His signal to also flee.

They rejoined on the rooftop bathed in desert sand. They consulted the book to confirm the serum ingredients. Elias read, “Serum of Return. Sugar, gug claw, ground mummy. I say we draw straws to see who willingly sacrifices their heart.” And that’s when Lincoln jumped at Carla with his own knife. Elias screamed and lunged for him, “NOOO!” But he felt Rockets’ hands holding him back, “Sorry man but it’s she or you.”

And that’s when they again saw Donny sitting atop the stairwell roof. Now six large blackbirds sat on his shoulders. The eerie grin upon Donny’s face crumbled to dust and the crows took flight, winging off into an amber sunset.

They were all insane and had no recollection how long they had been dancing around Carla’s carved body. Blood pooled in her open chest cavity. Her heart boiling in a pot retrieved from the food-court kitchen. The sweet aroma of the concoction wafted over them as they plunged needles (filled with a golden-metallic fluid) into their arms.

They stood atop the mall rooftop, staring at the full moon overhead. The desert landscape replaced with the lights of civilization. They were home.

EPILOGUE

Rockets returned to the bar and performed a few nights on stage. The audience liking his dark and dissonant lyrics. But as each night grew longer, his songs became more morbid, his guitar chords more painful resonance. To the point he was booed off stage. It wasn't long before he was backstage working the lights and screwing that up. Till the police arrived.

Lincoln became quiet famous for his Twitter post of him dancing on the skylight them plunging out of sight. “Radical dude! Fuck yeah!” Unfortunately, the wrong people saw his posts. He too was hauled into the police station.

Elias returned to work as barista but struggled with poor service. Getting too many orders wrong. Him distracted and morose at the loss of a potential girlfriend. Pure luck him absent when the police came knocking. For Elias had already devised a rescue plan.

Rockets and Lincoln were held in a separate room till called in for the lineup. They couldn't see behind the dark mirror. Where the McDonald server Melissa pointed each of them out. "I can't forget that 50 cent tipping face! They were so obnoxious. Yeah, they were the ones with the missing girl you showed me."

No denials when charges brought forth, "You've been identified in the company of one Carla Nelson who has gone missing. And Mr. Hale's video shows her in the background of your little trespassing at the mall. Your phone trace history shows that. While we don't have a body yet... Mr. Rockets' songs clearly speak of you doing something horrendous. If you'll follow me for fingerprints. You have one call available. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed."

Rockets broke out in a quiet crazed laughter, “It was only logical. She the weaker and already broken. Draw straws Elias offered but he forgot I invincible and Lincoln too. How quickly he forgot us fighting off that, that, THING, just to get its claw for our serum to return. It was only he or Carla as the logical options. I mean, how did he expect to harm us to get OUR heart… ow, those cuffs are too tight. They hurt… hurt? Oh no!”

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GM Notes- Story background:The architect, Philip Kroft, was an occultist (Farik Kor) who dabbled in the Dreamland realm. The mall became a gateway into the Dreamlands only on an Autumn full moon. Such as September 10^th. He was the hung mummy.

The sudden fog was the bridge transition from reality into the Dreamland.

Donny was a ‘great one’. Think Loki ‘the Trickster’. The 6 crow were his daemon.

==================================================================

Laska: I would like to anonymously and untraceably post the mummy’s ID in an urban explorer site, together with his pic. Saying his body is completely inaccessible, like a lost climber in Everest. This fallen soldier helped in death and his friends and family deserve some closure. I will also dedicate a new tat in my right arm to this unlucky dude, who saved our own lives. Also want to have a burial ceremony for the baggie of his ground flesh. Kind of a macabre thing to do, but I think consistent with my current level of sanity. If the Keeper is kind, maybe he can award me a little more SAN back for that. I’m still waking screaming in the night.

Nor had I mentioned all my thoughts on Carla. I have specified Elias will get tat for her. But I think we need a memorial service for her too. Haven't got any of her body parts, but maybe there are some of her possessions that we could bury symbolically, beside the bits of mummy bro in the area by the fence in the mall where we snuck through. We could listen to some of her favorite music, remember good times, etc. But there's also the police investigation that will happen about her disappearance. God knows how that will work out. Carla is also a fallen soldier, but I don't want to post about her online right now because of police. But some day, she must be enshrined in the Online Temple of Urban Exploration.

In his clumsy Friendzone way, maybe Elias loved Clara, and is now in a nightmare of self-recrimination. He never wore his heart on his sleeve, but he did wear his and hers linked on his left sleeve tat, yet never told her, or anyone. The story of Elias’ past is written on his left sleeve tat, and his future will be written on the right one. Kenopsia bisects his life. The truth will be written there, and they say that “the truth will set you free” - that is his unconscious hope.

Alex: The operation is deniable, but the police will look for known acquaintances of Carla who's now missing. When did we see her last? Mobile phones records will give rough locations. Maybe someone remembers someone matching her description being on the bus with 3 guys. 

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CARLA'S RESCUE

For the first few nights, Elias woke up every night screaming, seeing Carla's face in front of him. He was also sure that the police must trace him, and he and his idiot friends would have no hope of constructing a coherent story. Probably Lincoln and Rockets would end up blaming him for everything! What exactly the police would charge him with, he did not know. But it could not end well.

But then one night he woke up and found himself instead, crying tears of joy. It was not too late! He saw now how all could yet be saved! He remembered the Oil of Revival!!! He would go back into the mall (by himself this time, as he did not trust the other two). He would take all the ingredients that he could find for all the spells on the list. He would take enough food and water to keep him going, until he managed to break through to the far side. To that dream world.

The question was, where to get a fresh enough heart to return? After grabbing ganglia and bone marrow from Carla or the mummy bro, together with some 3x3 patches of skin from Carla, he would use Oil to revive Carla, and then one of them would kill the other to get another heart, and then that one would be revived again, and then they would both come back together. Another claw of Gug would also be necessary, which meant more indomitability, but if he brings some of his own milk teeth (need of 3 child’s teeth) that his mother had for some reason always kept as a keepsake (luck roll 13) then the love required even for Destruction Dust might be possible!

And she would come back with him, would be proved to be still alive, and he would have proved his love, and they could live together forever!

[GM-Alex’s take on plausibility, “Oh he's totally insane. But it definitely could be done. That's seriously messed up. Oh course, he doesn’t know about the timing need of a full-moon night to get back into the dreamlands.”]

And thus, by pure luck, Elias was absent the evening when the police came calling. He had returned to the mall and simply walked in with a cleaning crew tasked with removing the graffiti and broken glass at the police scene. Elias stopping to talk to the security detail made the crew think him an assigned supervisor, the guards thinking him part of the crew.

Elias’ cleaning bucket contained some of the needed spell ingredients. Other items were still to be collected. As Elias hid in a closest waiting for the crew to leave, he reviewed his plan. “Oil of Revival. Thank you, Google-search, for what ganglia is and thank you black-marker supplier although that was a steep price exchange for my expresso machine. Bone marrow, check. Wormwood herb… and to think I used it instore to add aroma to the drinks. Now, which god should I invoke? Aphrodite or Venus? I think I remember Donny saying something about ‘Cthulhu’. I feel like Orpheus entering Hades to retrieve his wife. Surely Carla would recognize my love for her to risk such return. Would she forgive me for letting the others kill her? Did she not see my attempts to save her the first time?!”

His days and nights in the mall multiplied as he knew not the full-moon requirement. Time to review other needs in the plan. “I revive her, then what? The Serum of Return requires a claw of the Gug. Rockets had broken off two. Please God, let the 2^nd still be lying on the mall floor. But if not, could I, could we take on the Gug again?! 

Serum of the Indomitable again. Its ingredients tame: salt, singing and dancing, a finger. If not another mummy finger or a body in the desert graveyard, then I’d willingly sacrifice my own. But if we already have the Gug claw, then we could create the Destruction Dust. 

Thanks to mom, I've got the child teeth. A 3x3 patch of skin of a friend. It doesn’t say fresh… if I had only cornered that Lincoln who drew the knife… no, it will have to be Carla or me. Damn it! We need a scalpel and numbing medications to cut it and I brought neither.”

More days and nights of sanity testing isolation. “OK, so we’ve dealt with the Gug. But that claw is only one of the needed Serum of Return ingredients. Ground mummy. Fresh human heart. Damn, this morgue heart I stole has expired! Now what?! Say a guard wanders into the mall before the sands come. Could I kill another?” By now, Elias’ sanity has dipped beyond grasp as he reasoned, “The fresh heart comes from killing Carla again before reviving her again. That guarantees it’s fresh! I just make 2 doses of the Oil of Revival to bring her back again. [He has no idea what revival means. Elias can only assume revival magically bestows another heart.]

Indefinitely Insane, Elias is committed to the task.  No going back, no alternative. Elias now dependent on hope, “If I invoke the god name Aphrodite then she might “have a heart” and restore Carla fully. The dust spell involves ‘Love’; maybe that IS a clue to invoke the goddess Venus.”

[GM Alex’s input: As a behind the scenes...The Gods name invoked would be mythos gods.]

A long month till the next full moon and Elias was as ready as he ever would be. His phone battery dead, he had no truth of time or day. Scratches on a pillar now his record of days. The fog and sand once again trickling thru the skylight announced him back in the Dreamland. “YES! The 2^nd claw; no need to kill the Gug again." The mummy he expected hanging not there, buried in the sand dunes on the roof maybe? “I’m coming my love!” Carla gasp as she suddenly awoke, screaming once more at her last vision of Lincoln’s knife plunging into her chest. “Elias, stop him!!” Elias held her close, “It is alright my love. I’ve come back for you. Forgive me for what I am about to do…”

But the gods were fickle. [Luck- fail 78] He ripped open her blouse and raised the knife, only to realize she already had an open wound in her chest. Her heart already removed a month ago. “NOOO!” And the woman he once knew, grinned a long-toothed sneer as she displayed her ghoulish claws…