Blue

You lock eyes with the blue door and step left of the creature, slowing half a beat. The uncertainty is still there. At the glance you send its way, it only responds with a nod, as if to praise your choice. There's even a flicker of amusement in its expression. Maybe it didn't expect you actually listen. Eventually, you brush past it, catching a scent similar to a cold winter air, and another you can't place a name to. You hear it breathing. The air is warmer around it, and its eyes watch your every move.

Standing before the blue door, you pause.

The door looks like a door. It also feels like one. It's some kind of rough, unfinished wood that grips the tips of your fingers as you run them over its surface. Beyond that, it tells you nothing else. That's all the hesitation you can afford. Time is running low.

You grasp the knob and twist while the red door locks with a click behind you. The room steadies, no longer shaking, so you don't immediately push through. Instead, you pull the door wide open and remain in the white space, peering inside.

"A shopping mall?..." You throw a question in the air.

Neither the creature nor the door answer back.

It's completely outside your expectations. What do you do? Step in? Stay?...

As you weigh your options, a pressure builds behind you. A pull, subtle at first. Worried the creature might be playing tricks, you turn, only to see it hasn't moved an inch, just silently giggling at your panic. The pull strengthens, and you try to step away, but it eventually overwhelms you. The world then lurches forward, and you're thrown through the doorway. It then slams shut, vanishing into the wall.

...

"Door 1. The Silent Shops."

The voice in your head sends you jumping to your feet. Its tone is deeper, solemn.

"From the outside, the mall looks normal, just old and closed. The lights still work, though they flicker, and the doors soundlessly open on their own."

It's a voice you can't escape. Cover your ears as you might, it's like a parasite whispering to you from within your body.

"Inside, everything is clean and perfectly arranged. The stores are fully stocked, and the mannequins in the windows are dressed like real employees. They stand completely still, facing the halls as if waiting for customers."

"Every shop has a door you can enter. Each one has a label, like Fitting Room, Staff Only, or Clearance. Sometimes the labels change when you're not looking."

"The mannequins don't move while you watch them. But if you turn away, even for a second, something might be different."

"And the deeper you go into The Silent Shops, the stronger the feeling becomes that the mall is not empty."

"Follow the rules, and leaving should not be difficult."

You stay still, processing the flood of information.

"Rules?" you ask.

"Rule 1. Theft is forbidden and will be punished. If you wish to acquire an item, bring it to the front desk and turn away while the cashier scans it."

"Rule 2. Avoid areas without light.

"Rule 3. As long as you are polite, the staff will assist you with everything you need. If they consider your tone or words unpleasant, you will be removed from the premises.

The voice then goes silent, and doesn't speak even after ten minutes. This... is different...

You thought of hell and ****, places worse than everything you had experienced for the past year. But... This is just shopping. And it comes with instructions. You no longer have to blindly feel in the dark for the slightest hope of getting out. If anything, as long as you follow the rules, it feels almost... safe. A reward, even.

You're sightseeing in another dimension. Thinking about the creature back in your room, you can't help but feel a little grateful.

After a deep breath, you take a look ahead of you, unsure how to spend your time here. It feels as if there is an aisle for everything. Here and there, you can see some shops without a light, but already know not to go inside. Not that you're not curious... Maybe a peek from the safety of the light?... Anyway, since you're not worrying about survival... What now? Where do you go?