The Portal

Episode 1: Prolouge

*several armed S.W.A.T Team members enter the abandoned mall after hearing reports of screaming coming from the building. They spread out in different directions, taking a look around them at the dilapidated conditions and the run-down stores. Overhead, the skylight is shattered, and plant life is starting to partially overrun the area*

Swat Guy 1: "This is Delta to Whisky. We have begun our sweep of the mall. No sign of anyone yet."
Whisky: "Copy that, Delta. Watch your six. Keep your men close."
Delta: "Yes, sir." *he turns to the other men* "Keep your weapons hot. Search every nook and cranny."
*as the swat members look around, the front doors of the mall suddenly blow shut. Startled, the men whirl around."
Delta: "Tango, can you get those doors open?"
*a man approaches and attempts to open the doors. They are jammed shut by some unseen force*
Tango: "Negative, sir."
Delta: "Damn it. Keep trying. The rest of you, stay alert and keep looking."
*the men chorus a series of affirmatives before delving deeper into the mall. All is quiet and still, save for the occasional radio chatter between the team members. As they approach a water fountain in the center of the mall, some loud speakers overhead suddenly roar to life*
Delta: "What the hell? Whisky, I thought all the speakers in this place were broken."
Whisky: "They are."
Delta: "Then where's that coming from?"
Whisky: "I don't know."
*after a moment of silence, they continue onwards. A rat scurries by, making a few members jump, but nobody fires. After shining their lights around for a few moments...*
Delta: "Okay, team. Regroup. We need to figure out our next move. Is the area secure? Please confirm, Foxtrot."
*there's interference on the walkie talkie*
Foxtrot: "Sir...*static* there's a *static* Oh...god..."
Delta: "Foxtrot, you're breaking up. If you're by a Radio Shack or something, please move somewhere where there's less interference."
Foxtrot: "He's...*static* window...*static* blood on...*static*"
Delta: "Foxtrot? Come in Foxtrot." *there's no answer. Only static* "Alright, guys. Maybe we should-" *his words are cut short as he turns around. His team is gone without a trace. "Guys? Alpha Squad, come in! Where are you? Anyone? Whisky? Tango?" *no matter what frequency he tries tuning into, there's only static. He walks back towards the entrance. Blood splatter is all over the front door*
Delta: "Tango?" *half of Tango's body falls from the ceiling, colliding with the mall's floor in a splash of gore and bones. Delta jumps and aims his gun upwards. His eyes widen* "Wh...what the hell?!"

*a long, inky arm with a white gloved hand reaches for him. Delta fires a stream of bullets. They bounce harmlessly off the rubbery arm like toys. The man runs, only for the arm to snatch his ankle, causing him to trip and land face first into the floor. His gun slides away from him. The arm starts pulling him back towards the entrance.*

Delta: "No! Whisky, send backup! Anyone! Help me!" *he grabs the edge of a wall, screaming in pain as the arm keeps pulling. The man clings to the wall for dear life, then screams in agony as his leg twists off from the knee down and is dragged away. Turning white and shaking, Delta drags his bleeding body around the corner. His bone juts from his leg like a tree stump, blood coming out in pulsating spurts in rhythm with his heartbeat. He finds the remains of the other swat team members, some disembowled, some missing their faces, some cut up as though an oversized paring knife had gotten them. He reaches for his gun, then freezes, sensing something behind him. He turns, horrified to see an enormous, grinning mouth in the darkness, accompanied by equally enormous eyes that shine down on him like neon signs.

Delta screams, the sound being the last thing he ever hears as the cat-like monster lunges for his throat*

"𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽'𝓼 𝓐𝓵𝓵 𝓕𝓸𝓵𝓴𝓼!"