Isolophobia

Prologue

Picture credits to: /en.wikipedia.org

 The street was dark and quiet, a light wind gently flowed through the air. A

cold chill along with it. The sky was dark, the street only lit up by street lights.

A peaceful song played through his earbuds. He walked along the dim lit street. He

took notice of an abandoned mall, with vines that dragged alongside the building.

There was something about that mall that made him uncomfortably curious. He sighed,

pulling one of his wired earbuds out of his ear. It was a long day at work for him,

dealing with rude customers, a stupid boss, and a dumb grocery store. He felt his

life had nothing going for him. Too plain and simple. He stared sadly at the

abandoned mall. "I wish I didn't have to go back home, home never feels like home. It

feels so empty." He sighed, looking down at his feet. "My parents will never see me

anyways." The sky started to cloud, blocking out the light of the moon and the stars.

He started to quietly cry, trying to contain his emotions. He felt hopeless, lonely.

What was the point of living if you're a nobody in everyone's eyes. He began to walk

again, hesitantly making his way home. The boy took one last glance at the mall. A

small glowing light formed in the distance. "Huh?" He sighed, staring at the light.

The light dimmed, along with the shouts of distressed voices in the distance. He was

hesitant about going towards the mall. However, something called to him, pulling him

and his attention towards the mall's rusty doors. He ran towards the mall, dropping

his phone and yanking the earbuds out of his ears. His adrenaline kicked in, boosting

him. "Hang on! I'm coming! Are you okay? Where are you?" He called out, glancing

around the mall. He noticed a bag on the ground, along with bandages. The smell of

blood wafted through the air. He took notice of the dim light in the distance. He

nervously walked over to the small store. The store's sign read 'Down Below'

"Must be an abandoned restaurant." He mumbled, strolling over towards the doors. He

peeked inside, noticing a small hole in the ground. A dim golden light shined through

it. The boy raised an eyebrow, observing the weird architecture of the hole. He

brushed it off, walking away from the store. The floorboards moaned a sad melody,

cracking under his feet. "Shit!" He shouted, trying to run away. The floor collapsed

under him, causing him to fall through the hole. "Ack shit!" He yelped, slamming his

back against the ground. "Ugh." He groaned, rubbing the back of his head. He felt his

pants wet, causing him to sigh. He looked at the floor, feeling disgusted. The floor

was a murky carpet that reeked of stale water. He covered his nose with his hoodie

sleeve, trying to process the strange events. "What is this place? Think Haiden, how