Unexplainable Reddit Stories

hey guys I'm trying to hit 100K before the end of the year so please subscribe I think we can get there with your help it would honestly just mean so much to me personally so thank you so much and today I just wanted to read some more scary Reddit stories I found some really cool ones there are some new ones that just came out so let's read some of these we're going to start with I still don't understand what happened to me in the Holly Hills mall parking garage I don't know if there is like

a specific format to these posts or something but I'm just going to get to it I'm posting this because I don't know maybe someone knows more about this maybe someone can help me figure out what happened to me and my best friend in the Holly Hills mall parking garage my name is Ethan and my friend Aaron and I have a bit of a niche hobby we're Urban explorers basically for the uninitiated that just means we like to explore abandoned man-made structures my favorites have always been places like water parks and theme parks Aaron is more

into the spooky stuff like hospitals and such we can freak our our El out at times but for the most part we never believed in anything other than a corporeal we've been doing this in our free time for around 10 years now so we're pretty experienced we know what to bring how to avoid being caught by the police or security and when to get the hell out of a place recently we went to go visit my brother for a few days in Virginia he had just had a new baby and I wasn't able to make

it down for the birth so I was making up for it a few months later he lives in a small town called Holly Hills about 30 minutes out from from Richmond it's a pretty boring place but my brother tipped us on to a cool spot to check out near town an old abandoned Mall simply named The Holly Hills Mall it was built in the early 80s by some wealthy Lumber family that wanted to bring more people to the town houses needed Lumber and that means more money for them as you can guess it didn't really

work out the mall was operational for about 7 years before it shut down in 1987 I know none of this is really important but this helps to get my thoughts in order and honestly the history of the structure is kind of part of the Allure for me anyway we decided it would be fun and planned a trip on the last day in town on the way to the airport for a late flight we woke up bright and early packed our bags and supplies into the rental car and said our goodbyes to my brother his wife

and their kids the mall sat right on the edge of town I thought this was odd seeing as how they usually build that kind of thing Central to town for ease of access but I didn't think much of it the mall was surrounded by pretty heavy brush and trees as well as a tall chain link fence the entrance was blocked off by a typical dilapidated gate held closed by a simple chain imp pad lock Aaron pulled open the gate and I hopped out to apprise the situation oddly the padlock wasn't even locked unusual but not

unseen sometimes people just stop giving a crap about these old places and don't even check on them anymore honestly it makes us a bit more relaxed in these situations because it usually means no security I opened the gate and Aaron pulled the car through the building wasn't the biggest mall we've seen but it was bigger than we expected we drove through the deserted parking lot and pulled the car up to the first entrance we saw we grabbed our supplies and entered the building the the model exploration itself was pretty uneventful it was cool to see

all of the ads and architecture that seemed Frozen in Time like we stepped back into a stale post-apocalyptic version of the80s there was a pretty massive hole in the ceiling where the Skylight had given way to snow or the elements or something the tree that sat in the middle of the courtyard had grown massive and was protruding out of the hole in the ceiling Aaron does these Explorations for fun but I am a bit of an amateur photographer so I do it for the photos mostly I snapped a bunch bunch of what I think would

have been amazing photos but unfortunately I lost the camera well I didn't lose it per se I know exactly where it is but we'll get to that during the mall exploration I did have a feeling that we were being watched distant sounds of glass crunching underf fooot or a figure just out of the corner of my eye that disappears right when you look in this direction but I knew this was just my mind playing tricks on me there were no signs of security and no reason that even if the cops knew someone was in the

building they would even care to come check at least that was my thoughts on it so I ignored it we hung out in the food court for a bit ate some sandwiches we had packed for lunch and then decided to make our way to the car we got to the car loaded up and headed out but on our way to the exit we noticed a parking garage it was a five-story garage from the looks of it and though it looks pretty uninteresting for some reason me and Aaron wanted to check it out we spent less

time in the mall than we thought we would so I figured what the hell we had the time we drove up to floor 4 did some donuts and Aaron tried his best to reenact Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift on the way down I was clenching the entire time of course because I didn't want to die but also it was a rental car we didn't have the money to pay for any damage done by joy riding in an abandoned mall parking garage we got back down to floor zero had a laugh and started towards the exit

until we noticed the ramp heading down to the lower floor Aaron pointed out how odd it was that there was a huge parking lot plus a parking garage with five floors above ground and seemingly subfloors below ground for a fairly small Mall in a small town so we thought we'd make one more detour to see what was down there obviously we were expecting either Darkness or water and we found the first option Darkness Aaron turned on the brights and we drove around and found nothing as expected what we didn't expect was to see another ramp

down to another subfloor so of course we decided to make a game out of it we both guessed how many subf floors this garage had and Aaron head for the ramp I had guessed too that that this next floor is going to be the bottom he said five he was being stupid but imagine our surprise when there was yet another subfloor we both laughed in disbelief when we came around the corner on the fourth subfloor to see a ramp down to the fifth this is a 10f floor parking garage including floor zero for this midsize

Mall in this Tiny Town what were they thinking they really overestimated the draw this place was going to have obviously we headed down for floor 5 at this point it was dark like super dark there was no other light from anywhere other than our headlights We R to the corner and were in silent awe to see yet another ramp we both looked at each other and I think one or both of us said what the hell without further discussion Aaron seared the car down the ramp to the next floor for the next six floors we

drove on in awe and confusion we were now 11 floors underground it make sense Aaron started coming up with theories getting excited that maybe we'd found the entrance to a secret government base or a sprawling underground doomsday bunker but he stopped mids sentence when we saw something we both weren't expecting a car it was parked in a spot with its headlights on as we pulled closer I decided to roll down the window to see if I could hear anything immediately the unexpected cold from the parking garage filled the car it was miday the time and

it was a fairly warm day so the cold fell out of place but we were underground so I choked it up to that I could hear the sound of our tires against the pavement and the hum of our car's engine as we pulled up next to the parked car I could hear that it too was running the car itself looked like it was an older make something from the 70s or 80s inside it was seemingly empty I suggested aloud that perhaps the car belonged to the owner of the property over a security guard who was

doing his rounds and that he might be back any minute but Aaron pointed out that the car was covered in a thick coat of dust like it had been there for a very long time but it was running so I figured it just needed a wash Aaron did what he does best and convinced me to get out of the car and investigate further only after a bunch of protests and suggestions that we just head out but he persisted I exited and carefully made my way around the car looking inside for any sign of life but

inside there is nothing but leather car interior except for the passenger seat where a satchel sat with a thermos resting on top the keys were in the car and the radio hummed softly with static oddly everything inside the car also seemed to be covered in dust Aaron urged me to open the door and I decided to give it a try but of course it was locked I looked around the lot only being able to see the door to the stairs and the elevators next to it illuminated by the headlight of the two cars I hurried

back to our car closed the door and roll up the windows I urged once again for us to make our leave if there was a security guard lurking around I didn't want to have to deal with that especially before our flight in a few hours again Aaron protested he had to know how many floors this thing had I can't say I wasn't curious as well so we left subfloor 11 and headed down further into the depths of the structure we continued on in silence for 12 more floors before I spoke up this was insane it

didn't make any sense at this point and it just felt wrong dangerous I was in the middle of expressing this to Aaron when I noticed he had stopped the car and was silently staring ahead I looked and was astonished to see a horse a horse just standing there it it had the thing around its nose the rains or whatever and it was just standing there after a moment of staring in confusion Aaron said something like is that a horse and I replied with some kind of grunt of confirmation the horse had finally turned in our

Direction and I'm pretty sure I screamed when I saw the skin hanging off the side of the horse's face his skull exposed underneath it was then I saw the blood on the floor a large streak going from beneath the horse's Hooves off into the darkness I didn't want to know anymore I wanted to get the hell out of there and I told Aaron as much Aaron against his and my better judgment wanted to go on he wanted to know what all this was but this time I didn't let up I was louder and more insistent

than I've probably ever been with him and he could see what I think so he agreed and threw the car in Reverse we backed up and started back up towards the ground floor at this point I decided to try my phone I had figured I wouldn't get any signal underground and was right but I tried it anyways nothing again we drove in silence for a few floors Aaron finally broke the silence to apologize but I stopped him short the floors were numbered ever since we started heading down they were numbered to B1 B2 B3 Etc

we were on b23 when we turned around and headed back up but the sign I was staring at in that moment said b26 three floors lower than when we started heading back up I thought someone was messing with us but it was all too elaborate of a prank still it was impossible there's no way we were traveling further down by driving up the ramps it was physically impossible but there we were floor b26 Aaron was just as confused as me obviously he got out of the car unannounced and walked over to the sign on the

wall he grabbed it and began to shake it then stopped and stared clearly trying to figure it all out I rolled down my window and called for him to get back in the car this was followed by another voice repeating my words not mine not Aaron he froze in place as the voice whispered loudly from the darkness get back in the car Aaron did just that he closed and locked the doors and rolled up the windows we agreed that we needed to get the hell out of there this wasn't fun or adventurous anymore but we

didn't know what to do we thought we were getting the hell out of there I remembered that we headed back up on b23 and decided that we should keep going up if the numbers keep Rising we should hit ground level by b46 it didn't make sense but it was the best we had we continued driving back up Aaron was driving a bit quicker than before and just as we thought the numbers kept Rising which seemingly meant that we were just ascending but we held out hope that maybe this was just some weird fluke maybe it

was a joke maybe we just didn't see those signs on the way down we traveled in silence again all the way to floor b35 but it was an uneasy silence we were afraid at every turn at what we might see but there was nothing mostly there were a few floors with things that I didn't notice some of them subtle others glaring Aaron was focused on driving and didn't seem interested in any of the strangeness we encountered in these floors for the most part on one floor I swear I saw a long din room table with

two figures sitting at either end illuminated for only a few seconds by our headlights another floor seemingly had a cod in each parking spot they looked to be occupied by a body alive or dead I don't know one of the strangest that even caused Aaron to stop the car for a moment was a floor that didn't seem like a parking garage floor at all it looked like we had pulled into a forest clearing the pillars of the garbage now tree trunks though the concrete ceiling was so visible above there were plants grass bushes and a

pathway leading to it seemed like a small C happened in the distance the window glowed as if someone were home and smoke seemingly billowed out of the chimney the Curiosity overcame my fear and I roll down the window the sound of crickets cicas and a Cool Spring Breeze filled the car Aaron and I looked at each other for a moment before Aaron blurted out nah screw that and continued on up the ramp finally after what seemed longer than it should have we reached b46 nothing I started to cry it was too much the realization that

we were lost underground without any way out was starting to make me feel trapped we were trapped it was like I could suddenly feel the weight of every floor above us on me all at once Aaron kept us cool he tried to console me he tried to offer explanations but there was no explanation we were in a Labyrinth of a parking garage Aaron started driving with purpose he turned around and started down again b47 b48 b49 he stopped the car turned around again and started driving back up the ramps b50 b-51 B-52 he started to

scream anger frustration confusion all overflowing in a furious scream then in a deafening Echo his scream reverberated around us outside of the car within the parking garage floor the windows rattled the car Shook and then shut off we were now in Pitch Blackness the interior of the car was only illuminated by my cell phone which I had plugged into the car and had been charging I picked up the phone and turned on the flashlight Aaron was desperately trying to start the car but there is nothing not even a click then he screamed this time in

alarm in front of us in the darkness were two two large eyes staring right at us I have to express that when I say huge they were massive each seemingly the size of the wall they felt almost flat and unnaturally still but you could still feel the Consciousness behind them something was staring right at us the whites were Snow White and the irises were a icy cold blue the pupils were dilated and Pitch Black I said hell at least 15 times in a row and Aaron slammed his fists on the steering wheel over and over

a voice seeming inside the car whispered again get back in the car Aaron's percussive maintenance seemed to have worked because the car started back up without him even turning the key whatever was down here seemed to want us to leave and we wanted to leave too but we didn't know how Aaron put the car in reverse and spun it around I could still see the eyes in the mirror he sped up the ramp totally disregarding the numbers he drove a good six or seven floors before I noticed something standing out in the darkness each floor

now had a dim light I was able to calm Aaron down enough to listen to me and I pointed it out he stopped on the next floor to see the light in the distance it was a door the door to the stairs is illuminated by an emergency light above it it was our only chance this was our last option he drove over and parked the car in front of the stairwell door Illuminating it fully with the headlights of our car we both bolted out of the car Aaron flung open the door and we started running

up the stairs after the first flight we saw the number on the stairs b57 we were ascending I started to tear up in excitement we continued on faster than before for 20 fls we basically ran energized by the fact that the numbers were going down which meant we were going up around B30 we started to slow down pretty significantly we were still making our way up but we were tired it was then that I looked back for the first time the stairwell above was lit on each floor but as we made it up to the

next floor the lights on the previous were turning off turning back to head up the stairs I ran into Aaron who had stopped in front of me he was looking up at the top of the next flight of stairs I looked at what had stopped him a figure huddled up in the corner at the top of the stairs they sat with their head buried into their knees shaking their clothes seemed faded old and Dusty maybe a homeless person that had gotten lost may be The Driver of the vehicle I called out gently to the stranger

something along the lines of hello are you okay do you need help Aaron scoffed he said we needed help screw this guy he started up the stairs but when he got near the top he hugged the rail facing the figure the entire time slowly he rounded the corner and called me forward the stranger didn't move they just sat there shaking arms wrapped around their legs face hidden they were mumbling something but I couldn't make out what it was I followed Aaron's lead and carefully pass the person same as before no reaction we moved on leaving

the figure behind Aaron LED as before and when I made it to the top of the next FL of stairs I looked down startled to see the gaunt face of a man his cheeks sunken in his face pale and old his eyes a piercing pale blue staring at me silent unnaturally still I didn't say anything I slowly walked up and rounded the corner he stared at me the whole time again I ran into Aaron who was looking up at the top of the next flight of stairs it was a figure it looked like the same

stranger I looked down at him on the previous floor staring at me and the next floor face buried in his knees we traded what the hell looks but Aaron said just ignore it and keep going we're too close so we did every floor after he was there hiding his face as we approached staring at us as we left it was unexplainable but so was everything else so far we made our way up finally reaching won this time there is no man in the corner I looked back to the previous TOP Step and he wasn't there

either I felt this was a good sign for some reason we made our way up to floor zero and were relieved to see light shining through the cracks of the door Aaron stopped for only a moment and pushed through the door he began to laugh I followed him through but the cold the parking garage was back there before us were the bright headlights of a car our car where we left it on floor b58 I had no words Aaron walked back into the stairwell and fell to the floor distraught and broken I told him we

can just keep going we can keep going up but he wouldn't move he was tired defeated his stoic bravery had finally given way to hopelessness and fear so I decided to go up to the next floor to check it out I ran up the stairs and I felt a sudden warmth I could see light coming through the cracks of the door but I knew it was different I knew that it was the sun I burst through and was blinded by the sudden light of the sun after the hours and hours in darkness it took a

few moments for my eyes to adjust we had made it we were free we were alive I ran back to the previous us floor to tell Aaron but he was gone I ran out through the door into the garage to check in the car but he was nowhere to be seen I called for him shouted at the top of my lungs my voice echoed through the parking garage but nothing I I didn't know what to do I started down the stairs but stopped cold I couldn't go back down I couldn't get lost there again and

then I saw on the top stair of the floor below the figure was back it was Aaron sitting in the corner his hands wrapped around his knees staring at me I called to him I ran down to him but when I got to that stair he was gone I looked over the railing down to the next flight down and there he was again staring I couldn't go down anymore I couldn't I called to him pleaded with him to come with me to get it together and get the hell out of here but he just stared

I promised him I'd be back I cried as I turned around and made my way out of the garage as I left my best friend behind to save myself because I was too scared I ran from the parking garage across the parking lot past the gates into the road finally my phone had a signal and I called the police they came out and I tried my best to explain what happened I knew it sounded crazy but I told them the truth they went and checked the parking garage they searched the entire thing as well as

the mall and the surrounding area nothing in fact they told me that there were no subfloors in the garage like I dmed it all up how the hell could that even be I was tested for alcohol and drugs and was fine for trespassing when my brother arrived to pick me up I tried my best to explain what happened but if it couldn't get any weirder he swore to me he didn't know who Aaron was they've known each other since we were kids he's been my best friend friend for 20 years but he swore his wife

too and kids none of them remembered him after that I looked for any evidence of Aaron I could find all the pictures on my phone were gone my camera was still in the car and there was no proof of his existence online anywhere I didn't dream him up I don't do drugs I don't drink I don't have any history of mental illness I didn't make up 20 years of friendship I've been seeing a therapist and started some meds it it hasn't helped nothing has something doesn't feel right this world doesn't feel right like I came

out of that parking garage into a life I didn't own I feel like I don't belong here every day it becomes more and more clear to me that I have to go back I don't know what I wanted to get from this post maybe just tell my story for people to know I existed Aaron existed maybe to find someone who knows what happened to us who knows about the Holly Hills Mall who could make any sense of it either way I have to go back I have to find Aaron we have to get back in

the car my friend's apartment elevator got stuck now he won't stop talking about the smiling man and look I know this sounds crazy but my friend Ben just moved into this old art deco apartment building downtown it's got that vintage charm peeling wallpaper with faded floral patterns Whispering forgotten stories rickety floorboards that Gran under every step like the ghosts of restless tenants and the piece there is a stone a creaky elevator that groans more than it Glides it feels like it's on the verge of giving up the ghost with every Ascent it's Rusty groans echoing

through the dusty Halls yesterday Ben texted me in a panic he got stuck in the elevator between floors not a big deal right happens this to the best of us but here's the unsettling part there's a floor 13 that isn't even on the button panel just a blank space to where it should be avoid staring back at you daring you to push the non-existent button the elevator lurched to a halt plugging bin Into Darkness the old fluorescent lights flickered and died leaving him with only the faint glow of his phone screen he fumbled for the

call button but it was unresponsive the silence was oppressive broken only by the groaning of the ancient machinery and the Frantic Thump Thump of his own heart it felt like the building itself was holding its breath waiting then the elevator jolted again and the doors clanged open with a sickening Screech no shiny hallway greeted him just a gaping ma of Inky Blackness the air turned thick and stagnant the silence broken only by a low rhythmic dripping sound from somewhere unseen Ben ever the Curious one and maybe a little foolish cautiously stepped out his phone light

cutting through the suffocating Darkness the hallway stretched before him an endless tunnel of peeling wallpaper and chipped lolium wreaking of mildew and something else something deeper something Primal but the most unsettling detail was the faint greenish glow emanating from somewhere down the corridor it pulsed rhythmically like a beating heart beckoning him forward he texted me there's a floor here but it's not lit should I step out my heart hammered against my ribs as I typed back urging him to stay put wait for help it took ages for him to respond and when he finally did

his message was chilling she smiled his eyes no eyes just black holes who smiled I texted back a cold dread creeping into my gut the man on floor 13 he hasn't stopped talking about the smiling man ever since it's it's like he's obsessed he keeps muttering about black eyes and a never ending smile a smile that stretched from ear to ear devoid of warmth devoid of humanity the playful easygoing Bend I know seems to have vanished I rushed over to his apartment the silence in the hallway pressing in on me the creaking floorboards groaning like

tortured Souls under my feet Ben answered the door but it wasn't Ben his eyes once bright and full of life were vacant his face in emotionless mask he kept repeating the same phrase over and over in a monotone voice The Smiling man he waits for you on floor 13 Panic clawed at my throat I called the police but when they arrived they found nothing unusual no hidden floor no trace of anything a Miss they think Ben stressed overworked maybe even hallucinating but I know better Ben's locked away in his apartment refusing to come out he

keeps drawing the same thing over and over on scraps of paper a wide toothy grin with empty black sockets for eyes and sometimes late at night I swear I hear a faint rhythmic dripping sound coming from his apartment a sound that chills me to the Bone I'm worried sick did something happen to him on floor 13 what if the smiling man got to him somehow and now the once familiar glint in Ben's eyes seems replaced by a hollow Darkness mirroring the black holes he described is been lost forever to the horrors of floor 133 and

the most terrifying ing part the blank space where the floor 13 Button should be it's no longer blank I couldn't remember where I parked and then it dawned on me I might not ever be able to leave with my head throbbing and clutching my handbag tightly to my chest I walked quietly through the indoor parking garage a massive concrete structure every space was full cars of all makes and models squeezed between the lines I was running late for my niece's fifth birthday I find Family occasions overwhelming the innocent yet gut-wrenching questions like when are you

going to meet a nice young man and settle down and the worst one have you tried online dating I just smile and give a rehearsed answer about my career I continued to hurry through the parking garage I stopped and scanned the area I simply couldn't remember where I had parked my head was still throbbing pounding to be exact I never suffered from migraines but that's the only way to describe it that or a jackhammer to my temple I reached into my handbag and took out a small bottle of pills I swallowed a few pills no

water needed a slight relief I can Contin to look for my car my car was a mini the opposite of all my friends giant soccer mom SUVs it suited me small and understated when I was young my grandparents called me their little Wallflower however unlike most kids I never blossomed where did I park the damn thing although no one was nearby I felt acute embarrassment let's be brutally honest everyone at some Point's forgotten where they've parked but they usually remember pretty quickly okay let's regroup my car must be here otherwise how did I get here

determined I searched every row car by car I must have seen hundreds maybe thousands thousands of cars the parking lot fell endless the more I searched the more my head began to pound and pound it felt like my temples were going to burst again I reached into my handbag and popped some pills with hindsight taking this sheer amount of medication should have raised alarm bells or rendered me unconscious but at the time I was so focused on getting to my niece's birthday party it didn't even register I would never forgive myself if I miss my

niece's birthday it hit me would anyone even know if I wasn't there I wandered around the parking garage aimlessly this is crazy my car has to be somewhere I spotted a tiny security booth by the entrance Gates great this surveillance camera will show me exactly where I parked soon this ridiculous ordeal will be behind me and no one will ever know I looked inside the security booth there was an empty chair and a grainy old monitor I waited for a while but no attendant ever showed up I tried to open the door but it was

locked I strained to look at the monitor the parking garage remained perfectly still the time on the screen was 5:30 it suddenly dawned on me that since I enter the parking garage no cars have arrived or entered I had no choice but to leave the parking garage the security attendant never showed up as I went outside my headache roared back it was relentless I couldn't shake it swirling thoughts raised through my mind why did I not see anyone else in the parking garage and did I actually Park here in the distance I saw a large

shopping mall maybe someone in there can help me find my car after all it must be where the Shoppers Park I entered the Bland 1990 shopping mall with two levels and a giant escalator in the center the mall was packed with Shoppers of all ages and ethnicities I was forced to weave through several Shoppers I tried to catch a few of them in the eye but they never looked back at me it it was like I was invisible but I was used to that I walked past a few pointless stores where young store clerks mindlessly

stack shelves one store that caught my attention was a clock store it seemed misplaced the store had every kind of clock imaginable from Grandfather to Kaku I noticed that the time when each clock was 5:30 surely that can't be right that's the same time as a security monitor I quickly checked my cell phone and the time indeed was 5:30 I continued on tentatively I had this nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right I passed a small drugstore and my attention was drawn to a young disheveled homeless guy with a large ruck sack slung over his

shoulder he clutched his back as he picked up a packet of bandages from his shelf he turned and stared at me we locked eyes for a little too long it wasn't sexual I just knew that I'd seen him before but I couldn't remember where or when I broke eye contact and moved on I didn't have time to hang around I needed to find someone who could help locate my car I needed to get to my niece's birthday party I looked up to the second level and saw the holy grail and information desk I stepped onto

the escalator but they stopped working so I was forced to walk up my legs felt heavy and my head continued to pound the escalator on the other side worked fine Shoppers wh past me looking straight ahead their eyes glazed over I finally reached the second level as I stepped off Shoppers whizzed behind me I rolled my eyes did the escalator really just start working I wasn't surprised based on the day that I was having irritated I marched over to the super large information desk which would fit perfectly in a '90s sitcom as I arrived a

young female attendant flicked over the I'm on break sign and left I shouted out excuse me excuse me but she didn't hear me I stood there in disbelief my head pounding harder and harder I instinctively popped some pills my headache remained the relief was becoming less every time the guilt of missing my niece's birthday prayed upon me so I impulsively followed the attendant through a back staff door what's the worst that can happen I get thrown out by a mall cop and they escort me to my car I entered a dark Corridor with a faint

light at the end I slowly walked along the corridor my inner monologue was telling me to turn back but I couldn't stop I was drawn toward the light but it became dimmer with every step I took I heard a slos sound at the end of the corridor a middle-aged janitor slowly mopped the floor back and forth with dirty water he didn't look up oblivious to me standing there sir do you know where that young lady went I meekly asked he turned his back and kept mopping slowly back and forth losing patience I raised my voice

I need help to find my car he moved away and continued to mop a little faster I snapped I'm late for my niece's birthday party he tilted his head and looked at me with black eyes he spoke with a mouthless face you shouldn't be here I ran for my life back along the corridor as I reached the door I heard the sloshing sound I couldn't help but look back the janitor slowly mopped the floor back and forth I raced down the escalator which was no longer working again my heart rate matched my pounding temples a

blur of Shoppers on the other side of the escalator flashed before my eyes I headed for the mall exit I started to hyperventilate I couldn't breathe my lungs empty of oxygen I swayed from side to side the Shoppers continued to browse the stores and no one stopped to help I stumbled upon the automatic doors I needed oxygen my body was shutting down but the automatic doors wouldn't open for me I dropped my knees gasping for breath Shopper stepped past me and the automatic doors opened unable to breathe I reached out my hand a hand grasped

my hand and pulled me outside I desperately sucked in oxygen I gazed up and saw the young homeless guy looking back at me little breaths little breaths he tells me his presence made me calmer and I breathed in and out I know him but how I quickly Rose to my feet and looked him straight in the eye who are you I bluntly asked I immediately regretted my tone but I needed to know the young homeless guy looked at me with his kind yet sad eyes I'm Thomas but everyone calls me beansie he replied I prefer

Thomas but no one calls me Thomas why did you help me I bluntly asked I regretted my tone once again cuz you're the first person who looked at me today he replied we've got that in common I replied what's your name he asked Penelope though my parents only call me that when I was naughty I answered I was really naughty so everyone called me Penny I prefer Penelope Thomas smiled Penelope we've got that in common as well we shook hands what brings you here Thomas asked it seemed like an innocuous question but I felt there

was more behind it does he know why I'm here but how can he know when I don't even know of course deep down I knew why I was here but I couldn't admit it to myself how could I admit it to a stranger I hesitated I'm here to pick up a few things my niece's birthday party he studied me for a moment I quickly changed the subject I forgot where I parked I told him Thomas chuckled and I tapped him on the side that's not funny he winced and clutched his lower back sorry I said

I'm fine he sharply replied he glanced at his watch I noticed the time when his watch was 5:30 before I can say anything he told me my Train's leaving soon thank you Thomas I said will you be okay he asked I'm just going to get in Uber I'll figure out the car situation another time I replied Thomas smiled and walked away I noticed that every few seconds he clutched his lower back I watched him till he was out of sight will I see him again something told me inside he knew the reason why I couldn't

remember where I parked okay so I need to refocus I've been here way too long and my niece's birthday party will be over soon it hit me again would anyone even notice that I wasn't there I took my cell phone from my handbag and tried to book an Uber there were no drivers available in the area that's strange I mean I know it's not New York but it's still a town undeterred I Googled for cab agencies and there was only one agency I went straight through to a male operator I could hear sirens in the

background the operator asked where's your location my head started to pound again as I realized I didn't actually know where I was I quickly tried to search Google Maps but I couldn't focus on the screen it was all a blurred the monotone operator repeated where's your location I tried to ask a passer by but they ignored me and entered the mall in desperation I grabbed an elderly lady's arm and asked her where am I she turned and her dark eyes pierced through me I quickly released her arm and she carried on into the mall the

operator repeated the same question where's your location I tried to describe the town There's this mall the operator repeated where's your location my head felt like it was going to explode I shouted at the operator I can't find my car the operator gave the same cold response where is your location I couldn't answer and I was forced to end the call I looked around the town I was lost I popped some pills and walked quickly through the gray concrete town I arrived at a small Old Railway Station with two empty tracks I had no idea

which direction I I needed to go but it didn't matter I just needed to leave this place something was terribly wrong on the platform Thomas sat on a bench with his headphones on he was singing a country song I couldn't make out the song but I remembered thinking that he had a pleasant voice I must admit I was relieved to see him but also concerned he was still waiting I tentatively sat beside him leaving plenty of space Thomas removed his headphones and looked at me with his kind sad eyes I noticed there was no song

playing on his cell phone so what happened to your Uber he asked no drivers in my area I replied I was too embarrassed to mention the cabin inent it's too bad he knows that I couldn't remember where I parked as he was about to put his headphones back in I asked him when's the train supposed to leave 5:30 he replied he checked his watch and it was still 5:30 it must be broken he added I checked my cell phone and the time was 5:30 I stared at him it's not just your watch that's broken we

both waited in silence no trains arrived or left the platform I couldn't tell you how long we waited it could have been minutes or hours it's difficult to judge when time appears to stop eventually Thomas broke the silence where are you going my niece's birthday party I replied how old is she he asked with a glint in my eye I answered five and I'm her favorite aunt he quickly followed up with another question why are you late for the party I glared back at him it's like he already knew but wanted me to clarify but

how does he know and how does he fit into all of this of course I knew the answer but it was still too painful to admit I quickly changed the subject where are you going with such a large rug sack I must admit it did cross my mind that instead of going you could be escaping going home he replied it's been too long I smiled I'm sure your family will be pleased he Li proceeded to tell me his life story about being the black sheep of the family I could see the pain and rejection in

his eyes it was on the tip of my tongue to ask him why his parents kicked him out but everyone deserves a second chance I hoped that my family would forgive me for missing my niece's birthday party but now I realized I wasn't going to make it my only focus now was to leave this town Thomas looked me in the eye and told me the real reason he was going back I need a good bath he jokingly smell under his armpits we both chuckled and went back to staring at the empty track I popped some

pills and Thomas looked to me what I said defensively he replied you've been taking pills nonstop since I met you it was now Dusk and clearly no trains were ever coming together we headed back into town in the background the unnerving sound of sirens Thomas winced and clutched his back blood seeped through his jacket you're bleeding I remarked he quickly replied just a scratch I wasn't convinced Thomas dropped back struggling to lift his large ruck sack would you like some help I asked he didn't answer and picked up the pace we arrived at the shopping

mall and Thomas stepped towards the automatic doors I stopped afraid to go inside I had a strange feeling that once inside I might never be allowed to leave I came over all woozy Thomas caught me as I fell when was the last time you ate something he asked inside the mall nothing had changed Shoppers continued to mindlessly browse the stores we entered a 60's retro Diner where customers sat in silence across from each other in booths it was like they had nothing to say we queued the counter and gave our order to a cashier who

barely acknowledged us I kept the order simple coffee and cake one of life's Simple Pleasures Thomas just ordered a coffee I guess he lost his appetite he was starting to look weaker the cashier ring up his bill Thomas looked down I didn't mind paying so I reached into my handbag and to my surprise I lifted out a wat of cash why the hell do I have cash out of the corner of my eye I saw Thomas staring at the cash we sat opposite each other in a booth do you get the feeling these people don't

know over here I asked Thomas gave a response I wasn't expecting can you remember the faces of everyone met I felt guilty he's right we never stopped to take the time to get to know one another even our close friends and family don't truly know who we are my head started to pound and instinctively I popped some pills we waited for what could have been seconds minutes or hours the diner owner a large jovial man in his 60s wearing an apron walked over and put down her order he spoke with a gentle Southern draw But

like everyone else here he couldn't look Us in the eye ma'am latte with a slice of cake he said and Sir one Americano I stared down at the slice of pink birthday cake cake the diner owner casually left starving I started to Devour the pink birthday cake but it was chalky and tasteless Thomas sipped his black coffee which became slick like oil he recoiled in disgust at that moment every customer stood up and left the diner owner returned to our booth Mall's closing he told us I need to speak to someone about my car I

remarked better eat and drink up he added it was like he was an autopilot he then told us something chilling in his gentle Southern draw you don't want to be here when it's dark it's different when it's dark the diner owner casually left Thomas and I exchanged a look of deep concern we exited the mall Diner still hungry and thirsty the Shoppers were leaving the mall in droves I heard the familiar disturbing sloshing sound dozens of janitors were mopping the floor back and forth they looked up with their black eyes and circled toward us mopping

faster and faster we ran through the mall towards the exit you shouldn't be here they chanted with their mouthless faces it dawned on me they weren't chasing us they were warning us we sprinted to the automatic doors which were closing I knew they wouldn't reopen and we would be trapped inside forever as the mall's lights went off we scraped through the automatic doors outside was now pitch black Sirens roared in the background maniacal laughter echoed through the streets I turned to Thomas we're getting out of here my car has to be in the parking garage

with only the moonlight to guide us we headed toward the parking garage clutching his lower back Thomas could barely lift up his rug sack but still wouldn't allow me to help a fleeting thought crossed my mind is there something in the bag he doesn't want me to see the maniacal laughter grew louder and louder I glanced behind to see if we were being followed and to my horror the Moonlight shape shifted into demon Silhouettes this must be a hallucination it can't be real I looked behind again and the demon Silhouettes grew larger and more defined

we arrived at the parking garage once inside the parking garage The Roaring sirens and the maniacal laughter stopped the demon Silhouettes didn't follow us in are they not allowed in here are there rules the parking garage was still packed for full of cars what car do you drive Thomas asked I struggled to answer him I couldn't remember my headache had been getting progressively worse it was as if someone stabbed a screwdriver through my temples I pop some pills and close my eyes I flash back to earlier when I drove my mini into the parking garage

back to reality I shouted out mini we scanned the parking garage and every single car was now a mini I stared at the rows upon rows of Minis and sheer disbelief use your fob Thomas told me I fumbled to find my fob in my handbag and no the W of cash why do I have that amount of money I pressed my fob and every single car flashed open suddenly a wave of Shoppers and staff from the mall into the parking garage they simultaneously got into their Minis and drove off one of the minis drove straight

at us and I yanked Thomas and myself behind a concrete pillar I heard slow loud footsteps I peered from behind the pillar and saw the diner owner walking toward the last remaining mini I jumped out from behind the pillar that's my car he spoke in his gentle Southern draw you don't want to be here when it's dark it's different when it's dark he gets into the car and closes the door please take us with you I cried out we need to leave this place the diner owner casually reversed out of the space I desperately pounded

on the windshield help us help us the diner owner drove off and I was forced to step away my head was on the verge of exploding I chugged back the bottle of pills the parking garage spun around me I snapped out of my trance and looked over at Thomas who was lying in a pool of his own blood I removed his blood soaked bandage and to my shock saw saw a large gaping hole from his back to his stomach you've been shy I exclaimed his eyes glaced over he whispered I know I wrapped my t-shirt

tightly around his wound and called for an ambulance the monotone operator asked where's your location I was forced to end the call I realized no one was coming to save us I turned to Thomas who struggled to keep his eyes open we're leaving this godforsaken town with my arm around his waist we exited the parking garage Thomas limply dragged his ruck sack along the ground he refused to leave it behind outside I nervously scanned right and left there's no sign of the demon Silhouettes maybe it was just hallucination from my headaches I decided to turn

left it didn't matter as long as we could escape to another town and get help I struggled to pull Thomas along who was getting progressively weaker he still clasped onto his ruck sack like his life depended on it blood dripped from his bullet wound creating a trail Sirens raged in the background the demon solo shape shifted from the Moonlight and laughing maniacally followed us I tried to move faster but the demon got closer Let Me Go Thomas gasped we're in this together I told him we're going to leave together we were forced to hide in

an Alleyway at the end of the alleyway I saw a bright shining light I had a sudden Awakening we just needed to pass the light it's our only chance to leave this town a jarring pain seared through my head I collapsed Thomas and myself hard to the ground we both lay there incapacitated the demon Silhouettes towered above us like skyscrapers I desperately reached into my handbag for my bottle of pills but it was empty Thomas strained and reached into his ruck sack he took out another bottle of pills and passed him to me I instinctively

paid him with the wat of cash we locked eyes and at the precise moment I knew who he was and he knew who I was I flashed back to earlier when I walked quickly through the streets I clutched my handbag tightly to my chest as I passed a large hooded gang who laughed at me I spotted a young homeless guy in a side Alleyway I nervously approached him and asked if he had any drugs it wasn't the first time I'd search the streets for drugs I was ashamed but the humiliation of attending my niece's birthday

party single was too much to handle I just had to take the edge off I had no choice but to get high Thomas seemed unsure but reached into his rug sack and handed me a bottle of pills I took out the W of cash for my handbag back in the strange town the demon Silhouettes engulfed and pulled me away I tried to fight back but I stood no chance they were too powerful with his final surge of energy Thomas lunged off the ground and pulled me back I flashed back to the hooded gang robbing me

of my cash they grabbed my neck from behind and were choking me I desperately tried to fight them off punching kicking clawing but they were too strong Thomas lunged at them and pulled me away thud a hooded gang member shot Thomas in the back who collapsed to the ground I saw his eyes roll back with Sirens in the background the hooded gang threw me to the ground and ran away crack my head hit the concrete everything went dark back in the strange town the demons to LIT now had us both they pulled us further away

from the light Into Darkness Thomas was too weak to fight back his eyes glazed over but I refused to give up and pulled us back towards the light I screamed out we need to leave this town I woke up being rushed on a g by EMTs into the ICU I passed a jander with his eyes down mopping the floor back and forth I dipped in out of Consciousness the doctors checked under my eyes with a light and caught up my name Penelope I caught a glimpse in the neighboring room of doctors performing emergency CPR and

Thomas everything went dark again back in the strange town the bright light exploded toward me like a supernova I reached out my hand which was absorbed by the Light I was ready to pass through I looked behind at the demon to LIT dragging Thomas out of the alleyway what would be his fate would he be destined to live for eternity like the other soulless entities here the light now absorbed half my body but I couldn't leave him I must save my friend so I pulled away from the light and entered the darkness with my head

about to erupt and blood pouring out of my ears I chased after the demon salet who scraped Thomas along the ground back toward the mall Thomas's eyes turned from white to black but I refused for him to become another mindless drone and grabbed his rug sack that he still clung on to a symbol of him going home to his family I pulled with all my might but the demons H Lett wouldn't release him the light from the alleyway became I gritted my teeth and channeled every negative emotion from feeling unloved unworthy and embarrassed of who

I am I screamed at the top of my lungs this little Wallflower deserves happiness and with one final burst of energy I ripped us away from the demon toois into the light my eyes opened wildly and I found myself lying in a hospital bed I spoke to a kind nurse what happened I asked you were found unconscious in an Alleyway she replied what about the young guy with the ruck sack I asked she hesitated to answer I presumed it had something to do with patient confidentiality I looked at her with desperate eyes please I need

to know if Thomas is alive the nurse was taken a that I knew his name she leaned in close and told me he's alive but it was touch and go at one point he was pronounced clinically dead I took a long deep breath while recovering from my head trauma I regularly took trips to see Thomas he was always asleep and hooked up to machines a few weeks later I was declared fit to leave but I didn't want to leave I needed to speak to Thomas I needed to find out whether the strange town was real

or just a dark part of my subconscious if we were there and the events actually happened there would be proof of an alternate reality some would call it Purgatory I wasn't sure which answer I was looking for both terrified me only Thomas could provide the answer so every day for over a year I waited on a bench outside the hospital for him to leave I was banned from going inside so I had no choice one nondescript day Thomas walked out of the hospital with his ruck sack slung over his shoulder he was Slimmer than I

remembered but looked fresh and healthy although I long for this moment I decided to let him pass by the strange town was my burden to carry and I wanted Thomas to be free and to move on with his life Thomas continued to walk away he stopped and turned to look at me we locked eyes and I knew at that moment what happened to us was real there was an unbreakable Bond we we had both experienced the strange town together we left the hospital and walked along a busy street we passed people grinding through their everyday

lives oblivious to the truth Thomas and I don't say anything to each other we don't need to we know what happened up ahead there is a Street Diner Thomas turned to me shall we get a coffee it can't be worse than last time I quipped inside the diner we sat across from each other in a booth the diner owner a middle-aged slim Italian American woman put down her coffee and cheesecake she spoke with a thick Brooklyn accent better eat and drink up Thomas and I looked at each other you don't want to be here when

it's dark it's different when it's dark has anyone ever tried the 13th floor ritual I've always been drawn to the darker corners of the internet not the dark web just obscure websites and blogs with next to no users that's how I stumbled across the 13th floor ritual it was just a post on an obscure form but it promised an experience beyond anything imaginable a glimpse into a world that defied explanation with the promise of good fortune for those who follow the ritual steps correctly I've archived the post and while I won't link it here this

time it reads as followed greetings below you will find instructions on how to perform the 13th floor ritual they say if you perform the ritual correctly you'll have good fortune but at a cost some claim they've seen the the other side While others have vanished Without a Trace so who's brave enough to try step one find a building with at least 13 floors it must have an elevator that can access all floors without restrictions step two begin the ritual at 1: in the morning this is 1 hour past midnight awesome known as the true 13th

Hour number three enter the elevator alone if anyone else gets on you must wait and start over step four press the buttons in ascending order starting with one all the way through 13 stopping on each floor you must not proceed if the elevator stops on any floor where you did not press a button when you reach the 13th floor the doors will open to a hallway that doesn't exist in our realm you may see figures in the distance do not for any reason interact with them or show fear step six leave an object of personal

significance in the hallway the greater the significance the greater your fortune this is your offering step seven return to the elevator and do not return and do not for any reason turn around press the button for the first floor if the elevator begins ascending instead immediately press any other floor's button to disrupt the ascent exit the building step eight exit the building immediately after reaching the first floor do not look back do not go back ever if you've made it past the final step congratulations you may now begin to experience Good Fortune you can thank

me later regards M after reading this I called up my buddy who I'll refer to as Steve in the story for the sake of anonymity Steve and I go way back and both of us have enjoyed trying outlandish internet ceremonies in order to document the results it's a sort of hobby we've shared since middle school everything we had ever done before this had unsurprisingly ended in disappointing results which is why it was no surprise when Steve initially declined my invitation to join me on this particular Excursion no man I don't think so I mean thanks

for the offer but Christian's mom's visiting from Vermont this weekend and she needs me to help move some furniture to get her apartment ready he told me plus the post you sent says that only one person is allowed to perform the ritual and it's not like anything ever happens anyway of course nothing happens I chuckled in reply but the fun is in the experience come on man there's no way I'm going to an old building at night by myself you can just use the stairs to meet me at each floor I don't know ma' that

furniture nobody moves fature at night Steve you just don't want Kristen's mom to find out about your little hobby isn't that it maybe Steve side I could hear the hesitation in his voice I knew I had him come on Steve we'll both be going off to college in the fall we got to have at least one Adventure before then man Kristen Lily turns you into a scaredy-cat there is a long pause on the other end of the line finally Steve relented all right fine but if we get caught I'm telling the police you're holding me

hostage deal I said with a grin I'll pick you up at 11:00 tonight we set out to find a building tall enough old enough and most importantly abandoned enough to perform the ritual it took longer than we expected and it was already 12:40 when we settled in what building to use after a bited back and forth between me and Steve we decided to on the Markham building it was an old warnell 18 floor structure originally built in the 1930s when Art Deco architecture was still a thing it's mostly unused nowadays save the first floor which

I believe operates as an insurance office during the morning hours so don't quote me on that the rest of the building hasn't been leased out since the '90s we parked a few blocks away from the Markin building to avoid drawing any unwanted attention the streets were eily quiet the only sounds being the distant hum of traffic and the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind as we approached the building I couldn't help but feel a sense of for boting the Markham building loomed over us I imagined it must have been one of the tallest grandest

buildings in the area during his time but it was now marred by years of neglect and Decay Steve and I had anticipated that entering the building might pose a bit of a challenge as the first floor was at least still in partial use but this hadn't stopped us from getting into other similar locations in the past though this would be the Bigg building we've ever forced our way into we could see through the glass doors of the entrance that the first floor was still illuminated as if someone might be inside I pushed through gently on

the door and to our surprise it gave easily swinging open with no effort at all Steve and I glanced at each other in a mixture of surprise excitement and nervousness Steve quickly put his lockpicking tools back into his front pocket we had been kind of worried about being seen by any cameras inside but now that the door hadn't been locked we were no longer concerned with being charged with unlawful entry as for all we knew the building was still open in fact we were now more concerned about running into an employee who might question us

and what we were up to cautiously we made our way through the entrance past the empty receptionist desk and into the main lobby it was not fancy in fact it was there dingy and also appeared not to have seen any improvements made to it since the mid 80s when the building had been last renovated what stood out in contrast to this however was the large shiny new silver elevator located in the far side of the room half expecting someone to come up from behind we hastily made our way over to the elevator's metallic doors why

is it so new asked Steve holding the flashlight that I had given him though it was currently pointless I don't know I Shrugged I guess Wikipedia was wrong and this place has been renovated pretty recently hell maybe even the other floors aren't abandoned either Steve didn't reply but the uneasiness in his face was very easy for me to read the instructions were clear at 1 hour past midnight I was to enter the elevator alone visit floors in a specific order and never under any circumstances look back once the elevator reached the 13th floor remember you

have to take the stairs and meet me on each floor I reminded Steve yeah yeah I got it he replied rolling his eyes I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor as the doors closed I could hear the faint sound of Steve's footsteps as he made his way to the stairwell the elevator began as ascent and as it did so I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched I found myself glancing nervously at the mirror half expecting to see a shadowy figure lurking behind me but of course there

was nothing just my own rather pale reflection staring back at me when the doors finally open on the first floor I was relieved to see Steve waiting for me everything okay he asked his voice tinged with concern yeah just feeling a bit creeped out in there I admitted let's keep going I pressed the button for the second floor the doors closed and the elevator continued its Journey we repeated this process following the sequence of buttons outlined in the ritual each time the elevator stopped I was greeted by Steve he was always able to get to

the next floor ahead of me as the elevator took around an extra 20 seconds extra in the process of opening and closing his doors I was also careful to never step out or for him to step in I didn't want to do anything that could potentially Force us to start over we continued floor by floor until I reached the 12th floor as the doors opened I fully expected Steve to be there already waiting for me as he had been in all the other floors but there was nobody there just a dark abandoned office hallway I

didn't want to admit it to myself at the time but I was scared Steve I called out softly and as I did so that feeling of being watched intensified I could hear my heart beating loudly in my ears and for a moment that prevented me from hearing something else eventually I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized that I could hear Steve's footsteps was echoing in the stairwell he must have already started heading up to the 13th floor I took a deep breath and pressed the button for the 13th floor the elevator doors closed

with a soft thud and despite knowing deep down this ritual was just a prank posted by some internet goof I felt a shiver run down my spine to me the ascent felt slower this time like the elevator itself was reluctant to reach its destination when the doors finally opened I was greeted by pitch Blackness the other floors had been dark sure but even then there had been some light coming through the large glass windows that lined some of the walls my heart was beating as quickly as I flicked on my flashlight to see what was

ahead of me even though I was scared part of me felt disappointed when all I saw was a hallway that looked completely normal for an abandoned building the walls were lined with faded wallpaper and the floor was covered in A Worn Out carpet there were many desk chairs stopped on top of one another in a corner and a trash bin that appeared to be filled with paper but otherwise there was little else to see in the hallway it was early quiet and the only sound was a faint hum of the elevator behind me I stepped

out of the elevator my heart resuming a more slowed and steady beat I glanced around again expecting to see Steve waiting for me but the hallway was empty I took a few cautious steps forward my eyes scanning the area for any sign of movement the air felt heavy and there was still that lingering unshakable feeling that something was there watching me I reached into my pocket and pulled out my grandfather's old watch it had been given to me as a birthday gift from him 3 days before he was killed in a car accident I had

brought it with me as my offering hoping that its significance would be enough to satisfy whatever forces were behind behind the granting of good luck that the Forum poster had alluded to I placed the watch on the floor beside the trash bin I'd come back to get it next weekend I told myself as I turned to head back to the elevator I froze dead in my tracks it was gone the elevator was gone I know this sounds insane and believe me that's exactly how I felt in that moment but the elevator is gone in its

place was a blank wall as if the elevator never existed Panic surged through me and I spun around searching for any sign of an exit the hallway stretched out before me seemingly endless and devoid of any exits or Windows Steve I called out my voice echoing down the empty hallway there was no response I felt a cold sweat break out on my forehead Steve I shouted louder this time still no response I hesitated trying to process what was happening this couldn't be real I took a deep breath trying to calm my racing heart I needed

to think logically to come up with a plan if the elevator was gone then my only option was to find another way out and that meant exploring the rest of the 13th floor I hated the idea of that but what else could I do I continued down the hallway my flashlight was quite literally the only source of light the air grew colder with each step and the silence was for lack of a better word oppressive as if it were trying to smother me I called out for Steve again but there was no reply just the

echo of my own voice bouncing off the walls I felt a growing sense of dread a feeling that I was not alone as I ventured further the hallway began to change the faded wallpaper peeled away through a few old cracked plaster the carpet disintegrated under my feet leaving a trail of dust and debris the chairs that had formerly been stacked neatly were now strown all across the floor and then I saw them the figures they were distant at first pretty much just Shadows the edge of my flashlights reach but as I moved closer they became

clearer they were tall impossibly thin and Incredibly still I remembered the warning from the post do not interact with them or show fear but how could I not be afraid they were like nothing i' had ever seen and their presence fills me with an instinctual Terror I have never felt that level of intense dread before in my life I don't even know how to accurately describe it suddenly I heard a cry it was desperate and pleading and the voice was all tooo familiar help me it was Steve's voice coming from somewhere ahead without thinking I

started running towards the figures in the sound of Steve's voice I knew I was breaking the rules of the ritual but I didn't care Steve was my friend and he needed me as I approached the figures they turned to face me their eye socket seemed to be empty voids and their toothless mouths were wide open almost as if they were screaming they made no sound at all I reached out to them begging for help I don't know why I did that it seemed so stupid now but I was desperate and probably in some State of

Shock to be honest they did not respond they simply stood there watching me as Steve's cries grew fainter and fainter until they were gone entirely then I was alone again surrounded by the figures I felt a sudden sharp pain in my side and I realized I had injured myself somehow it felt like I had hurt myself falling but I know that I hadn't done that I sank to the ground in agony for a moment as the figures watched me silently I could feel my heartbe pulsing in my head but I was somehow able to muster

the strength to struggle to my feet despite the pain searing through me I had to get back to the elevator I had to escape this nightmare I stumbled back the way I had come the figures did not interfere with me in fact they seemingly parted to let me pass when I reached the spot where the elevator should have been to my amazement it was there as if it had never left I didn't hesitate I pressed the button for the first floor and collapsed inside as the doors closed slumping against the wall my energy spent th

when I felt the elevator begin to ascend Panic gripped me once again this wasn't right the building only had 18 floors yet it was already past floor 30 and was still climbing and accelerating struggled to sit up and reach for the keypad my vision blurred my fingers fumbled but I managed to press another button I think it was floor one but I could barely see you so my even sure the lift jolted and then began as descent when the elevator finally stopped I braced myself for what I might find but when the doors opened I

saw that I was in the first floor with everything as it had been before except now the lights were off gasping for air I crawled out of the elevator my body screaming in protest I had to get outside to find help but I was so weak and tired that I didn't even think I could make it I pushed open the glass door to escape and by some miracle a car drove by and saw me a stranger rushed to my side their voice echoing distantly as they called for help I awoke the next morning in the

hospital the sunlight beaming into the sterile white room was a welcome sight after the darkness of the Markham building I sat up feeling a sharp pain in my side I glanced around the room wondered I glanced around the room wondered what happened the events of last night felt so distant that I began to believe there must have been a feverish dream perhaps I had gotten into a car accident just as I had started to convince myself of this narrative I noticed it my my grandfather's watch sitting on the table beside my bed its hands Frozen

at 1:00 the true 13th Hour I felt the pit of my stomach drop was it really all real how did the watch get here what had happened to Steve I had to find out desperate for answers I returned to the form where I had found the ritual I posted about my experiences hoping someone could help me the responses what few there were were a mix of skepticism and concern but one message stood out it was from a user named M the same person who posted the ritual congratulations the message read you've seen the other side

but remember Good Fortune comes at a cost the figures you saw are now aware of you and they will not rest until they have what they want be careful and whatever you do did not perform the ritual again I realized then with a sinking feeling that Steve must have been the object of importance that I left in the 13th floor I had meant to leave my grandfather's watch but somehow I'd accidentally left Steve behind so that's where I'm at right now I don't expect any of you to believe me obviously hell I don't even know

if I completely believe it myself I've tried calling Steve hundreds of times to no avail ch Steve's girlfriend keeps texting me asking where he is I don't know how to break the story to her I do know though that I have to go back to that building I have to perform the ritual again I can't leave Steve there I got him into this mess and I have to be the one to get him out the doctors say I might have to stay here overnight at the very least but I can't wait that long I'm just

waiting for 11:00 tonight when I can sneak out of here with just enough time to get back to the marhol building by one I know this is just a form to post stories that are preventing you from getting any sleep but if any of you have any genuine advice on what to do or how to to get help please let me know as soon as you can I only have 13 hours left before I have to go