I had been working in this power plant for about 6 month now. Night shift. My responsibility was fairly simple, I routinely checked the pressure gauges throughout the many floors of the building, which was ten stories high. I never had to go past six. Each night I would start on the sixth floor and meticulously work my way down. The entire process took about two hours, finally leaving me at the basement level. Which was composed of concrete walls with massive vats throughout the center.
It is truly remarkable, the engineering that was put into a structure like this. All the winding pipes, the boilers, the turbines that create the power. The entire structure is somewhat open, where you can easily see all the large iron girders that support the structure, and much the walk ways with grated floors. Which allows you to see straight to the bottom. With how much dust accumulates daily throughout the building, there isn’t a lot of cleaning done, almost making it feel cave like working night shift. Walking through a massive cavern, old cobwebs and all.
I had done this same routine four times a night, so I had become very familiar with the pathways I would use. Getting to the basement level was always nice each time, because after checking the gauges there, I’d know I’d get to sit down for a while.
This night was different however. Like I said, I was very familiar with the same path Id take each time. But on this night, when I got to the basement level.. there was something different. A door. There was a door in the concrete wall where I knew there has never been one before. It was an old metal door. One the slid to the side rather than be on hinges. It had a single small metal paned window that you could look through. Naturally I was curious, so I walked over to it, peering through. But all I could see through it was blackness. I didn’t have a flashlight on me so I pulled out my phone and used the small flashlight it had. Still nothing. So I attempted to slide the door open but it would not budge. I figured I would just ask about it once the shift was over. Ask someone who has worked here much longer. I mean, maybe I had just overlooked this door in the many times I’d run this route. The basement level was the most poorly lit part of the routine. No matter how many times I told myself, while still trying to look through the small square window. I had never seen this here before.
After about five minutes of looking and trying to get it open. I finally gave up, but was definitely going to get some answers. I was too curious. After turning and walking away, I got about ten feet from the door when I heard a clink come from behind me. When I turned, I now noticed that there was a faint yellow light coming from behind the small square window. I moved slowly to it, looking in, I could see a stair case going down on the other side. It has the same yellow railing as the rest of the plant. With grated metal steps down. But the room was so dark I could not see any walls, or where it lead to. Gripping the metal handle of the door, I gave it a heave. It was heavy, but now the door was unlocked. With a lot of force, I slid it open.
Standing in the entrance, I could feel all the air rushing past me, being forced with a lot of pressure into this massive room. I decided to step through the threshold of the door and onto the metal grated floor on the other side. Looking around I could not see much. Above me there was a bulb hanging from a long wire. It was the only source of light I had. However, it did not do to much to help me see in this massive room. The ceiling was made of concrete, the metal walls extended far to the left and right of me, but I could not see the bottom, or anything directly ahead. It just ended in darkness.
As I stand there puzzled at the room I’m in, a door to a room that I knew never existed. I heard the sound of metal sliding. I turned around quickly to see the metal door I had come through is now grinding shut on it’s rusty slide. It moves too fast for me to catch and it closes. Making a familiar ‘clink’ sound. To my horror, the same time it shuts, the light above me extinguishes. Plunging me into darkness. Frantically, I go for my phone, turning on the flashlight to alleviate the daunting blackness I find myself in. The light I have was not as good as the bulb overhead. Looking at the door, something startles me. First I notice that the small square window I had used to peer inside, is now gone.. I quickly move to the door to try and slide it open, but my second realization is that there is no handle on this side. I put my phone back in my pocket with the light still on and place both hands on the door to try and slide it. It does not move at all. I’m starting to feel panicked at this point. Using all my strength I try over and over to get the door to budge. It’s as if I’m trying to get a metal wall to move. I pull out my phone again in a rush. This time spilling change I was going to use for the vending machine outside. The change falls through the metal grated floor. I never heard it hit a bottom. It had to be a dollar and seventy-five cents in quarters. Surely, it would have made a noise if it hit some kind of ground below, but I never hear anything.
Standing there, in utter bewilderment and somewhat shock of the situation I now find myself in. I start to notice how quiet this massive black room is. All I can hear is the sound of my own breathing. While the metal door was open, all the air rushing in made it very loud as the wind blew past me. But now. Standing with my phone in my hand, looking around, and down the grated stairs. I notice something else that terrifies me. I have no service, and worse, my phone only has 15% battery life remaining.
The flashlight will burn through that power
Part 2: https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/133hwsf/an_unfamiliar_door_part_2/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1