The empty parking lot stretched before me like a forgotten grave made of concrete and steel. Fluorescent lights buzzed softly above, making shadows move across the cold, grey floor. I couldn’t remember how I got here, but one thing was clear: I wasn’t alone.
A prickling awareness crept up my spine, and it got worse with every echoed step I took. Endless corners of the parking lot stretched into infinity, concealing half-lit passages of abandoned cars, seemingly plucked from a dream, forgotten by time. It was a strange place; the architecture was reminiscent of that from my childhood. I felt stuck in a never-ending night.
I wandered for what felt like an eternity. Suddnely, my heart hammered against my ribcage as I turned a corner. There it was, a sinister figure that looked nothing like a human. Its arms and legs were long and loose. It seemed lifeless yet poised. Its face was a pale mask, smooth and polished, devoid of emotion or individuality. Its eye sockets were empty, peering out of its face as it stared into my soul. I had never seen a thing more ominous.
My heart pounded relentlessly in my chest. My knees turned to jelly as I quivered uncontrollably, causing me to stumble backward. Yet the “thing” continued to come forward eerily, disjointedly. The urge to run gripped me like a vice; it was as though an ancient instinct buried deep within me had awakened with ferocious intensity. With every fiber of my being, I could feel the urgency, the need to surrender to this primal impulse. So, I did. My footfalls against the ground echoed like my heartbeat reverberating through the silent, empty night.
As I printed down the dimly lit aisles, panic came over me when I heard the constant creaking behind me. I had to figure out how to get out of this god-forsaken place. But every time I turned or rounded a corner, it was there, and its evil presence grew more robust. As I continued running, the surroundings changed, like a mirage of endless halls. I was stuck and lost in a terrible loop.
The weight of futility pressed upon my shoulders like an impossible burden; each step I took felt in vain. Every fiber of my being cried out in resignation, and my limbs, once driven by determination, slowly became lifeless. Finally, I gave up and fell to the complex, cold ground, exhausted and beaten. The faceless mask of the “thing” hovered inches against mine. I could feel its cold breath on my skin, like a silent yet ominous presence.
I shivered. It was a visceral, gut-wrenching sensation, as if an icy hand reached into my chest and squeezed my heart. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, stretching each of my heartbeats into an eternity. Every creak of its body was a sinister omen, a harbinger of unspeakable horror lurking inches away from me.
In a final act of desperation, I closed my eyes and whispered a prayer, begging profusely for salvation. The air got colder as the “thing” let out a screech. The sound was a grotesque symphony; each reverberation sent shockwaves of fear through me. I have never heard a sound more ominous. I stayed still, paralyzed in fear, for god knows how long. When I finally got the courage to open my eyes, I was back alone, and the garage was back to being empty and lonely. I cried.
The feeling of relief washed over me like an incredible, soothing wave, banishing the suffocating grip of fear that had held me hostage. One thing echoed through my mind: it was to get out—the urgency to find the exit coursed through my veins like a surge of electricity. Every nerve in my body screamed for escape. I tripped and got lost as I tried to do so. The neon lights buzzed and made everything look pale and sick. I pushed my body to its limits; my lungs burned for air, and my muscles ached with exertion. And then, when it felt like all hope was fading, I saw it - the exit door, my salvation. With a final surge of adrenaline, I raced toward it. Finally, I did it.
As I exited the garage, the lingering, unshaken presence crept over me. It was as if unseen eyes bore into my very core being. I stepped out into the cool night air, and the open sky was a pleasant change from the garage’s stuffy concrete walls. An overwhelming rush of joy surged through me, and my worries and fears that plagued me for an eternity dissolved into insignificance. It was a state of pure, unadulterated joy.
To this day, I’m still unsure how to comprehend moreover, to share what I have just experienced. But one thing’s for sure: the “thing” I saw should not exist, at least not in the plane of the living. I still couldn’t get rid of the memory of that god-forsaken place. It seems to me that the world holds more secrets than we could ever fathom. At the very edge of reality, perhaps, is where they exist, waiting to catch anyone who dares to get too close.