So I guess this is what it’s like.
I read these types of posts every so often and I always used to think to myself “that’s ridiculous. No one would take the time to write all that in a terrifying life or death situation.” Yet here we are, hilariously ironic. Dear god, what I would give to even imagine what laughter feels like right now.
Complete endless internal screaming fear.
By the time this post goes out, our monthly food delivery suppliers must have discovered my phone on my body. I run a remote roadside diner about 30 miles from any major town or city near some popular hiking trails. We order our food supply in bulk once a month to store in our prized walk-in freezer. I would never have guessed that’d be where I’d end up as I watch myself turn from blue to dark purple, limb by limb. Yet this excruciatingly slow death is nowhere near as frightening as the fear stopping me from facing up to that thing. It’s staring at me still; with its bulging eyes pressed impossibly hard against the freezer door window. Like kids comically pressing their face against glass, but instead with a pair of large protruding lidless eyeballs. I have no service in here, hence my earlier assumption, but this seems to be the only place the liquid figure can’t seep its way into. I assume this and any sort of boiling hot or airtight space; in any case nowhere humanly fit for prolonged survival.
It backs you into a corner and watches you die.
I first saw it as I was closing up earlier this evening. As I was going down the tables one by one to close the shutters, I saw the dark man-like figure standing at the door. Those very same eyes pierced me with their stare as I moved along, yet I thought nothing of it at the time. It was dark enough outside for me to dismiss him for being just another straggler that missed the last bus, so I walked up to the door and shouted the usual “we’re closed and this is not a hotel” spiel.
He didn’t move a muscle.
Standing now face to face with the man and only the glass door between us, I noticed he was smiling. I didn’t need to count to know there was an inhuman amount of teeth there, smiling so wide that my jaw started to achSjo;sj
Crap. There goes my thumb.
I guess I should’ve expected that. The next finger won’t be far off so I can only hope this stays legble as I won’t have time to read this back for finishing touches.
After a motionless moment that seemed to last an eternity, the figure snapped down to look inside the keyhole. I jolted back from the sudden movement, so fast it would’ve made any human’s spine snap - yet I didn’t hear a sound. The resuting bodily position was nothing out of the ordinary despite looking indescribably unconfortavle. It was the movement itself that I still can’t process; as instant as the twist and click of an oven knob. After taking a moment to quell the unnerving feeling of axiety swelling up inside of me I warned it to back away or I would call the police.
“Look.”
The figure said with a rasping deep voice that seemed to come from everywhere but where it was standing. With a bekoning gesture of his long wilting fingers he was inviting me to look into the keuhole from my side.
Nearing a full on panic attack I ran back up to the door to make sure I locjed it, but before I could put my key in the lock something came oozing out. Eye first; the figure was gradully turning to liquid as if it was being sucked in, drooling down onto the floor of the diner whee it was re-materialising right in front of me.
The lifeless eyes never lost sight of me on2{ ‘;/ce.
Once I came to my senses, trying to process what had just happened, my fight or flight adrenaline kicked in and I bolted for the toilts slamming the door shut behind me before that thing had completd its transformmation. Using tape I found in my apron pocket and entire rolls of toilet paper, I started frantically sealing every tiniest gap in the door frame and kyhole until I was fully convvinced there was no way thrugh. I could hear wet footsteps approaching, slappig the marble tiles, each step growing loudr and louder. I clambered onto the toilet seat and pulled out my phone to call for help. Never before have I regretted turrning my phone off for the evening to wind down. All my apparent good life decisions were proving me wrong today. The longest loading barr I had ever seen apeared before my eyes.
Then I noticed the foosteps had stopped.
I franticlly studied every inch of the door, trmbling, ready to jump on even the tiniest of movements within my toilet paper frame. Still nothing. Glancing bck at my phone I was relieved to see it was now loding up my homescreen. As I openned up the dial pad I felt a sudden rumble. I jumped up and stard down at the toilet seat with disbelif.
I kicked it open.
From around the crner of the drainage I coul see a black mass growwing, eye first. Fuck that. As if my life depnded on it, I ripped the tape off the door in one desprate pulll as I heard the most revlting sound erupt behind me somewere between a squelch and a splsh.
I ran for the front door as I scremed my lungs out for help, more as an atttempt to relive some of the terror bundled up insde me than the hope of reaching anyone. I crshed hard against the dor, a painful reminder I had inded lockked it, and I could feel a wet strem of blood rolling down the side of my hed. The adr,;*&e’;jnaline kepng me standdin, I lookd around hopelesssly for any sign of a fightin chance as I coulld her the wriggling squelcng being approaching seeemigly from all arond me. Annything. A blue light emmnatin from thhe corner of my eyyes caught my attenton.
The frzer.
Without hesiation I dasshed forward, threw open tthe latch, and locked myself iin. I was very welll aware I was diggging my own grave with evry move, but thr was noo doubt in y mind thhat I woud rather risk dying from frstbte than fnding out what happpens if tha figure got a hoold of me. Wth a final naseatng splat the figrre had ltched itself onto the door prssing its eyebals against the glass winndow where it has benn staring at e with its bldshot pulsing veins evr sice. And so herre we are, it got me whre it wantd. It wanted to watcch me di£.\^@,./e.
I hvve lost al feling in my bdy and typng is getting qite caaleging as Im uing my final pikky fngr, but Im ot of opttons. At lest my eylids are rozn haff shut sso I dnt hav to watc it saring at me as I go. I hpe yu can lern somthin from my encuntr so tthat you cn be prpard if this fiure cmes your wy. Dnt mak the sae misaks I diid. I dnt think itt evr wntted to cath me. I thik it feeeds of or fear, sttokes it until we drvve ourslves to ou own demis. It baks yu nto a crne n waches yyou die. Bt do yuu wwaant tt be thhe on tat fins oout wht hpens if u dnt?
Rwan Blakk
Sining o’(“:>?£@$
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