https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl4X3pw7JWE
In the heart of New York City, amidst the bustling streets and towering skyscrapers, I, Jonathin Strafe, found myself standing at the crossroads of ambition and isolation. At 29, fresh from completing my welding apprenticeship, I had embarked on a journey to this sprawling metropolis, carrying dreams of new beginnings and financial success. The promise of a lucrative project, the towering 120 story high-rise known as the Celestial Tower, had lured me here. Leaving behind my life in suburban Los Angeles, I had set out to make new friends and kickstart my new career with a bang.
With a toolbox of skills and a heart full of hope, I had envisioned a life that would be both prosperous and socially fulfilling. I imagined forming bonds with colleagues, perhaps sharing drinks after a long day’s work, and eventually building a network of friends that extended beyond the construction site. But as the days turned into weeks… and then months, I found that reality didn’t always align with my dreams. While I got along well with my co-workers, many were older and had few shared interests. Building close connections felt like an up-hill battle, and my shyness only meant the struggle was real.
I had tried online dating briefly, but it seemed to be an exercise in futility. My lack of photogenic charm left me swiping through unreciprocated matches, each one eroding my hope a little further. The Celestial Tower, a behemoth of steel and glass reaching for the heavens, embodied my aspirations. However, the celestial connections I yearned for remained elusive. Beyond a few acquaintances at work, the friendships I longed for never seemed to materialize. My once-subtle shyness had morphed into an impenetrable barrier, keeping me distanced from others.
Despite the city’s vibrant energy, it was also a place of loneliness. My evenings were spent in my favorite café, sipping coffee while gazing out the window. The café was a refuge, where I observed the world moving around me, a stationary observer of life’s passing moments. I clung to the hope that a casual conversation could spark a deeper connection, that serendipity might lead to a meaningful encounter. Yet, as time passed, hope often gave way to hopelessness, and the café grew quieter as the night deepened.
I craved conversations that delved beyond surface-level exchanges, interactions that explored shared interests and dreams. The city had promised me opportunities, but I was confronting the reality that making friends at 29 was far more challenging than I’d ever imagined. Among the strangers beyond the café window, I often felt a profound sense of solitude. The clinking of cups, the distant hum of traffic, and the muted conversations blended into a melody of isolation. Each night, I hoped for a flicker of connection, a beacon of light in the abyss of loneliness.
And then, on one fateful evening, a glimmer of hope emerged in the form of a woman I had met at the café. Her name was Sarah. A spontaneous conversation had led to an invitation, a step toward breaking free from my self-imposed isolation. The café was unusually packed that night, and she had asked if she could join me at my table. Our conversation flowed effortlessly, and I found myself asking her out, determined to change my fate. She agreed, though her cautionary words echoed in my mind: “Guys never end up calling me…”
I couldn’t fathom letting her down, not when I felt such a connection. Sarah, a 28-year-old art student who had also recently moved to NYC, shared common interests and dreams. I was resolved to keep my promise, to call her the following evening and solidify our plans. But as I awoke from a nap the next day after work, a sinking feeling gripped me. It was already dark outside, and I realized that I had overslept. Panic surged as I searched for my phone, only to realize that I must have left it on the 99th floor of the Celestial Tower. I remembered putting my bag down while chatting at the end of my shift, and I could not remember retrieving it before I left. Not to mention it was Friday and I was off for the weekend. I wouldn’t have a chance to recover the phone until next week!
The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. My phone, the lifeline to my connection with Sarah, was lost in the towering depths of the construction site. The urgency to retrieve it surged within me, overriding any fears or doubts. I knew I had to get my phone back that very night, or risk jeopardizing my chance with Sarah. My isolation and the weight of the promise I had made drove me forward, pushing me to confront the darkness that had settled over the towering structure.
As the clock struck midnight, I stood before the monumental tower that had become both my workplace and my predicament. Urgency pulsed through my veins, eclipsing the eerie quiet of the night. Determination to retrieve my phone warred with the chilling dread that clawed at my chest. I spotted the security guard at the north entrance, asleep in a company SUV. The path seemed clear to slip past and recover my phone unnoticed. With resolve, I leaped over the security fence and made my way towards the towering structure.
Yet, the tension in the air was palpable. Rumors had been circulating among the workers about mysterious deaths on the site. Ghastly tales of accidents that had been swept under the rug, all explained away by the site manager, Glen, as mere coincidences. Others scoffed at the notion, convinced that management was covering up the truth to avoid delays. Despite my initial skepticism, the stories cast a shadow of fear that I couldn’t shake. Those unsettling whispers echoed in my mind as I entered the construction site.
The site sprawled out before me, a surreal wasteland of unfinished structures and dormant machinery. The echoing resonance of my footsteps intermingled with the skeletal structures, creating a symphony of solitude. Every step seemed to echo my yearning for connection, reverberating through the cold night air. I navigated the labyrinthine paths towards the unfinished tower and up into the open air staircase, the pale moonlight guiding my way.
Climbing the stairs became an act of defiance against my own fears, each step a proclamation of my determination. As I ascended, the weight of the unknown bore down on me, shrouding me in a cloak of unease. The wind, a distant echo of the city’s vitality, carried faint sounds of life that contrasted starkly with the eerie hush enveloping me. The stairwell was my passage into the unknown, illuminated only by dim safety lights that cast elongated shadows and created pockets of darkness.
The darkness was oppressive, and I dared not turn on my flashlight, for its beam could potentially expose me to the security guard on duty. My senses were heightened, every creak and rustle echoing like a thunderous symphony of foreboding. Each upward step brought me closer to my goal, but it also carried me deeper into the heart of the enigma that surrounded the Celestial Tower.
The staircase was a treacherous journey, illuminated only in patches by the feeble safety lights. I had to navigate around equipment and supplies strewn haphazardly, each obstacle a reminder of the tower’s incomplete state. I carefully maneuvered through the darkness, my hands grazing cold metal and rough surfaces, my heart pounding with a mix of exhaustion and anticipation.
The staircase, in parts, opened up to the night sky, floor to ceiling windows yet to be installed. Through these gaps, I caught fleeting glimpses of the city below, its lights painting the darkness in shades of gold and silver. The emptiness beyond the glass seemed to mirror the void within me, a solitude that had become palpable during my time in the city.
The ascent grew more grueling with each step, my muscles aching and breaths coming in ragged gasps. Doubt whispered in the corners of my mind, urging me to turn back, to abandon the pursuit of a lost promise. But the memory of Sarah’s hopeful smile and the thought of the connection I longed for pushed me forward, renewing my determination.
As I climbed past various floors, I heard noises that sent a shiver down my spine. The sounds of distant activity echoed through the stairwell, a chorus of unidentifiable whispers that seemed to crawl beneath my skin. It was odd, as I knew there was no night crew scheduled to work. Yet, despite the unease that gnawed at me, I pressed on, convincing myself that a building of this magnitude was bound to produce its own symphony of nighttime noises.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I reached the 99th floor. My heart raced, a mixture of anxiety and anticipation surging through me. The memory of my promise to Sarah propelled me forward, pushing aside the exhaustion that threatened to engulf me. I rounded the corner to the 99th floor and paused to catch my breath, the dim safety lights casting long, distorted shadows along the walls. I knew my phone was here somewhere, waiting to be retrieved from the depths of this enigmatic tower.
In an attempt to locate my lost bag, I decided to risk switching on my flashlight. The darkness was impenetrable, and my heart raced as I scanned the area. Oddly I couldnt see the bag in the area I had left it. As I stood puzzled Amid the shadows, the eerie silence of the space was shattered by the sudden ring of my phone, a lifeline in the abyss. I heard the ring off in the distance somewhere in the bowels of the 99th floor. It was definitely my ring tone.
Relief washed over me, but doubt gnawed at the edges of my mind. How had my phone moved from where I had left it? Suppressing uncertainty, I followed the ringing, each step a declaration of my determination. The sound guided me, like a haunting melody, until I reached a dimly lit room at the end of a hallway. The ringing seemed to emanate from within. How had my phone ended up here, in a part of the building I had never been?
Pushing aside my trepidation, I stepped into the room, and my reality twisted before my eyes. There, in the center of the room, was my bag. But my relief was short-lived, for emerging from the shadows was a creature that defied description. A grotesque fusion of mamal and spider, its presence was suffocating, the stench of decay and filth overwhelming. Its yellow eyes locked onto me, hissing with hostility, and fear rooted me to the spot. I could see a glimmer of intelligence and excitement in the creatures eyes as it began to slowly move towards me.
My heart raced as I turned and sprinted back towards the stairwell, each step a desperate plea for escape. Adrenaline fueled my descent, my breath ragged, and every shadow seemed to conceal untold horrors. But I had to make it out alive.
With the creature in relentless pursuit, my feet pounded on the cold concrete steps, and my breath came in ragged gasps. Adrenaline surged through me, pushing my body to its limits as I raced down the stairwell. Each step felt like a leap into the abyss, the darkness and shadows blurring into a frenzied nightmare.
As I descended, desperation fueled my movements. I began to leap over entire flights of stairs, my heart in my throat each time I landed, narrowly avoiding the abyss that yawned to my side. Panic threatened to engulf me as I realized the windows on these floors had not yet been installed. One misstep, and I would plunge to my doom.
The treacherous dance with gravity continued. My legs burned with exertion, and sweat soaked my clothes. The once-distant sounds of the creature’s pursuit grew louder, its hisses and guttural cries echoing in the confined space. It was closing in.
In a moment of blind terror, I almost lost my balance. The abyss beckoned, its yawning maw ready to consume me, but with a desperate lunge, I barely managed to grab onto the edge of the stairwell railing, my feet grazing the precipice. My heart hammered in my chest as I hauled myself back to safety.
I couldn’t afford another mistake. With newfound caution, I proceeded more carefully, my footsteps echoing with dread. But the creature was relentless; it could sense my vulnerability. It lunged again, its grotesque appendages nearly grazing my back, a sickeningly close encounter that sent shivers down my spine.
I pushed myself harder, finding reserves of strength I didn’t know I possessed. With each step, I distanced myself from the creature, but the exhaustion was catching up to me. My legs wobbled, and my vision blurred at the edges.
I needed a plan, something to turn the tables on this abomination. My eyes scanned the dimly lit stairwell for anything I could use as a weapon. And then, on the 20th floor, I spotted it—a steel pipe, discarded and forgotten.
Without hesitation, I grabbed the pipe, my fingers wrapping around its cold, unforgiving surface. It became an extension of my will, a lifeline in this nightmare. I hid in wait, my pulse pounding in my ears, the cold metal bar my only defense against the monstrosity that hunted me.
The creature rounded the corner, its eyes gleaming with malice, its twisted form an embodiment of terror. It failed to notice me lying in wait, its gaping maw hungry for my flesh. With a cry of desperation, I jumped out and swung the pipe with all my might.
A sickening crunch filled the air as the pipe connected with the creature’s grotesque thorax. Its pained shriek pierced the night, reverberating through the stairwell. It fell, its limbs thrashing in agony, and I stumbled back, my breath ragged. Fear and adrenaline pulsed through me, a cocktail of emotions that left me trembling.
But I had done it. I had turned the tables, if only for a moment. As the creature lay incapacitated, I knew I had a chance to escape. My mind raced with thoughts of survival, of putting this nightmare behind me. With the creature still howling in pain, I retraced my steps, racing down the stairwell and bursting out onto the ground level, the security fence looming before me.
But before I could make my escape, curiosity got the better of me, and I looked back. There, in the distance, the creature limped out of the building, its movements pained and sluggish. Its gaze locked onto me, and for a moment, time stood still. Then, with a final, menacing glare, it turned away, heading towards the sleeping security guard.
Terror gripped me as I realized the guard’s fate was sealed. He continued to snooze in his vehicle blissfully unaware of his impending doom. The creature’s merciless attack unfolded before my eyes, the guard’s futile struggles silenced by the monstrous entity. There was nothing I could do, no way to save him. I turned away, my mind reeling from the horrors I had witnessed.
I returned home, my thoughts in a daze, my sense of reality shattered. I knew that no one would believe me, but I had to tell my story. If anything it would likely cast me as the main suspect in the guards death but I knew i had to do the right thing. I promised myself I would go into work early the next day and explain the situation to Glen, before filing a police report.
As I arrived on site that morning, I saw fire trucks and an ambulance parked outside. I saw Glen and went over to him. Glen we have to talk I said.” Not now he replied, we had another accident last night if you can believe it. Security guard must have slipped and fallen down from an upper floor while doing his rounds. Seems like this site is cursed.”
My god I thought, Had the creature tossed him off an upper floor to make it look like an accident? Or maybe the company was covering this up top to bottom… No way to be sure. “ Glen this was not an accident he was murdered” I said. Glen scoffed, “You’ve got to stop spreading rumors Jon, Police have already been on site and determined the cause of death to be accidental. Plus my bosses want Construction back on track by tomorrow we cannot afford anymore delays, Can I count on you?” He said. Nope I replied quickly, Are you well? There’s some sort of spider monstrosity living in this tower, it’s responsible for all the “accidents” you have to believe me - its not safe to work here!!” Glen rolled his eyes,” Just when I thought I’d heard it all, Listen, I’ll give you the day off I can see your upset but I expect you back at work tomorrow morning or you will be replaced do you understand Jon?”
I couldn’t believe my ears. I was stunned but what more could I do. Were the project managers covering this up, or were they just greedy, incompetent fools? I wasn’t sure, but I knew going back to work at Celestial towers seemed foolish. On top of that my chances with Sarah were bleak at best, even if I could somehow contact her again. Perhaps If I did go back I could find my phone… Not to mention I had some sort of morbid curiosity about this creature I had seen. What was it after all? Part of me yearned to find out more.
I wasn’t sure what to do but I knew that light had to be shed on this. I would do whatever I could to get to the bottom of this. I’ll tell anyone who will listen. ill post on every blog, forum and Social Media to warn others. I wanted… no, I needed to know what this creature was and where it came from.
I resolved I would go back to work but I would be extra careful and would start my own investigation into what was taking place. I Had to get to the bottom of this, and getting my phone back would also be a nice bonus. I would have a lot of explaining to do to Sarah but I had to try.
I know you wont believe me, many will write this off as story telling or a wild imagination but i know what I saw! I am looking for anyone whose seen anything similar in Manhattan or knows what I am speaking of. I look forward to hearing from any and all. Thank you for listening. I will post updates as my investigation continues. And to Sarah, If you see this, I will be in the cafe where we met every chance I get hoping to see you again.
Jon Strafe