Part 1- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl4X3pw7JWE
Part 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBeSjPTLbnY
I decided to return to work on Monday, my curiosity and determination stronger than my fear. I arrived early, heading straight for the 99th floor, where my nightmarish encounter with the creature had taken place. The room where my bag had been was now empty, but a faint, lingering scent of the creature still clung to the air. Something about this room was significant.
With cautious curiosity, I spotted some dried-up goo on the floor. I took out and discarded my sandwich from my lunchbox, using the ziplock to carefully collect a sample of the strange substance. It was time to start piecing together the puzzle.
That day, I was more engaged with my colleagues. I began discreetly asking questions about the recent deaths and the general safety concerns at the site. Most workers were indeed worried, but Glen had managed to quell their fears with promises of hazard pay and the allure of future job security. They suspected safety regulations were being overlooked, but the lure of a good paycheck kept them silent.
During my lunch break, as I sat alone with my thoughts, a fellow worker I had never met before approached me. The man’s name was Luis, a migrant laborer who was sent wherever extra help or a cleanup crew was needed on the site. Luis was visibly nervous and waited until we were alone before speaking.
He heard I was asking questions about the rash of deaths, and he wanted to tell someone his story. Luis revealed a disturbing incident from a few months ago. He had been working the evening shift with his team, cleaning up on the 33rd floor. As the rest of the crew left for dinner, Luis stayed behind to finish the floor, eager not to disappoint Glen, who had been pushing him to work faster.
While alone on the 33rd floor, Luis received a startling transmission on his walkie-talkie. It was Diego, one of his fellow laborers who had headed down for dinner on the ground level, when he stopped on the 27th floor to investigate after hearing strange noises. Diego’s voice crackled with fear and distress. He reported an unusual power outage on the floor and an unbearable stench that suggested something had died there.
Luis immediately responded, urging Diego to wait for him so they could investigate together. But Diego insisted that Luis finish up on the 33rd floor, promising to keep him updated. Worried for his friend, Luis agreed but asked Diego to call if anything seemed amiss.
About ten minutes later, as Luis was wrapping up, Diego’s voice came through the walkie-talkie again, panicked and frantic. He claimed someone was following him. Before Luis could react, he heard Diego scream in terror, the chilling sound echoing through the device. Then, the line went dead, leaving Luis in a state of panic.
Luis sprinted down the stairwell, racing towards the 27th floor, but when he arrived, all was eerily silent and dark. The floor was filled with a putrid odor. He called out for Diego but received no response, only a strange scuttling sound that sent shivers down his spine. Terrified, he contacted security immediately.
Security halted all work and initiated a search for Diego and any intruders. After hours of searching, they found Diego’s lifeless body at the bottom of a ventilation shaft. His remains were horrifically mangled, and the same foul stench that I had noticed earlier pervaded the area.
Luis was taken to the security’s main office in the basement for an interview, where he recounted the entire incident. He expected a full police investigation to follow, but to his surprise, when he returned the next morning, it was business as usual. My shock mirrored Luis’s disbelief.
He confronted Glen immediately, expecting answers, but instead, Glen brushed off Diego’s death as a tragic accident, blaming it on a missing steel grating over the ventilation shaft. Luis argued passionately about what he had heard on the walkie-talkie, but Glen warned him against spreading wild rumors and threatened termination. On top of that, he was certain his team had replaced all the steel gratings on the 27th, as they were on that floor just a few days ago. But faced with the need to provide for his family, Luis reluctantly kept silent.
Luis got up and said, “You didn’t hear this from me; be careful up here,” and he got up and left abruptly.
Armed with this disturbing revelation, I spent the rest of the day nervously working, avoiding being alone at all costs. I was thankful that my shift ended at 3 p.m., long before darkness would fall, knowing that the creature’s unmistakable stench served as an ominous warning.
At 3 p.m., I decided to head down to security, ostensibly to look for my lost bag but with the hidden agenda of uncovering more about what was happening in the depths of the tower. Security was located on sub-basement level 3, and without elevators, I had to descend the stairwell, which grew progressively creepier, darker, and less maintained with each level.
Upon reaching sub-level 3, a thought occurred to me. I couldn’t help but wonder if the creature spent its days hidden in the deep basement levels before emerging at night to hunt. My curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to explore further.
As I descended, I realized the stairwell didn’t end at sub-level 3, but instead, it continued deeper into the tower.I decided to investigate. The air grew colder, and the surroundings more foreboding as I descended. I saw multiple warning signs, DANGER RESTRICTED AREA, TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED. It looked like those signs at secret government bases like Area 51. What was going on here?? I wondered what secrets the lower levels held and why they were so heavily restricted.
As I got to sub-level 5 I noticed the way was blocked with steel door and a key card reader. AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT. I stood dumbfounded staring at the door for a long moment.
Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me, startling me out of my thoughts. It was a security guard, tense and pointing an AR-15 directly at me. “Don’t move, he yelled. “What the hell are you doing here? This is off limits.” I explained that I worked here and was looking for my bag, and that I had heard the security office was down here.
The guard, somewhat relieved by my explanation, lowered his weapon and offered to escort me to the security office. However, he issued a stern warning not to return to the restricted lower levels. I agreed and followed the guard to the security office, but my bag was nowhere to be found. I did, however, notice that the guards in the office all seemed to be heavily armed. Since when did construction site security guards have assault rifles? The mood at the office was nervous.
I went home, pondering the day’s events, now certain that the creature hunted within the building, coworkers knew but feared speaking out, and something deeply mysterious was occurring in the tower’s darkest depths.
When I got in the front door, my cat, normally pleased to see me, was highly agitated. Her hair stood on end, and she hissed in my direction. “Violet, what is going on with you?” I said, Concerned. I put down my lunchbox and went to pick her up, as I always did after work. She squirmed away from me and went over to my lunchbox, hissing and swatting at it relentlessly.
Then I remembered the sample of goo I had taken. not wanting Violet to freak out all night and also not really wanting the sample anywhere near me. I went and dropped it off at a nearby testing lab. I paid for the most expensive diagnostic tests they had. I was told to expect results next week.
Over the next few days, we continued progress on the building, and I spent my evenings in the cafe, hoping to see Sarah. And then finally, on Thursday night, exactly one week since we first met, it happened.
I was sitting at my usual table in the cafe, lost in thought about the unsettling events in the construction tower. The soft hum of conversation and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. My nerves were on edge as I tried to piece together the bizarre puzzle that had taken over my life.
Then, out of the blue, Sarah slipped into the spot next to me. “Hey, handsome,” she said with a mischievous grin. “Long time, no see.”
I was taken aback but managed a smile. “Hey, Sarah,” I replied, feeling a mixture of surprise and embarrassment. “I’m really so sorry about not calling.” I stammered, “God, you have no idea the week I’ve had; it’s been an utter nightmare.”
Sarah waved off my apologies with a chuckle. “Relax, Jon. You can stop the LARP now. I absolutely loved it, by the way. Genius! “You sure know how to sweep an art student off her feet.”
I was confused now. “What are you talking about?” I asked, genuinely perplexed.
She leaned in closer, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I saw your post on Reddit,” she said, her voice hushed. “You’re famous, by the way!”
I was speechless for a moment. “So, you actually saw my post?” I finally managed to say
“Yeah,” she replied with a grin. “Me and another million people.” “Your post is on the front page!”
My heart sank as I realized I’d been so preoccupied that I hadn’t even checked my post for replies all week. Panic set in as I asked Sarah if I could use her phone. She handed it over, her curiosity piqued.
I logged into Reddit, and there it was—my post right on the front page, the top post. over 40,000 likes and hundreds of comments. This was bad. I had used my real name, and if anyone from the construction company saw this, I would be immediately fired. “I need to delete this right away,” I said, my fingers trembling.
Sarah shook her head. “No, you don’t,” she insisted. “This is amazing work.” I love these kinds of stories. “You should keep it going.”
I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of the situation. Sarah, this is not a larp. “This is real life.”
As I was talking, I noticed my DMs were blowing up on Reddit. I had tons of messages, but one stood out. It was from a verified account belonging to Colonel A. Wilder. The message read:
“Jon, I know what you’re saying is true.” You need to delete your post immediately. I have all the answers you’re looking for. “Call me as soon as you get this.”
He left his phone number, and I showed the message to Sarah. Her curiosity shifted into high gear. “Okay, now this is really getting interesting,” she said with a sly smile. “Either this is a sick LARP project, you’re totally crazy, or you’re telling the truth.” Either way, this is the most excitement I’ve had in years, so I’m in. “Let’s call him now.”
I hesitated for a moment, but I couldn’t let her be the braver one of the two. I agreed but warned her once again, “This is real and dangerous.” “Are you sure about this?”
She nodded, her determination shining through her smile. “I’m sure.”
We called Colonel Wilder, he was bief and he suggested we meet up the following night. He gave us a room number at the Waldorf Astoria and said, “8 p.m. sharp.”
Sarah and I parted ways for the night, and as she said, “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I couldn’t help but feel a mix of anticipation and trepidation. “It’s a date,” I replied, and with that, we ventured deeper into a mystery that seemed to have no end in sight.
Friday arrived, and I couldn’t shake my nervousness. My job at the construction site continued as usual, but I kept my head down, hoping that nobody had spotted my post online. I had deleted it promptly the previous night, realizing the risk it posed to my job. I stayed busy welding steel, hoping no one would notice me.
Meanwhile, my mind was far from my work. It was consumed with thoughts of the creature and the impending meeting with Colonel A. Wilder.
Amidst the fiery glow of the welding process, I noticed a dejected-looking Luis sitting nearby, his head buried in his hands. I put down the torch and approached him, concerned. “Hey, buddy,” I said softly, “how are you holding up?”
Luis looked up at me, his eyes filled with despair. He asked me if I had told anyone about our conversation regarding Diego’s death. I assured him that I hadn’t spoken a word to anyone. “Why do you ask?” I inquired.
He sighed deeply before explaining his predicament. Starting this weekend, he had been assigned to the late crew. Glen, our supervisor, had singled him out, assigning him to the most vulnerable shift, the one where the creature seemed most active. Luis was torn between quitting for the sake of his safety and the fact that he was deep in debt and desperately needed the money.
I reassured Luis that he wasn’t alone. I shared everything I knew about the situation, emphasizing that we were investigating it together. We arranged to meet up on Saturday afternoon before his first night shift, so we could update him on any information we obtained from Colonel Wilder. I collected Luis’s phone number; it was my second contact in New York City.
As the day came to an end, I met Sarah at our usual café. The evening was crucial; we would soon be meeting with Colonel Wilder, a mysterious and powerful figure who claimed to have answers about the enigmatic mutant spider. We discussed the plan, wondering if anyone had noticed my deleted post at work, but decided it was too late to worry about that now.
Our journey to meet Colonel Wilder began by venturing into the depths of the New York City subway. The underground labyrinth was a blend of flickering fluorescent lights, distant echoes of conversations, and the occasional screech of a subway car arriving or departing. The subway at night was a world unto itself, mysterious and unpredictable.
We disembarked at 53rd Street and Lexington, stepping out onto the bustling streets of Manhattan. The city was alive with the rhythm of urban life, its towering skyscrapers looming overhead. Our destination, the Waldorf Astoria, lay just ahead on Park Avenue.
Entering the hotel, we were struck by the opulence of the surroundings. The Waldorf Astoria embodied luxury, from its pristine marble floors to its crystal chandeliers. It was the kind of place where the rich and powerful resided, a stark contrast to our humble lives.
Colonel Wilder occupied the penthouse on the 42nd floor. As we stepped into the opulent suite, it was a sight to behold. The living area was adorned with plush furnishings, and the panoramic view of the city through floor-to-ceiling windows was breathtaking.
Sarah couldn’t help but comment on the seriousness of this setting. “This guy is definitely not larping,” she noted. “I’m starting to believe that this might all be real.”
Colonel Wilder himself was a well-built man in his 50s, with a crew cut and graying hair. He had an assistant who he sent away for coffee, leaving the three of us to talk. He wasted no time in explaining his connection and what was happening.
“It’s called Project Terror,” he began. “Our goal was to create fear and paranoia behind enemy lines.” Imagine a scenario where we’re trying to take over a city, but most of the fighters are blending in with civilians. We wanted to create fear and demoralization among the enemy, terrorizing them into submission. So, the idea was to release a few of these spiders into their cities to terrify the locals. “It would make it much easier for us to move in and take over. Then once we had gained control, we would eliminate the creatures using tracking implants to locate them. Now we restored safety and are hailed as heros.”
However, the plan went awry. The genetically engineered creatures, combining spider, rat, and a small amount of human DNA, proved to be more intelligent and dangerous than anticipated. Many staff members fell victim to the creatures’ cunning tricks. In one horrifying incident, a spider swiped a key card from a scientist, escaped its cage, and went on a rampage, resulting in the deaths of three people.
Realizing the dangers, Wilder relentlessly pushed to shut down the project. His superiors eventually gave in, closing the lab and reassigning him. However, the possibility that the project may continue secretly was his worst fear. When he saw my post, he knew his gut feeling had been right.
We listened in growing horror as Wilder recounted the gruesome details of Project Terror. It was now clear that not only had the research persisted, but a creature had escaped, unleashing terror upon our own countrymen.
Wilder made it clear why he had asked for our help. We needed to gather proof of the ongoing project. This evidence would give him the leverage to expose the truth, even if it meant going to the media. What he needed most was to find the hidden lab. It must be near the Celestial Towers, Wilder speculated. He didn’t think the spider would venture far from its place of birth.
My heart raced as I realized that I might already know the location of the lab. I told them about my encounter with the guard on sub-basement 5 and the eerie warning signs that indicated something important was going on down there.
“That sounds like the place,” Wilder confirmed. “We need to get in there; I need proof.”
Wilder said Saturdays at the lab were always quiet, and we needed to move fast. We should go tomorrow night.” I need your help to show me where it is, Jon.” Wilder said. I agreed, and Sarah insisted on coming along. I saw the look on her face and knew there was no telling her otherwise.
We made plans to meet at Wilder’s room the following evening, forming a strategy to infiltrate the lab. If we could get some photos of the creatures and download some data, we could expose the entire operation. easier said than done.
As we left the hotel, the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on my mind. I had brought Sarah into this dangerous world, and now I was responsible for keeping her safe.
Before parting ways for the night, Sarah took my hand, her touch sending a shiver down my spine. “If this is all true,” she whispered, “it means you went back into that tower in the middle of the night just for me.”
I stammered, “Uhh, yeah, I guess I did.”
She leaned in and kissed me, and for that moment, all my fears and worries faded away. She smelled amazing, and her presence made me feel invincible. We parted with a shared sense of determination and the knowledge that tomorrow would be a day of reckoning.