u/Al1en-Ware

It has been several days since I was last able to exit my apartment. I don't know why I'm writing this, it's unlikely anyone will see it. I guess I'm just desperate. It all started a few days ago I think, when I tried to leave for work in the morning, I went about my day as normal, brewed my morning coffee, took a shower, then relaxed until it was time to leave. My phone read 7:25am, if I was going to make it to the bus in time I had to leave soon so I chugged the last bit of coffee which was still scolding hot, grabbed my briefcase and made my way to leave, except the door wouldn't open.

I tried forcing it open but it didn't budge. I banged on the door thinking it was some kind of prank and a kid or even an immature adult was holding my door closed but still it wouldn't open. I peeked out the port hole and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I even tried locking and unlocking the door as if that was going to do anything, surprisingly it didn't.

I called my landlord about the issue and all he gave me was a “yeah sure whatever I'll send someone up.” I don't even think he believed me but I had no choice but to wait for help. It's not like I could climb out the window. I lived on the top floor of a 9 story apartment complex, trying to leave that way was suicide so I called my boss and told him I'd be late for work. A few hours had passed and I paced around my apartment impatiently and occasionally looking out the port hole yet there still wasn't any word from the landlord nor had anyone come to fix the door. Annoyed, I called the landlord again to complain but he didn't answer, tried again and still nothing.

My boss called me angry that I still wasn't at work and I had to sheepishly tell him my door was still stuck. I'm convinced he thought I was lying and told me I'm not going to be paid for the day if I don't show up soon. In a frustrated panic I stomped over to the door and tried to force it open, I pulled and pulled and pulled but the damn thing still wouldn't open. I threw my body against the door gritting my teeth, muttering curse words in between each slam.

I twisted the knob so hard that it ripped from the door and I fell on my ass with the knob clattering to the ground. I got up cussing at the wind when I noticed a sticky red liquid on my hand, I thought I cut myself which was the last thing I wanted but when I checked my hand there wasn't any wound. I looked at the door and noticed a trail of blood coming from the door that oozed from the knob hole and began to pile on the ground.

“What the hell?” I thought to myself as I got to my feet. I walked over to the door and stuck my finger into the hole, it felt wet and warm like sticking your finger into a piece of warm cooked steak. I pulled my finger out quickly at the feeling and it was soaked in a dark red ink of what I thought was blood. But it didn't smell like blood, no it had a more sour moldy smell like if you left wet clothes in a washer for too long. I washed off my finger and went to go fix the door handle, still confused about what the liquid was but when I reached for the knob it was a black rotting glob of meat that had already started to smell.

I jumped back now completely horrified I stared at the pile of rot and noticed it was pulsing. Disgusted, I swept it up and threw it in the bin, “am I losing my mind?” I said out loud as I called my landlord again. I wasn't expecting him to answer. He probably thought I was crazy but I was surprised to hear him pick up.

“Hello?” I said into the mic, I didn't get a response, “look there is something seriously wrong with the door I don't even know how to-” I was cut off with the sounds of wet gurgling and what I could only describe meat and bones being gnawed on it sounded wet and dry all at the same time I could hear muffled whimpering and crying as the crushing of bone and ripping of flesh filled my ear canal. I could feel my face curl up into a mixture of disgusted and concerned, I tried to say something but my brain could form words and the call cut out soon after.

I sat staring at the floor for what felt like an eternity still holding my phone to my ear. I could still hear the sounds echoing in my skull trying to piece together what just happened. Eventually I snapped out of my hypnosis and decided to do the logical thing of calling 911 but when I went to put the phone to my ear all I was met with was the operator machine saying “we're sorry but the number you have dialed does not exist please check the number and redial again”

“How is this possible? It's 911 for god sakes of course it exists!” I shouted at my phone as if it was going to respond. I quickly redialed the number and got the same response. I chuckled to myself thinking this had to be a dream so I pinched my arm but it stung like it normally would. I wasn't dreaming but nothing in my brain could fathom what was happening.

I began to scream for help as if the panic had finally kicked in. I yelled at the top of my lungs hoping one of my neighbors would hear me. I screamed for a solid 2 minutes until my body was so weak that I collapsed on the floor and woke up several hours later.

I woke up with a burning feeling in my throat and my brain pounding against my skull. The sun had now completely set and I was left in my living room in complete darkness except for the digital green glow of the time on my microwave. The time was 9:56pm, I slept through the entire day. I scrambled for my phone to try to call my boss but it wouldn't turn on, damn thing must've died. I got to my feet walking over to the light switch to switch the lights on and plugged my phone in. The air felt hot and moist.

I could feel my clothes stick to my skin as sweat had already built up on my body. I checked the thermostat and it said it was at 70 degrees yet it felt like I was in a sauna. A slight wave of excitement washed over me as I delusionally thought that yesterday was truly a dream but when I spun around to face my front door my face dropped and my blood ran cold.

The blood-like liquid was still on the door and floor and had now dried and stained the area. I checked the door handle slot and noticed it was filled in, I felt the area and it had a strange texture to it, it felt leathery like a cut that has now developed a scab around it. I scraped at it and parts of it flaked off and revealed a slimy pink and red layer underneath like it was new skin being formed. The hot air and sickly sight made my head spin and my stomach churn. I felt like I was going to vomit. I shuffled over to my couch with one hand on my eyes and another one rubbing my stomach. I was praying I didn't throw up, I landed on the soft fabric of my couch and felt the feeling of nausea dissipate slowly.

I had to try and get my mind off of this somehow so I grabbed my remote and tried to escape into my TV like I did so many times before, but when it flickered on white and black static filled the screen. I tried turning the channel but nothing worked, at that moment I felt completely defeated. I let my arm slack off the side of the couch and the remote fell from my hand. I expected to hear the plastic remote meeting the hard wood floor as I closed my eyes but it didn't. Instead it sounded like a wet slap. I opened my eyes and looked down and what I saw wasn't light brown wood but more of a dark pink color with a slight glossy look to it. Reluctantly I reached my hand out to touch the floor but when my middle finger touched the ground I jolted my hand up and clutched it to my chest.

It wasn't wood at all, it felt like jelly, it was soft and slimy. Instinctively I pressed my tongue against the side of my cheek and sure enough the texture was a match. “WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!” I shouted. I jumped up and ran to the door again, each step slapping against the floor and pulling up slime. I began to kick the door as hard as I could, tears forming in my eyes from fear and frustration. The kicks connected with the door yet it remained solid, after a few moments I gave up and ran to the window. I didn't care if I was so high up, if I fell to the ground at least I would be out of this godforsaken room.

I pulled the curtains back but I didn't see a city or a night sky but instead was a thin layer of skin and veins, it stretched across the window tight and the veins pulsed with that same blood-like liquid. I stepped back in shock and in what I can only assume was a child-like response I ran to my room slamming the door behind me and jumping into my bed and under the covers as I began to sob uncontrollably.

I eventually fell asleep and escaped to my dreams which were all forgettable and hollow but is the only place I felt somewhat safe. I woke up sometime later not knowing if it's the same day or the next. The air was still hot and wet but now it was different, the air smelt of tooth decay and morning breath and as it filled my lungs the sense of nausea washed over me again. Choking back bile I checked my nightstand to look at my clock but the red lights weren't there, annoyed I got up and felt my feet hit the now familiar slimy soft ground and walked over to the door in my dark room and entered my somehow even darker hallway.

I walked into my living room which used to fill me with joy but now has left me with a dreadful feeling. I reached for the light switch that has been there ever since I moved into the apartment but it was now gone and the wall now had the same slug feel to it. Stunned I fast walked to my counter which had a cheap flashlight on it and flicked it on to see the entire room was now covered in the dark pink jelly except for the ceiling which still has the dark pink coloration but was rough with strange grooves on it and was more solid looking rather than soft like the rest of the room.

My furniture sunk into the floor as if it all was sitting on an inflated water bed, the thick slim had now built up so much it began to pool on the floor and drip from the walls. I have no idea what washed over me but I was done with whatever the hell was happening, without thinking I grabbed the biggest knife I could find in the kitchen drawer and ran to the far end of my hallway slipping occasionally on the wet ground, I reached the wall of the hallway and tossed away the table and flower pot that butted up against it just began to hack at it.

Slime and the bloody liquid flew onto my face as I stabbed and slashed repeatedly against the wall unsure what I was doing but one way or another I was leaving this damn room. Eventually my knife cut a hole in the disgusting flesh wall and a mist burst out and coated my face. I dropped the knife and pried the hole open just enough that I could stick my head and one hand through. I was so happy to finally see another room until my eyes adjusted and saw the horrors that were in the room next door.

The room smelled the same as mine but this time with rotting meat, the walls and floor had the same dark pink jelly but rows of jagged teeth lined the floors and the walls. I panned my flashlight over the room and noticed bits of human remains jutting out from different parts of the room, hands, bits of clothing and even pieces of someone's head were stuck in between the teeth like pieces of food you have after a big meal.

I could feel the hole I made slowly start to close around me so I had to slip back into my nightmarish hellscape of a room, I slumped to the ground completely defeated devoid of any panic or anger I felt before and now was just a shell waiting to die. A dull yet loud ringing flooded my ears and my fast heart beat drowned out the noise from the outside world so much that I nearly didn't hear the cries for help outside my apartment.

I was snapped back into reality and shot to my feet, I stood in silence for several seconds waiting for the screams to continue to make sure that it was real. The shouting and the sound of footsteps echoed faintly again so I ran to the door to look out the port hole, at first I didn't see anything. I tried to angle myself to see around the corners but it was no good. I couldn't see anything, until an old woman shot in front of the door l jumped back startled and she was banging on my door screaming “PLEASE HELP ME! MY SON WAS TAKEN BY THAT THING AND IT WANTS ME NEXT!”

She shuffled away from my door and continued to do the same thing to the others. I tried my best to yell back but she couldn't hear me. I instinctively reached for the door knob not remembering it wasn't there but my hands touched something wet and hard. I looked down and saw a small fleshy bump growing out of the door. It looked like it was surrounded by muscle or something similar and it had what seemed to be bone inside of it. I stood staring at it for a moment until the sound of the woman yelling in pain got my attention again.

I looked out the hole and saw her on the ground laying face down, I could hear her lightly sobbing as a tentacle-like thing slugged over her wrapping around her abdomen and began to drag her away. She dug her nails into the vinyl flooring I could see the scratch marks and a few of her nails popping off but it did nothing to slow her down, the thing dragging her almost looked like a tongue it had the texture but it was way too skinny it looked more like a rats tail with spots of green and black rot or mold with pockets of puss filled blemishes on it.

It dragged her off to the side. I could hear more distant screams that went from panic, to pain, to nothing. I sat against the door for a while wondering how the old woman escaped and tossing between envious of her and grateful I didn’t experience the horrors of whatever the hell is out in the hallways of this building. As I sat there my stomach began to growl, it had been so long since I’ve eaten or at least I think. So I got up and made my way to the fridge yet when I opened it a foul stench escaped from it. The inside of the fridge was dark and musty and the light flickered on and off revealing all the rotten and soiled goods inside of it. “How long have I really been here?” I asked myself looking at all the flies and maggots that now called my leftovers home. But I was desperate and so I grabbed a handful of the spoiled lamb chops and took a bite just to get something in my body, I chewed the soft meat the taste of bitter sourness and metallic coated my tongue I could feel some maggots wiggling in my mouth as I bit down on them one by one feeling their slimy milky insides squish out. I tried so hard to swallow but my body physically couldn't until I vomited.

A long squeak emanated from behind me, the sound of a door opening. I shakily turned my head to see my front door opening slowly almost as if whatever was growing inside this building was tempting me outside my room. It had been so long since I've seen the outside of my apartment building I almost forgot the tacky 70s style wallpaper that lined the hallway walls, everything in my body was firing off warning signs screaming at me not to leave but I just wanted out so I didn't want to listen.

Slow and cautiously I walked towards the entrance peering out from the doorway not wanting to fully exit my apartment just yet. I scanned the long dimly lit hallway my eyes passing by the scratched up floor and the bloody nails of the woman, the walls were moldy and falling apart it seems to have the same exterior as before all of this happened unlike my room but it looked boney as if it was the inside of a snake and I swear I could hear a faint yet heavy breathing coming from somewhere. I stepped fully out of my apartment and it felt like I was entering a new realm. The air was different. It smelled acidic and sour so much that it hurt to breathe.

I walked towards the end of the hall to the fire escape watching every door and occasionally peering over my shoulder waiting for whatever dragged that woman to do the same to me, I got to the door and breathed a sigh of relief hoping that this would be the end. I opened the door and saw an only black void and a set of stairs leading down, I could hear bubbling and splashing from down below but I couldn't see anything but I could also smell a strong sense of bile in the air. I tried my best to strain my eyes to see what was below but it was not good, I found an emergency flare on the wall next to the stairs and decided to light it and see what was going on.

When I struck the flare the red and yellow light filled the space and I could see a pool of green water that sizzled and bubbled with steam, “is this acid?” I thought as I tossed the flare into the water and watched as it began to melt and fizzle out. I backed away making my way back to the entrance when all of a sudden something wrapped around my waist and hoisted me in the air, the thing was back and it came from the pool of acid I could feel its grip get tighter and the bits of acid on it slowly eating away at my clothes, it's trying to drag me in. Quickly I held onto the top of the doorway holding on for dear life I could feel my waist and abdomen stretching and the air meeting the torn bits of skin. The wood on the door was beginning to break from the tension. I tried to get a better hold but it snapped off and I was sent flying into the guard rail.

Dazed yet still conscious I was still holding the piece of wood that had snapped off, the thing was still dragging me and I could hear a low growling sound coming from below and I was terrified but I needed to break free so I plugged the wood into it. The thing let me go and I could hear moans of pain as it slipped back into the water and I sprinted back to my room slamming the door shut.

There's no point in running anymore, all hope of escaping is gone whatever that thing is it has taken over the entire building. I'm sitting in my bedroom closet only being illuminated by the blue light of my phone writing this out, I thought it would bring me some sort of comfort knowing that others would know what happened to me and the residents of this apartment complex even if it's just one person but I don't know anymore all I feel now is emptiness. I can hear the sounds of teeth chattering and grinding together. I fear I don't have much time left and soon I'll be suffering the same fate as my neighbors. My body is so weak and I'm so tired, maybe I'll just sleep until whatever those things are decide to eat me. If I'm lucky I'll sleep through the whole process.

   It has been several days since I was last able to exit my apartment. I don't know why I'm writing this, it's unlikely anyone will see it. I guess I'm just desperate. It all started a few days ago I think, when I tried to leave for work in the morning, I went about my day as normal, brewed my morning coffee, took a shower, then relaxed until it was time to leave. My phone read 7:25am, if I was going to make it to the bus in time I had to leave soon so I chugged the last bit of coffee which was still scolding hot, grabbed my briefcase and made my way to leave, except the door wouldn't open.

  I tried forcing it open but it didn't budge. I banged on the door thinking it was some kind of prank and a kid or even an immature adult was holding my door closed but still it wouldn't open. I peeked out the port hole and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I even tried locking and unlocking the door as if that was going to do anything, surprisingly it didn't.

   I called my landlord about the issue and all he gave me was a “yeah sure whatever I'll send someone up.” I don't even think he believed me but I had no choice but to wait for help. It's not like I could climb out the window. I lived on the top floor of a 9 story apartment complex, trying to leave that way was suicide so I called my boss and told him I'd be late for work. A few hours had passed and I paced around my apartment impatiently and occasionally looking out the port hole yet there still wasn't any word from the landlord nor had anyone come to fix the door. Annoyed, I called the landlord again to complain but he didn't answer, tried again and still nothing. 

   My boss called me angry that I still wasn't at work and I had to sheepishly tell him my door was still stuck. I'm convinced he thought I was lying and told me I'm not going to be paid for the day if I don't show up soon. In a frustrated panic I stomped over to the door and tried to force it open, I pulled and pulled and pulled but the damn thing still wouldn't open. I threw my body against the door gritting my teeth, muttering curse words in between each slam.

  I twisted the knob so hard that it ripped from the door and I fell on my ass with the knob clattering to the ground. I got up cussing at the wind when I noticed a sticky red liquid on my hand, I thought I cut myself which was the last thing I wanted but when I checked my hand there wasn't any wound. I looked at the door and noticed a trail of blood coming from the door that oozed from the knob hole and began to pile on the ground.

   “What the hell?” I thought to myself as I got to my feet. I walked over to the door and stuck my finger into the hole, it felt wet and warm like sticking your finger into a piece of warm cooked steak. I pulled my finger out quickly at the feeling and it was soaked in a dark red ink of what I thought was blood. But it didn't smell like blood, no it had a more sour moldy smell like if you left wet clothes in a washer for too long. I washed off my finger and went to go fix the door handle, still confused about what the liquid was but when I reached for the knob it was a black rotting glob of meat that had already started to smell.

  I jumped back now completely horrified I stared at the pile of rot and noticed it was pulsing. Disgusted, I swept it up and threw it in the bin, “am I losing my mind?” I said out loud as I called my landlord again. I wasn't expecting him to answer. He probably thought I was crazy but I was surprised to hear him pick up.

  “Hello?” I said into the mic, I didn't get a response, “look there is something seriously wrong with the door I don't even know how to-” I was cut off with the sounds of wet gurgling and what I could only describe meat and bones being gnawed on it sounded wet and dry all at the same time I could hear muffled whimpering and crying as the crushing of bone and ripping of flesh filled my ear canal. I could feel my face curl up into a mixture of disgusted and concerned, I tried to say something but my brain could form words and the call cut out soon after.

   I sat staring at the floor for what felt like an eternity still holding my phone to my ear. I could still hear the sounds echoing in my skull trying to piece together what just happened. Eventually I snapped out of my hypnosis and decided to do the logical thing of calling 911 but when I went to put the phone to my ear all I was met with was the operator machine saying “we're sorry but the number you have dialed does not exist please check the number and redial again”

   “How is this possible? It's 911 for god sakes of course it exists!” I shouted at my phone as if it was going to respond. I quickly redialed the number and got the same response. I chuckled to myself thinking this had to be a dream so I pinched my arm but it stung like it normally would. I wasn't dreaming but nothing in my brain could fathom what was happening.

  I began to scream for help as if the panic had finally kicked in. I yelled at the top of my lungs hoping one of my neighbors would hear me. I screamed for a solid 2 minutes until my body was so weak that I collapsed on the floor and woke up several hours later.

   I woke up with a burning feeling in my throat and my brain pounding against my skull. The sun had now completely set and I was left in my living room in complete darkness except for the digital green glow of the time on my microwave. The time was 9:56pm, I slept through the entire day. I scrambled for my phone to try to call my boss but it wouldn't turn on, damn thing must've died. I got to my feet walking over to the light switch to switch the lights on and plugged my phone in. The air felt hot and moist. 

  I could feel my clothes stick to my skin as sweat had already built up on my body. I checked the thermostat and it said it was at 70 degrees yet it felt like I was in a sauna. A slight wave of excitement washed over me as I delusionally thought that yesterday was truly a dream but when I spun around to face my front door my face dropped and my blood ran cold.

  The blood-like liquid was still on the door and floor and had now dried and stained the area. I checked the door handle slot and noticed it was filled in, I felt the area and it had a strange texture to it, it felt leathery like a cut that has now developed a scab around it. I scraped at it and parts of it flaked off and revealed a slimy pink and red layer underneath like it was new skin being formed. The hot air and sickly sight made my head spin and my stomach churn. I felt like I was going to vomit. I shuffled over to my couch with one hand on my eyes and another one rubbing my stomach. I was praying I didn't throw up, I landed on the soft fabric of my couch and felt the feeling of nausea dissipate slowly.

   I had to try and get my mind off of this somehow so I grabbed my remote and tried to escape into my TV like I did so many times before, but when it flickered on white and black static filled the screen. I tried turning the channel but nothing worked, at that moment I felt completely defeated. I let my arm slack off the side of the couch and the remote fell from my hand. I expected to hear the plastic remote meeting the hard wood floor as I closed my eyes but it didn't. Instead it sounded like a wet slap. I opened my eyes and looked down and what I saw wasn't light brown wood but more of a dark pink color with a slight glossy look to it. Reluctantly I reached my hand out to touch the floor but when my middle finger touched the ground I jolted my hand up and clutched it to my chest.

  It wasn't wood at all, it felt like jelly, it was soft and slimy. Instinctively I pressed my tongue against the side of my cheek and sure enough the texture was a match. “WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!” I shouted. I jumped up and ran to the door again, each step slapping against the floor and pulling up slime. I began to kick the door as hard as I could, tears forming in my eyes from fear and frustration. The kicks connected with the door yet it remained solid, after a few moments I gave up and ran to the window. I didn't care if I was so high up, if I fell to the ground at least I would be out of this godforsaken room.

   I pulled the curtains back but I didn't see a city or a night sky but instead was a thin layer of skin and veins, it stretched across the window tight and the veins pulsed with that same blood-like liquid. I stepped back in shock and in what I can only assume was a child-like response I ran to my room slamming the door behind me and jumping into my bed and under the covers as I began to sob uncontrollably.

  I eventually fell asleep and escaped to my dreams which were all forgettable and hollow but is the only place I felt somewhat safe. I woke up sometime later not knowing if it's the same day or the next. The air was still hot and wet but now it was different, the air smelt of tooth decay and morning breath and as it filled my lungs the sense of nausea washed over me again. Choking back bile I checked my nightstand to look at my clock but the red lights weren't there, annoyed I got up and felt my feet hit the now familiar slimy soft ground and walked over to the door in my dark room and entered my somehow even darker hallway.

   I walked into my living room which used to fill me with joy but now has left me with a dreadful feeling. I reached for the light switch that has been there ever since I moved into the apartment but it was now gone and the wall now had the same slug feel to it. Stunned I fast walked to my counter which had a cheap flashlight on it and flicked it on to see the entire room was now covered in the dark pink jelly except for the ceiling which still has the dark pink coloration but was rough with strange grooves on it and was more solid looking rather than soft like the rest of the room.

   My furniture sunk into the floor as if it all was sitting on an inflated water bed, the thick slim had now built up so much it began to pool on the floor and drip from the walls. I have no idea what washed over me but I was done with whatever the hell was happening, without thinking I grabbed the biggest knife I could find in the kitchen drawer and ran to the far end of my hallway slipping occasionally on the wet ground, I reached the wall of the hallway and tossed away the table and flower pot that butted up against it just began to hack at it.

   Slime and the bloody liquid flew onto my face as I stabbed and slashed repeatedly against the wall unsure what I was doing but one way or another I was leaving this damn room. Eventually my knife cut a hole in the disgusting flesh wall and a mist burst out and coated my face. I dropped the knife and pried the hole open just enough that I could stick my head and one hand through. I was so happy to finally see another room until my eyes adjusted and saw the horrors that were in the room next door. 

   The room smelled the same as mine but this time with rotting meat, the walls and floor had the same dark pink jelly but rows of jagged teeth lined the floors and the walls. I panned my flashlight over the room and noticed bits of human remains jutting out from different parts of the room, hands, bits of clothing and even pieces of someone's head were stuck in between the teeth like pieces of food you have after a big meal.

  I could feel the hole I made slowly start to close around me so I had to slip back into my nightmarish hellscape of a room, I slumped to the ground completely defeated devoid of any panic or anger I felt before and now was just a shell waiting to die. A dull yet loud ringing flooded my ears and my fast heart beat drowned out the noise from the outside world so much that I nearly didn't hear the cries for help outside my apartment. 

  I was snapped back into reality and shot to my feet, I stood in silence for several seconds waiting for the screams to continue to make sure that it was real. The shouting and the sound of footsteps echoed faintly again so I ran to the door to look out the port hole, at first I didn't see anything. I tried to angle myself to see around the corners but it was no good. I couldn't see anything, until an old woman shot in front of the door l jumped back startled and she was banging on my door screaming “PLEASE HELP ME! MY SON WAS TAKEN BY THAT THING AND IT WANTS ME NEXT!”

   She shuffled away from my door and continued to do the same thing to the others. I tried my best to yell back but she couldn't hear me. I instinctively reached for the door knob not remembering it wasn't there but my hands touched something wet and hard. I looked down and saw a small fleshy bump growing out of the door. It looked like it was surrounded by muscle or something similar and it had what seemed to be bone inside of it. I stood staring at it for a moment until the sound of the woman yelling in pain got my attention again.

  I looked out the hole and saw her on the ground laying face down, I could hear her lightly sobbing as a tentacle-like thing slugged over her wrapping around her abdomen and began to drag her away. She dug her nails into the vinyl flooring I could see the scratch marks and a few of her nails popping off but it did nothing to slow her down, the thing dragging her almost looked like a tongue it had the texture but it was way too skinny it looked more like a rats tail with spots of green and black rot or mold with pockets of puss filled blemishes on it.

  It dragged her off to the side. I could hear more distant screams that went from panic, to pain, to nothing. I sat against the door for a while wondering how the old woman escaped and tossing between envious of her and grateful I didn’t experience the horrors of whatever the hell is out in the hallways of this building. As I sat there my stomach began to growl, it had been so long since I’ve eaten or at least I think. So I got up and made my way to the fridge yet when I opened it a foul stench escaped from it. The inside of the fridge was dark and musty and the light flickered on and off revealing all the rotten and soiled goods inside of it. “How long have I really been here?” I asked myself looking at all the flies and maggots that now called my leftovers home. But I was desperate and so I grabbed a handful of the spoiled lamb chops and took a bite just to get something in my body, I chewed the soft meat the taste of bitter sourness and metallic coated my tongue I could feel some maggots wiggling in my mouth as I bit down on them one by one feeling their slimy milky insides squish out. I tried so hard to swallow but my body physically couldn't until I vomited.

   A long squeak emanated from behind me, the sound of a door opening. I shakily turned my head to see my front door opening slowly almost as if whatever was growing inside this building was tempting me outside my room. It had been so long since I've seen the outside of my apartment building I almost forgot the tacky 70s style wallpaper that lined the hallway walls, everything in my body was firing off warning signs screaming at me not to leave but I just wanted out so I didn't want to listen.

   Slow and cautiously I walked towards the entrance peering out from the doorway not wanting to fully exit my apartment just yet. I scanned the long dimly lit hallway my eyes passing by the scratched up floor and the bloody nails of the woman, the walls were moldy and falling apart it seems to have the same exterior as before all of this happened unlike my room but it looked boney as if it was the inside of a snake and I swear I could hear a faint yet heavy breathing coming from somewhere. I stepped fully out of my apartment and it felt like I was entering a new realm. The air was different. It smelled acidic and sour so much that it hurt to breathe.

   I walked towards the end of the hall to the fire escape watching every door and occasionally peering over my shoulder waiting for whatever dragged that woman to do the same to me, I got to the door and breathed a sigh of relief hoping that this would be the end. I opened the door and saw an only black void and a set of stairs leading down, I could hear bubbling and splashing from down below but I couldn't see anything but I could also smell a strong sense of bile in the air. I tried my best to strain my eyes to see what was below but it was not good, I found an emergency flare on the wall next to the stairs and decided to light it and see what was going on.

  When I struck the flare the red and yellow light filled the space and I could see a pool of green water that sizzled and bubbled with steam, “is this acid?” I thought as I tossed the flare into the water and watched as it began to melt and fizzle out. I backed away making my way back to the entrance when all of a sudden something wrapped around my waist and hoisted me in the air, the thing was back and it came from the pool of acid I could feel its grip get tighter and the bits of acid on it slowly eating away at my clothes, it's trying to drag me in. Quickly I held onto the top of the doorway holding on for dear life I could feel my waist and abdomen stretching and the air meeting the torn bits of skin. The wood on the door was beginning to break from the tension. I tried to get a better hold but it snapped off and I was sent flying into the guard rail.

  Dazed yet still conscious I was still holding the piece of wood that had snapped off, the thing was still dragging me and I could hear a low growling sound coming from below and I was terrified but I needed to break free so I plugged the wood into it. The thing let me go and I could hear moans of pain as it slipped back into the water and I sprinted back to my room slamming the door shut.

   There's no point in running anymore, all hope of escaping is gone whatever that thing is it has taken over the entire building. I'm sitting in my bedroom closet only being illuminated by the blue light of my phone writing this out, I thought it would bring me some sort of comfort knowing that others would know what happened to me and the residents of this apartment complex even if it's just one person but I don't know anymore all I feel now is emptiness. I can hear the sounds of teeth chattering and grinding together. I fear I don't have much time left and soon I'll be suffering the same fate as my neighbors. My body is so weak and I'm so tired, maybe I'll just sleep until whatever those things are decide to eat me. If I'm lucky I'll sleep through the whole process.