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He gasped loudly, his eyes snapping open as a hand flew to grasp at his shirt. His breathing was quick as he looked up, seeing the familiar elevator doors still sealing him into the cramped space as he tried to figure out what was going on.
The elevator had stopped, refusing to let him onto the level he needed. He was going through the floors, trying to find one that might let him out to go to his interview. He'd gotten to the second floor, pausing before he went in as a single black hole seemed to be sucking his attention away from anything else. He walked up, peering inside as he noticed a sticky note against the wall.
'Give it something alive'
He felt something grasp at his shirt- giving him just barely enough time to look down before he was sucked in, darkness enveloping him. He'd woken up just like this, confused in the middle of the elevator as his coworker mocked him.
Now it was too similar, there wasn't a way for it to be a coincidence. At first, he'd convinced himself he was seeing things. That it must be some sort of anxiety surrounding the interview. That was, until he went to the third floor. It was damp, and too dark to see a thing. He tried to step in, but he couldn't find much before a horrid crunching noise filled his ears as blinding pain tore through his entire body.
He looked down at his waist, patting himself as he made sure he was still alive. Nothing was wrong, as if he were taken back to the moment before he had died. There was no way this was a dream. The pain wasn't fake, it wasn't a hallucination. This was real. This was real, and he hadn't even been able to see what killed him.
"... I think I just died." He stuttered out, his voice quiet as the realization sank in.
He turned to his coworker, who glanced up to face him. "Oh, did you? I must've been looking away."
His eyebrows furrowed as he thought for a moment before responding. "Do you not remember..?" He asked, fear just barely hidden behind his curiosity. "Oh no, that couldn't have been it. My memory's great!-" The blond man defended himself, placing a hand on his chest before he narrowed his eyes. "Maybe you suffered some brain damage?"
He really couldn't tell if the other was being genuine or not. It didn't matter, either way his question was somewhat answered. "... Never mind, forget I said anything."
Alright, he was basically on his own. He needed a plan.
He ran a hand through his black hair as he sighed, looking up at the door. He couldn't do much else in an elevator like this. He took a step forward, his hand hovering over one of the buttons. If the floors were anything like the last, then he had his work cut out for him. He pressed the fourth button, bracing himself against the jostling of the elevator as it brought him to another floor. The second floor had a hint- that note he had seen just before he was pulled in. Just before he died.
Maybe the other floors had hints too. Something to get him out of here.
He took a step back, waiting for the doors to open as he tried to prepare himself for whatever he was going to see on the other side.
Nothing happened. The doors didn't open. "Huh?" He glanced at the elevator panel again. "It's not opening..." He blatantly stated, staring at the doors until he heard the other man speak. "Eh, I'm not too worried about it. For all we know, the answer's probably right behind our noses." It was a crappy reassurance, one that wasn't even correct. "...You mean under..?" He asked, but the other man shrugged him off. "That's what I said."
He sighed, taking a step back as he looked for some sort of sign to help him open the elevator. Nothing was there, and he was pretty sure that prying them open wasn't an option either. He searched the blank walls for anything to open it, until he noticed the door standing behind both of them.
He gasped quietly, taking a step back as he peered at the new discovery. Something about it was familiar. A sense of dread crept into his mind as he struggled to remember where he had seen it from.
"Woah, Something up? You got all stiff and weird looking." His coworker asked, raising an eyebrow at the shorter man. He still had yet to even notice the door. The other shook his head. "Nothing, it's just- Was that door always there?" He asked.
"Not that I can remember, no."
"Right- Must be getting deja vu, sorry." He apologized, shaking his head again as the answer was just barely a whisper in his brain.
"What's so familiar about it?" The blond asked, probably more out of curiosity than anything.
His eyes widened as realization slammed into him. "It- It reminds me of my old place-" His heart jumped into his throat as he thought of his childhood home, his mind racing with what might be on the other side of the door. "I could barely get any sleep." He muttered out, swallowing dryly as he stood.
Silence filled the room as he stared at the door, unable to pull his attention away. His coworker cleared his throat, getting the other man's attention as he fought his way out of his spiral. "Are.. are you gonna do anything?"
He sighed, nodding silently as he pushed up his glasses. His nausea grew as he reached for the handle, wiping a slightly damp hand on his jacket before he grasped the doorknob. It might be something else. It could be anything other than those trapping walls and those creaky floors. At least, that's what he told himself before the door swung open.
He still didn't move, standing in the doorway as he stared into the new room. A lamp stood alone in the corner, illuminating the rest of the room. A curtainless window was perched next to it, and he didn't have to check to know it was screwed shut. A blue carpet lay on the floor, holding a small dresser sitting next to his old rickety bed pressed into the corner. A few pillows were loosely placed on top, as a cross was pinned just above the headboard. A mirror hung above the bed on the other side, the only other decoration present.
It almost would've been comforting if he didn't know where he was. His dread was replaced by anxiety as he tried to gain enough confidence to enter. He jumped as his coworker appeared next to him, too close for comfort. ".. Just an old room? That's what you were all riled up about?" The other man sighed frustratedly. "It's not about the room." He curled his fingers into a fist, holding back the frustration that sparked inside of him. The blond man replied with a judgmental hum, furrowing his brows as the other took a step inside.
All he could hear was his shaky breathing as he entered. There wasn't a way they could be here. He was in an elevator, stuck in a weird time loop, miles away from the real house he used to live in. There wasn't any danger here. Still, he instinctively moved quietly, slowly making his way over to his bedside drawers. He knew he was looking for something as he opened the bottom drawer, it squeaking quietly as he looked inside. Nothing was there. He shut it with a soft sigh, chewing on his bottom lip as he moved to the drawer above. The drawer practically squealed, the man's head snapping to the door as he heard a sound from downstairs.
"Sweetie? Is that you?" The voice was sickeningly sweet as it called to him. He froze as his blood ran cold, struggling to take his next breath.
He bolted, ignoring his attempts at stealth as he threw himself back into the room where he came, slamming the door behind him. His chest was heaving, sweat trickling down his brow as he leaned against the door. His coworker stumbled back, his eyes wide as he spoke. "What happened to you?!" The other man ignored him, throwing himself across the room as he slammed his hand on a button- any button- to get him away from whatever the hell that was inside of that room.
He knew what it was. He knew who it was. He was still panting as he whirled around, making sure that sickeningly familiar door had disappeared before he could finally breathe properly. He could find another way out of here- he would find another way out of here. He would exhaust every other possibility until he took a step inside that room again. He'd never have to go inside again.
Fuck, he needed to go in again.
He'd done everything else, He'd do anything else, but he was out of options. He searched every drawer, done every quiz, died every other horrible way he could find trying to avoid that sickening door. Something was missing. He had so much stuff, so many useless items that wouldn't do a damn thing for him in there. He didn't know what else to do.
It had taken a while before he had even pressed the button. He squeezed his eyes shut as the elevator rumbled slightly, turning around as he cracked his eyes open to see that familiar door staring back at him. He pushed his glasses up his nose, sighing shakily.
"Huh. Don't remember that door being there." His coworker added casually, once he had actually noticed the other staring at it. The air hung heavy as they waited, the smaller man could hear his heartbeat thumping in his ears. "..You gonna do anything?"
Talk about Deja vu. "Yeah, in a minute." He bit back as his hand tightened around the doorknob while he took a breathy sigh. He could do it. All he had to do was get in, stay quiet, find whatever he needed, and get the hell out. He untied his shoes, slipping them off as they clattered to the side. "Y'know that's how you totally scuff up your shoes, right?" He ignored his coworkers' remark, rubbing his hands on his pants before he gripped the doorknob yet again. Get in, stay quiet, grab what he needs, and get out.
The door swung open as he stared at the floor, trying to remember all the spots he used to avoid. He took a hesitant step inside, wincing as he shifted his weight onto the carpeted floor. He needed to be careful. He stretched, trying to cover as much as possible as he took another step. He froze as the floor let out a squeal.
"Are you awake?" The voice asked the seemingly innocent question. His heartbeat jumped, hammering in his ears. Something in him had hoped that somehow, they had disappeared.
They weren't here. He was stuck in an elevator with some useless guy, and he wasn't back in that house. That was what he needed to remember.
He crawled onto the bed slowly, trying to avoid the squeaky floor as he moved. He was looking for something. He just needed to know what that was. After that, he'd get out of here and never come back. If it was anything like his old room, he'd find something hidden away. He always hid everything. Whatever he needed was probably tucked away. He leaned back onto his knees as he picked up his old pillow, checking underneath before he shoved a hand into the pillowcase.
Nothing was there.
He lifted the covers, crawling backwards as he searched for anything that might help him. The bed creaked as he did, and he heard that chilling voice come from down the hall. "What are you doing up there? You're supposed to be asleep." They were starting to get angry.
He clasped a hand over his mouth, trying to muffle the sounds of his hyperventilation. He had to keep it together, he had to get out of here. How was nothing there? He always tucked something away inside his pillowcase, just to give him the chance to make sure it was there every night. He grimaced as he remembered the day it failed him.
He shuddered, pushing away the thought. He never used it again after that night. He got sneaky, kept his valuables in different places.
His chest felt tight as he peered over the bed, his eyes landing on the box that was barely peeking out from underneath it. He'd gotten better at hiding things, if that box had anything valuable, it would never be out in the open like that. Still, he was running out of options- out of time.
His shaky hands grasped at the sides of the box, pulling it onto the bed. He wasn't praying- he never did- but his begging was sounding similar as he cracked open the box, a single paper looking back at him.
This wasn't it. It couldn't be. He picked it up, turning it over to see a childlike drawing of monsters. He knew when he drew this. He was young, too young to really know what was going on. He couldn't breathe through his sobbing, scribbling out his frustrations as he silently promised to never show another soul. He was so small back then, so quiet when others yelled, never talking back, never saying a word.
A single tear fell onto the paper crumpled in his shaking hands. He touched a hand to his face, skewing his glasses as he pulled back, his fingers now wet. He took a shaky inhale, sniffling.
"What are you doing up there?" He jumped as the voice crept closer, just on the other side of the door. The box tumbled to the floor, landing with a loud thunk as he reached after it in vain. "You're supposed to be asleep." It was stern as it scolded him, but he knew better. He knew what was in store for him if he was caught.
He abandoned his stealth, panic overtaking as he clawed at his sheets and tossed them onto the floor. He flipped his pillow over frantically, turning behind him to check on the door. As he turned back, he locked eyes with his reflection from the mirror in front of him.
He learned. He learned after he was caught, and his hiding spaces got better. "Please.. Please have it.." He begged, his voice cracking as he leaned against the wall. He propped himself up with his elbow as his other hand searched behind the mirror for something, anything that might be there.
His hand bumped against something taped to the back of the mirror. He tapped it, feeling the shape of a pill underneath his fingers. It had to be one of his sleeping pills. That had to be what he needed here. It was what he came for.
He heard a click as he looked up, his reflection staring back at him in the now dark room. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his terrified face, his crooked glasses unable to hide the tears that were now threatening to spill. He looked beside his reflection, his heart dropping as he saw the shadowy person standing in the doorway.
It wasn't a person. It wasn't the same. It was unnaturally tall, looming so high that it had to duck underneath the door frame as it stepped inside. He whirled to look at the door he had entered from, but it slammed shut.
He was trapped.
He turned, flipping himself so that he was now face to face with the shadowy figure. It had grown impossibly tall, the darkness swallowing the room as it took a step toward him. He desperately crawled backward until his back hit a wall, sliding to the side until he could feel both sides of the corner. His eyes never left the monster blocking him in as it spoke, its voice too contorted to be human. Whatever comforting tone it had was gone.
"I thought I told you to stop staying up so late."
He curled in on himself, shutting his eyes as tears ran down his face. He hid his head in his arms as he let out a whimper of fear.
He wanted to go home.
>[ED 4: PARENTS]