Despite my mediocre results, I was very lucky to have secured an internship position at a local banking firm upon graduation from college. I was assigned to the marketing team, which was okay, as marketing and advertising had always been a prime interest of mine.
The only downside was the notorious reputation the company building had for being one of the most haunted places in town. Having being build above a burial ground, there were endless stories of apparitions, ghosts, and the like, parading the corridors of the building. Now I’ve always had a healthy skepticism for the supernatural, so this didn’t bother me one bit. However I must admit that it was rather unnerving at times, especially during over-time when most of the other staff had already gone home.
The strange noises first happened during my second week of work. I was in the pantry, enjoying a hard-earned coffee break when I became aware of a low murmur all around me. It wasn’t loud enough for me to make out any words, but it was loud enough to be picked up on. Confused, I had stuck my head out of the pantry to check if it was coming from the outside. It wasn’t. Dismissing the issue as a trick of my exhausted and stressed out mind, I finished up my coffee and quickly returned back to work.
The next incident happened a couple of days after that in the middle of a team meeting. The team-leader, also my direct boss, had been discussing on our latest marketing proposal when I heard the low drone of voices again. It wasn’t as soft as the last time, and I could vaguely pick out words such as ‘help’ and ‘save’.
'Are you hearing this?' I turned to my co-worker sitting beside me.
'I'm trying not to.' He groaned and nodded towards the team-leader. 'This is hella boring.'
Irritated, I tried to concentrate on the meeting rather than on the voices, which seemed to gradually become more frantic and panicky as I continued to ignore it.
These incidents began to occur more and more frequently, and the voices started to grow louder and louder. By now, I could make out most of the words.
'help me…' '…save me…' 'trapped…' 'need help…' '….get us out…' ‘come…’
It’s driving me insane.
I tried playing loud music on my headphones in an effort to drown out the noise, but it just increased in volume and it seemed as though the voices were coming from inside my headphones too.
I couldn’t tell anyone about the voices- I couldn’t risk getting fired, none of the other firms would accept me in and what would I be then? Broke, homeless, with a bunch of noisy ghouls hounding me.
No, I have to tough it out. My internship would be ending in a couple of months, and after that, I would be free.
It’s getting to me, though. It’s beginning to become very difficult to concentrate at my work.
I now begin to see shapes. Dark shapes, lurking in the corners of my office, reaching out to me. I can see no facial features apart from their mouths, drooping down the corners of their heads as they moan for help.
It’s so loud. So loud so loud so loud I can’t take it.
I see their tendrils. Long, spindly, branch-like tendrils, curling and looping towards me.
I can’t move.
The moans are getting louder.
I can feel myself losing consciousness. My view is growing dimmer.
It’s so dark. Too dark.
I don’t understand what’s happening.
-
When I wake up I realize I am no longer in my seat. I can still see the office, though. I’m still in the office.
Only now, I am one of Them.
The only downside was the notorious reputation the company building had for being one of the most haunted places in town. Having being build above a burial ground, there were endless stories of apparitions, ghosts, and the like, parading the corridors of the building. Now I’ve always had a healthy skepticism for the supernatural, so this didn’t bother me one bit. However I must admit that it was rather unnerving at times, especially during over-time when most of the other staff had already gone home.
The strange noises first happened during my second week of work. I was in the pantry, enjoying a hard-earned coffee break when I became aware of a low murmur all around me. It wasn’t loud enough for me to make out any words, but it was loud enough to be picked up on. Confused, I had stuck my head out of the pantry to check if it was coming from the outside. It wasn’t. Dismissing the issue as a trick of my exhausted and stressed out mind, I finished up my coffee and quickly returned back to work.
The next incident happened a couple of days after that in the middle of a team meeting. The team-leader, also my direct boss, had been discussing on our latest marketing proposal when I heard the low drone of voices again. It wasn’t as soft as the last time, and I could vaguely pick out words such as ‘help’ and ‘save’.
'Are you hearing this?' I turned to my co-worker sitting beside me.
'I'm trying not to.' He groaned and nodded towards the team-leader. 'This is hella boring.'
Irritated, I tried to concentrate on the meeting rather than on the voices, which seemed to gradually become more frantic and panicky as I continued to ignore it.
These incidents began to occur more and more frequently, and the voices started to grow louder and louder. By now, I could make out most of the words.
'help me…' '…save me…' 'trapped…' 'need help…' '….get us out…' ‘come…’
It’s driving me insane.
I tried playing loud music on my headphones in an effort to drown out the noise, but it just increased in volume and it seemed as though the voices were coming from inside my headphones too.
I couldn’t tell anyone about the voices- I couldn’t risk getting fired, none of the other firms would accept me in and what would I be then? Broke, homeless, with a bunch of noisy ghouls hounding me.
No, I have to tough it out. My internship would be ending in a couple of months, and after that, I would be free.
It’s getting to me, though. It’s beginning to become very difficult to concentrate at my work.
I now begin to see shapes. Dark shapes, lurking in the corners of my office, reaching out to me. I can see no facial features apart from their mouths, drooping down the corners of their heads as they moan for help.
It’s so loud. So loud so loud so loud I can’t take it.
I see their tendrils. Long, spindly, branch-like tendrils, curling and looping towards me.
I can’t move.
The moans are getting louder.
I can feel myself losing consciousness. My view is growing dimmer.
It’s so dark. Too dark.
I don’t understand what’s happening.
-
When I wake up I realize I am no longer in my seat. I can still see the office, though. I’m still in the office.
Only now, I am one of Them.
Grabbed from Horror/creepy short stories
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