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Staying Late at the Office


I work for an engineering company in a sales role which keeps me busy all through the week. The office I work in is situated in the heart of an industrial estate amongst various other manufacturing and engineering plants. As you can imagine, the estate is a hive of activity during the day; forklifts and HGVs, industrial machinery buzzing and whirring, people shouting and beckoning etc. Sometimes I look out from our first storey window at all the commotion when my day is less busy. I take in every detail; the men holding clipboards, wearing overalls and shouting instructions; the men in suits demand and agree with whoever is on the other end of their telephone call; the women who leaving as a gaggle for their unauthorised extended lunch break. This continues until 5pm every day. At this point, all the workers descend to the exit and make their way home to their families, spouses or video consoles.

Every now and then I am called upon to stay later at the office. This particular time I was finishing a lengthy quotation for our most valued customer which kept me particularly late. My colleagues waved farewell and poked fun at my willingness to stay behind to finish the job. My boss instructed me to lock the premises and set the alarm on my departure before also vacating himself. I was the only one who remained behind. I got up to watch my boss drive away down the estate, his headlights illuminating the vacated industrial estate (In the UK it tends to become dark at around 5pm during the winter). As he disappeared from sight, I lingered a little while longer and mused on how abstract the turmoil from earlier in the day seemed. I worked for what seemed a solid two hours before returning to the window for a short break. This was when I first noticed her.

At a first glance you would never have noticed but as I was studying the landscape I squinted and leaned towards the street below as if questioning my sight. Some 50 metres away I saw what looked like a little girl. She was stood still. Unnaturally still. I could make her out behind the haze of a street lamp. Not quite being able to believe my eyes, I moved to a different position within the office to gain a vantage point. You have to understand that it would be strange for a little girl to be in this kind of area even during the day. I felt my heartbeat faster and my stomach drop a little as I stared at this little girl who was now in plain view. I would have placed her at around 8 years old. She wore what looked like a white summer dress; still standing, absolutely still. Not wishing to dwell, I turned back to my desk and attempted to continue with my work. I didn’t want to look again but I was so curious. As I thought about it, I entertained the idea that she might need help. Maybe she was lost and I should be concerned? Life isn’t a horror movie after all. A loud clink interrupted my thoughts. It sounded like a small stone or something had bounced off the window. Surely this couldn’t have been happening. Did she see me? Does she need help? I creeped slowly towards the window and glanced from the side to determine what had happened. I was slightly relieved but still horrified. She was still stood in the same place. She couldn’t have thrown something from that far away I thought. I scanned the area and saw him.

A boy of the same age stood directly below the office window. He looked straight up at me. He didn’t blink. He didn’t move. Just a blank expression. I shot a glance at the little girl who had turned her head to look straight at me. Both “children” stood completely still. Now my heart was pounding. Kids aren’t clever enough to pull this kind of prank surely. As I returned to my desk, my heart pounding in my chest, another small object bounced off the window. That small clink made my throat close up and my stomach tighten. Feeling brave enough from my vantage point, I dared another glance. Both children now stood directly beneath the window. Both looking straight up at me, this time, smiling. Not an innocent, playful smile; a very wide, very unnerving smile. Something about their eyes wasn’t quite right.

Retreating slightly from the window, I studied the rest of the estate. Across the street, in the first storey window stood another little girl. She looked straight at me. I saw the last person leave that building every day. The MD of that company locked the door and drove off in his BMW every day. How had she got in there? I was truly sweating now. I was so scared. At this point I had suddenly thought about the entrance to my building. It was unlocked.

I looked once more out the window to make sure none of the “children” had moved. They remained where I had last seen them, still looking and smiling. I grabbed my car keys and the office keys and ran.

I ran outside, locked the office door, got inside my car and drove. I glimpsed briefly in my rear view mirror and saw them all. There were too many to count in that brief moment. All standing and looking towards me. I turned the corner and drove very quickly home.

—
Credits to: photofreecreepypasta

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