Jan. 6, 2025

Best of 2024 | I Used to Work in a Fire Tower with a Strange Set of Rules

Best of 2024 | I Used to Work in a Fire Tower with a Strange Set of Rules
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Tonight's episode of Weekly Spooky plunges listeners into the realm of the uncanny and the terrifying as our host and narrator, Henrique Couto, once again captivates with a tale bound to send shivers down your spine. In this thrilling episode, entitled "I Used to Work in a Fire Tower with a Strange Set of Rules," authored by Michael Kelso, we are transported to a night filled with unexplainable events and an atmosphere thick with suspense.

Henrique kicks off the episode by reflecting on the seduction of fear and the importance of embracing the terrors of the past. With 2025 lurking just around the corner, he teases the exciting new frights that await us, while also reminding us that our fascination with horror draws deeply from the rich tapestry of stories that came before. Hence, he chooses to recount some of the chilling experiences of 2024, particularly the spine-tingling journey of a park ranger working alone in an ominous fire tower.

Listeners are quickly plunged into the ranger's harrowing story, which begins with a job that seemed deceptively simple: a fire tower ranger, tasked with monitoring the forest and ensuring safety. However, all illusions of normality are shattered upon the discovery of a peculiar list of strange rules. Without hesitation, Henrique sets the stage, presenting a gripping narrative where each twist and turn teeters on the edge of the supernatural. Our ranger protagonist, through a series of unfortunate events, finds himself ensnared in a reality he never fathomed—one filled with terrifying creatures and rules that could mean life or death.

As the story unfolds, the ranger's encounter at a new job takes a dark turn—he must adhere to bizarre and cryptic protocols, trapped in a warehouse with a host of eerie security measures that only heighten the feeling of dread. With rules forbidding him from leaving, ignoring disembodied voices, and navigating eerie patrol paths marked with colors, the atmosphere darkens further. As the ranger embarks on his patrols, it becomes clear that something sinister lurks within the shadows.

With each patrol, he unearths unfathomable horrors and stalks unearthly beings, creating a wonderfully suspenseful narrative that keeps listeners hanging on every word. The ambiance is punctuated with unnerving silences and sudden, horrific encounters with unimaginable creatures—a reminder of how the safety of the mundane can be disrupted in an instant.

Couto deftly keeps the tension high, skillfully weaving in details that give life to this chilling tale, from dark hallways with no turning back to the overwhelming fear of being hunted. The ranger's encounters escalate, leading to a cataclysmic showdown between good and evil, sanity and madness. Just when hope seems lost, he finds unexpected allies and resources, forcing him to confront not only the creatures but the many rules designed to protect him from unseen dangers.

As we reach the climax of this hair-raising narrative, listeners are left contemplating the moral implications of rules that seem designed not merely for safety, but to entrap. What does true survival mean in a world overrun by the bizarre? With masterful storytelling, Henrique Couto leaves us to ponder these questions long after the story fades into the night.

Join us for an exploration that pushes the boundaries of reality while instilling a deep-rooted sense of unease, and as always, make sure to subscribe for more spine-tingling tales. Tune in next week for another fresh fright that will echo in the chambers of your mind. Don't miss out—prepare for the unexpected with Weekly Spooky!

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🎵 Music by Ray Mattis 👉 Check out Ray’s incredible work here !
👨‍💼 Executive Producers: Rob Fields, Bobbletopia.com
🎥 Produced by: Daniel Wilder
🌐 Explore more terrifying tales at: WeeklySpooky.com
WEBVTT

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Hello, my spookees. It's your host and narrator, Enrique Kuto

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here telling you that twenty twenty five is going to

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bring so many new scares, so many new stories, new authors,

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and so much more. But of course it's important to

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remember the old adage those who do not know the

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past are doomed to repeat it. So I've taken it

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upon myself to share with you all some of the

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best stories of twenty twenty four, and this one I

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really enjoyed. It was originally a two parter, but here

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we have them both married together. It's called I Used

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to Work in a fire Tower with a Strange set

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of Rules by Michael Kelso. So enjoy the story, make

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sure you subscribe on your favorite podcasting app, and I'll

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see you Wednesday with a brand new story I Used

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to Work in a fire Tower with a Strange set

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of Rules by Michael It wasn't all that long ago

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when I worked as a park ranger in a fire tower.

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You'd think it would be an easy job. You'd be wrong.

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Once I found a strange list of rules, it was

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all downhill from there. Suffice it to say I was

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lucky to get out with my life while still being

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a free man. There was an investigation into the matter,

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and I was questioned several times by the police, but

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they didn't want to hear the truth of the story

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that something strange and supernatural happened that night in that

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fire tower. Unfortunately, one of my fellow rangers wasn't so lucky.

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But that is another story. I never went back to

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that tower ever. I searched for a few weeks before

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finding a new job. It was just in the nick

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of time because I hadn't worked does a park ranger

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long enough to make much money at all, and switching

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back and forth between peanut butter sandwiches and mac and

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cheese wasn't the best way to stave off starvation. But

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beggars can't be choosers. So I applied for this job

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and went into the office building in town for the interview.

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The first question I asked was does it have any

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strange rules? The interviewer looked at me like I had

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just sprouted a second head. Like what kinds of rules?

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She said, I don't know, like don't answer the phone

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at a certain time of night, or if you see

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a glowing orb, look away for thirty seconds. Are you

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planning on seeing any glowing orbs inside our warehouse, She

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said hesitantly, I hope not. She held my gaze for

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a long moment before answering my question. I started to

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wonder if she was going to kick me out of

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her office. To answer your original question, she said, I

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don't know of any strange rules for the warehouse. To

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my knowledge, it's a standard night watchman job. You go there,

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you make sure no one breaks in and takes anything,

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and then you go home. That's a relief, just out

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of curiosity. Why did you ask about strange rules. My

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last job had some strange rules, and let's just say

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it didn't end well. Oh, all right, she said, I

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suppose that would be a good question for you to ask.

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Then the rest of the interview was standard stuff. Thankfully

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I hadn't blown it and got the job. She gave

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me my employee packet and the address of the warehouse.

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She told me I would be trained on the job,

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when to be there for my first shift, and the

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name of my supervisor, mister Larson. I thanked her and

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went on my merry way, happy to have a job

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that was and paid decently. The next couple of days

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went by slowly as anticipation built for my first shift.

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When I got in my car, the gas gage told

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me I would be pushing it to make it back

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and forth to work before I got my first paycheck.

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I drove to the address and found it in what

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looked like an abandoned business park. There were other warehouses

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along the drive, with weeds growing through the cracks in

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the pavement and up the sides of the buildings. There

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were street lights, but they looked old and decrepit. Only

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two of them were still emanating their putrid yellow light,

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fighting a losing battle against the darkness. I came to

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the end of the road and looming in front of

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me was a massive warehouse. The GPS on my phone

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told me I had arrived, but I wasn't sure I

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wanted to. It was all by itself, surrounded by woods

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on all sides except for the notch that had been

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cut out to make the road. I pulled around to

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the side where the main door was and was slightly

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comforted by the car that was parked in front. At

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least there was some other living soul out here. I

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got out, taking my bag of supplies with me. I

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started toward the door and hit the remote button to

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lock the car out of habit. The horn's chirp echoed

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through the trees, making me even more aware of their presence.

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I wasn't looking forward to doing security checks around the perimeter.

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There was only one security light that I had seen

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when I drove up, and it was near the entrance.

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I approached the door and tried to open it, but

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it was locked. I looked around for anything and found

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a key pad. I opened up my email on my

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phone and read the instructions i'd been sent. Your shift

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is from nine p m to nine a m. It read,

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you cannot leave between those hours. The code for the

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keypad is your employee code. That way we know it's

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you inside. I paused. There was something about that last

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sentence that gave me chills. I reread it and decided

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it was just a security thing. Your employee code is

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two zero five nine. It should open any doors you

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need to access inside. If you have any problems, call

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or text the number included in your packet. I didn't

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remember getting any number in my packet, but maybe I

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just skimmed over it. I entered my code on the keypad.

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The light above the numbers turned green, and I heard

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the lock click. I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

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When the door shut, I heard the lock click again.

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I stared at it as if the sound had some

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finality to it, Just out of curiosity. I typed in

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my code on the inside keypad, but the light stayed

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red and the door stayed locked. I tried to shrug

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it off, thinking it was like a time card thing

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that it wouldn't open again until nine am. I looked

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at my watch and it read nine o two pm.

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I turned toward the inside set of doors and punched

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in my code. The green light and click granted me entry.

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If I'm going to have to type in my code

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at every door, it's going to be a long night,

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I thought. I stepped into what looked like a small

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reception area. There was a desk and a couple of

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vinyl couches along the wall. It was sparsely decorated and

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dimly lit. The only painting I saw on the wall

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had a picture of a large gait that was dark

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red with words in some other language. I walked through

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the first set of doors after inputting my code. They

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opened up into a long, dimly lit hallway with doors

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on both sides. The first one I came to said security.

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It was no surprise when I saw a keypad on

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the door lock. I typed in my code and opened

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the door. Inside there was a desk with monitors in

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a computer. There was also a table with two chairs,

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another vinyl couch, a mini fridge, and a small bathroom.

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I set my bag down on the couch and got

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my water bottle out. I opened the fridge and found

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a lunch box with a bottle on the door. I

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guess it belongs to the guard I'm supposed to relieve,

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I thought, where is he anyway? I put my bottle

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in and closed the fridge, then looked around the room

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more closely. There were three doors on the far wall

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that I hadn't noticed. I opened the first one and

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found it was a closet. A light jacket hung there,

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and a small duffel bag sat on the shelf. I

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sat my bag beside it and closed the door. I

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opened the second one to find a weapons locker. Two

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handguns and two shotguns, along with tasers and pepper spray

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were locked behind a metal mesh door. I tried the

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door out of curiosity, but it refused to budge. Surprisingly,

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there wasn't a keypad to punch in numbers. It was

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an actual lock. I looked around for the keys but

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didn't find them. Maybe the other guard had them. I

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closed the door and tried to open the third one.

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It remained locked. Maybe it's a maintenance closet or something.

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I sat at the desk and looked at the computer.

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The monitor showed a login screen. I typed in my

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code and it came up to an email. I had

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three messages. I clicked on the first that read first

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log In. I opened it and read welcome to your

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first shift. I'm sure by now you have some questions.

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First off, you need to log into our Wi Fi.

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If you look at your phone, you'll see there's no

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cell service inside the building. I looked, and sure enough,

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my phone had no service. I followed the directions to

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hook up to their Wi Fi. Once I logged in,

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a strange symbol flashed on my phone. Then it went

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blank for a whole minute. I tried to go back

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or go to the home screen, but nothing happened. I

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was about to power off when suddenly the screen came back.

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Everything seemed normal and I was able to do everything

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but make calls. My phone dinged as I received a text,

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congratulations on setting up your phone on our corporate WiFi.

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Calling will be disabled while you're on shift. If you

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have any needs, text this number someone is monitoring twenty

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four to seven. I saw the number they sent and

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saved it as corporate. I opened the second email and

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read the message your duties monitor for any unusual activity.

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If there is unusual activity, text corporate immediately check to

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make sure all doors are secure. Do green patrols twice

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per shift. Do a red patrol once per shift. Do

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yellow patrols four times per shift. I was wondering what

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that meant when a video started showing the hallway floors

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that had different color stripes of paint. There was green, yellow,

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and red, and then there seemed to be another color

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beside them. Before I could make it out, the video ended,

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take make your brakes only in the security room. The

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email ended. I looked at the subject for the third

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one and it read open only after the first patrol.

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I hovered the arrow over the subject and was tempted

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to click, but just then I got a text. Have

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you done your first patrol yet? It read great? I thought,

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just what I need is to be nagged at work.

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Not yet, I texted back, better get to it. I

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sighed and stepped to the door when my phone dinged,

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don't forget your flashlight.

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Don't go away weekly spooky, We'll be right back.

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I read it and looked at the closet, realizing I

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had done just that. I slowly looked back at the phone,

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thinking many things I'd like to respond, but texted thanks.

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I went to the closet and got my flashlight out

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of my bag. I looked at my phone and thought

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anything else, wondering if it would respond. Thankfully it didn't.

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My phone literally reading my thoughts would be disturbing beyond belief.

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I opened the door and glanced at my phone to

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see if I'd done anything else wrong. It remained, thankfully silent.

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I stepped back into the hallway, where every third light

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was lit. I assumed it was the nighttime lighting and

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started down the hall. Looking at the floor, The lines

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were just like in the video. The fourth line was black.

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I paused at the ramifications of being guided towards something

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they didn't want me to check on. That either meant

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they didn't care about it or didn't trust me to

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check it out. Either one was disconcerting. I decided to

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00:12:43.440 --> 00:12:46.440
get a yellow patrol out of the way. I followed

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the line down the hall, glancing at each door that

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was marked with a letter and a number. The first

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one said A one, the next said A two. As

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I continued, the letter remained the same as the numbers increased,

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odd numbers on the right side doors, even on the left.

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I reached the end of the hall and the yellow

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00:13:08.360 --> 00:13:11.840
and green lines turned right down another hallway. The red

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00:13:11.879 --> 00:13:16.159
and black went left. I glanced left, but stayed right.

221
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My curiosity would have to wait until later. I followed

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the lines down the next hall and read the first door.

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It said B one. This continued down the entire hall,

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just like the first. At the end, the green line

225
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turned left while the yellow went right. This hall started

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with C one. The entire time I'd been walking, there

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was total silence. There wasn't even the sound of air

228
00:13:43.759 --> 00:13:48.919
conditioners or anything. It was eerie. I stopped and looked

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00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:53.120
around the hallway, and all the doors were pristine. There

230
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wasn't a bit of dirt or dust. It didn't look

231
00:13:56.440 --> 00:13:59.080
like a warehouse, at least not like I thought. The

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inside of a warehouse would look This was something else

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I would have to make a list of questions to

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ask when I got back to the security room. I

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continued my round and followed the yellow line as it

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turned right yet again. This hall started with D one.

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When I reached the end of the hall, the line

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dead ended at a door. I hesitated for a moment

239
00:14:21.799 --> 00:14:25.360
before opening it into another hall. I turned and looked

240
00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:29.600
at the other side of the door. It said A one.

241
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I looked to the left and saw the security room.

242
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The yellow line had taken me in a circle, or

243
00:14:36.200 --> 00:14:39.240
I suppose it would have been a square. I shook

244
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my head, stepped into the security room and sat down

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at the computer. The email sat waiting. I clicked it.

246
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Congratulations on your first patrol. I read the sentence and

247
00:14:51.159 --> 00:14:56.759
felt uneasy at the word successful. Why wouldn't it be successful?

248
00:14:56.879 --> 00:15:00.399
I thought, by now you probably have some questions, Jins.

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00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:04.279
Perhaps we can answer them before you ask. First, the

250
00:15:04.320 --> 00:15:09.279
black line, do not follow it under any circumstances. Second,

251
00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:12.840
as I'm sure you've already noticed, you cannot leave until

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00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:16.480
your shift is over. Third, make sure you close any

253
00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:20.360
door you open. These are some basic rules. There'll be

254
00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:24.799
more as your shift commences. I looked for any more emails,

255
00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:30.519
but there were none. Great, I thought, more rules. At

256
00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:35.320
least these ones aren't all weird and creepy. I opened

257
00:15:35.320 --> 00:15:38.000
the mini fridge and took a drink from my water bottle.

258
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As I put it back, I glanced at the lunch

259
00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:44.240
box and wondered where the other guard was. I checked

260
00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:47.320
my watch and it was almost ten. I figured I

261
00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:50.720
should do my first green line patrol. I went back

262
00:15:50.759 --> 00:15:53.080
out into the hallway and followed the green line to

263
00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:56.120
the point where it veered away from the yellow. The

264
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silence in the hall was starting to bother me. Listening

265
00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:03.919
to my own footsteps was unnerving. The green line led

266
00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:08.440
to another similar corridor. This one was e hall. I

267
00:16:08.519 --> 00:16:10.879
was starting to wonder just how big this place was

268
00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:14.440
when I heard a sound I didn't make. I slowly

269
00:16:14.519 --> 00:16:18.759
turned and looked back to find an open door. I knew,

270
00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:21.279
beyond a shadow of a doubt, it wasn't open when

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00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:24.440
I went past it. I shown my flashlight around, looking

272
00:16:24.519 --> 00:16:29.639
for anything and anyone, but nothing was there. I approached

273
00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:31.919
the door and was about to close it and resume

274
00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:35.919
my patrol when I heard the sound again. My hand

275
00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:40.000
hovered over the knob as my curiosity overwhelmed my fear

276
00:16:40.120 --> 00:16:44.279
and common sense. Instead of shutting the door and moving on,

277
00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:49.639
I opened it enough to look inside. The room was dark.

278
00:16:50.159 --> 00:16:52.960
I considered turning on the light, but instead opted to

279
00:16:53.080 --> 00:16:55.960
use my flashlight. I showed it around the room that

280
00:16:56.039 --> 00:17:00.200
looked like a lab with plenty of workstations. I did

281
00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:03.000
a slow lap around the room, looking for anything out

282
00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:07.160
of the ordinary, which was laughable because I had no

283
00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:10.200
idea what went on in this room or this building

284
00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:13.160
on a day to day basis, so how would I

285
00:17:13.319 --> 00:17:16.759
know what was normal for this place. In the middle

286
00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:19.599
of my lap, I noticed a dim light underneath a

287
00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:22.839
door at the far end of the room. I slowly

288
00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:28.720
approached it, turned the knob, and peeked inside. I wish

289
00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:33.119
I hadn't. There was a large, glowing glass container that

290
00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:37.160
held an entity. Is the only thing I can think

291
00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:39.319
to call it. I know if I call it what

292
00:17:39.400 --> 00:17:41.799
I think it should be called, I'll go insane right

293
00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:45.119
on the spot. It was easily the size of a

294
00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:48.559
large human and then some. It was black and covered

295
00:17:48.599 --> 00:17:52.519
with what I could only describe as scales. There were

296
00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:56.000
sharp points sticking out of its elbows, knees in seemingly

297
00:17:56.079 --> 00:17:59.920
random spots along its head and torso. Its face was

298
00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:03.640
a nightmare, with horns sticking out of its forehead and

299
00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:07.039
curling up like a rams. It was hovering inside the

300
00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:10.279
container somehow, even though there was no liquid inside it,

301
00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:12.920
and holding its legs, making it look like it was

302
00:18:13.000 --> 00:18:16.680
curled up in the fetal position. I kept the flashlight

303
00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:20.960
down so as not to risk disturbing this thing. I

304
00:18:21.079 --> 00:18:24.640
panned around the room. There seemed to be controls of

305
00:18:24.680 --> 00:18:28.880
some sort near the container that were making occasional hissing sounds.

306
00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:32.839
It was as if the machine was breathing for it.

307
00:18:33.720 --> 00:18:36.079
How I kept from screaming and running out of the room,

308
00:18:36.279 --> 00:18:39.400
I don't know. Through some miracle. I kept it together

309
00:18:39.480 --> 00:18:44.799
and slowly backed away. I held the doorknob turned, then

310
00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:49.400
slowly released it. Once the door was closed, I breathed

311
00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:52.200
a sigh of relief and started toward the door that

312
00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:55.559
led to the hallway. I was almost there when I

313
00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:59.400
heard the soft scuffle of a foot on the floor.

314
00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:03.359
I froze and turned back to the room, panning slowly

315
00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:07.119
with my light. At first I didn't see anything, and

316
00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:11.119
then a tiny, pale hand reached up and turned the

317
00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:14.799
knob that led into the monster's room. I didn't want

318
00:19:14.839 --> 00:19:17.279
to know what was doing it. I just wanted it

319
00:19:17.319 --> 00:19:21.400
to stop. After a quick rundown of potential outcomes, I

320
00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:24.400
settled on getting out of that room as quietly as possible.

321
00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:28.799
I stepped toward the hallway door, while shooting furtive glances

322
00:19:28.920 --> 00:19:32.240
back at the other door that was slowly opening. I

323
00:19:32.279 --> 00:19:35.319
could see the creature in its container and the thing

324
00:19:35.359 --> 00:19:36.400
that had opened the door.

325
00:19:37.759 --> 00:19:41.720
You're not safe yet, weakly spooky will be right back.

326
00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:48.000
It was small, only a few feet tall, with gangly

327
00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:52.720
legs and arms. But what froze my blood was seeing

328
00:19:52.759 --> 00:19:57.480
its face. It was embedded in its torso. Two eyes

329
00:19:57.519 --> 00:20:01.720
and a mouth full of sharp, grinning teeth were right

330
00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:05.640
there where its belly should have been. It had no head.

331
00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:08.559
It was like someone had smashed all but a few

332
00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:12.000
inches of this creature's torso and left the face right there.

333
00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:17.079
It looked at me, and its horrific smile grew as

334
00:20:17.119 --> 00:20:21.160
it reached the controls in the room. I backed out

335
00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:25.920
into the hallway and closed the door quietly, then ran

336
00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:28.640
as I followed the green line to its ending underneath

337
00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:32.119
a door. I hesitated to open that door with my

338
00:20:32.200 --> 00:20:36.519
new knowledge that there were potentially dangerous creatures lurking behind

339
00:20:36.599 --> 00:20:41.480
every opening. Finally, I turned the knob and peeked out

340
00:20:41.480 --> 00:20:45.319
into a hallway. The first thing I saw was four

341
00:20:45.400 --> 00:20:48.279
lines on the floor, which told me I was once

342
00:20:48.359 --> 00:20:52.440
again in the first hall. I looked at the number

343
00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:57.559
on the door. It read a two. I jumped out

344
00:20:57.559 --> 00:21:00.279
and slammed the door shut, diving into the Secure Purity

345
00:21:00.359 --> 00:21:03.400
room and shutting that door as well. I leaned against

346
00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:06.079
it for a long moment, wondering how I was going

347
00:21:06.119 --> 00:21:09.160
to do another patrol, knowing that either or both of

348
00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:13.759
those creatures would be stalking the hallways. My attention was

349
00:21:13.799 --> 00:21:16.680
grabbed by one of the monitors. There were over a

350
00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:20.559
dozen images being transmitted onto different sections of a large TV.

351
00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:23.440
I looked at the videos for the first time and

352
00:21:23.559 --> 00:21:27.240
noticed there wasn't a single camera aimed at the outside

353
00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:32.440
of the building. They were all inside. My breath caught

354
00:21:32.440 --> 00:21:36.680
in my throat. That means they aren't afraid of what's outside,

355
00:21:38.119 --> 00:21:43.960
but what's inside. I watched the monitors. Fortunately they were

356
00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:47.119
in color. I focused on the cameras that showed green

357
00:21:47.160 --> 00:21:49.599
lines on the floor and waited to see if any

358
00:21:49.640 --> 00:21:53.039
of the doors opened. After thirty minutes, I hadn't seen

359
00:21:53.079 --> 00:21:56.119
any movement. I sat back in my chair, Feeling a

360
00:21:56.160 --> 00:22:00.799
little better. I decided to do another yellow patrol. I

361
00:22:00.839 --> 00:22:02.960
didn't want to. I would have rather stayed in the

362
00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:05.759
security room for the rest of my shift, but that

363
00:22:05.960 --> 00:22:09.279
wasn't an option. I comforted myself with the thought that

364
00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:12.079
I had been watching the cameras and nothing had moved.

365
00:22:13.160 --> 00:22:16.880
It wasn't much comfort. I picked up my flashlight, trying

366
00:22:16.920 --> 00:22:20.279
to keep it steady as my shaking hands showed my hesitation.

367
00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:23.680
I stepped through the security room door and out into

368
00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:28.480
the hallway. Somehow it looked different now. Before, when I

369
00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:31.400
was just checking a bunch of doors, I convinced myself

370
00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:34.079
that nothing of interest was in any of the rooms.

371
00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:37.799
Now I knew better. Now I looked at each room

372
00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:40.720
as if it were about to spring open, and I

373
00:22:40.759 --> 00:22:43.599
shook the thoughts away. I had to or I wouldn't

374
00:22:43.599 --> 00:22:47.440
take another step. I walked down the first hall ears

375
00:22:47.480 --> 00:22:50.920
a tuned to any sound. At my first turn, all

376
00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:54.359
I heard were my own footsteps. Even they gave me

377
00:22:54.440 --> 00:22:57.200
pause and had me whipping around to look behind me

378
00:22:57.640 --> 00:23:01.160
from time to time. By the second turn, I was

379
00:23:01.200 --> 00:23:04.759
beginning to feel a little less nervous. By the third turn.

380
00:23:05.079 --> 00:23:08.160
I was almost calm until I saw where the green

381
00:23:08.240 --> 00:23:12.319
line split off from the yellow. I stopped and stared

382
00:23:12.359 --> 00:23:16.680
down the green hall, wondering if that thing had slipped out.

383
00:23:17.680 --> 00:23:20.640
For an instant, I thought I saw a movement. I

384
00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:24.200
shone my light all around, but saw nothing. Even so

385
00:23:24.680 --> 00:23:27.200
I picked up the pace for my last hallway and

386
00:23:27.319 --> 00:23:30.960
quickly opened the security room door, then closed it. Feeling

387
00:23:31.000 --> 00:23:33.880
my heart racing, I looked at my watch and it

388
00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:37.599
was nearly midnight. I'd done three of my seven patrols.

389
00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:43.200
My phone dinged. There was a text. It's nearly midnight,

390
00:23:43.559 --> 00:23:48.119
it said. I wanted to reply sarcastically, but thought better

391
00:23:48.200 --> 00:23:53.319
of it. What's special about midnight? Didn't they tell you?

392
00:23:54.400 --> 00:24:02.480
Tell me what the rules? My heart hammered in my chest.

393
00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:06.920
Not again. They told me I couldn't leave before my

394
00:24:07.000 --> 00:24:11.279
shift was over, and to do different color patrols. That's

395
00:24:11.319 --> 00:24:14.799
not the rules I'm talking about. I knew it before

396
00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:18.519
the text came. Do I want to know what they are?

397
00:24:18.920 --> 00:24:23.559
I texted, you need to What if I just sit

398
00:24:23.599 --> 00:24:27.720
in the security room. There wasn't an immediate text back.

399
00:24:29.160 --> 00:24:36.039
There are things that would happen like what like things

400
00:24:36.079 --> 00:24:40.880
that would destroy you or at least your mind, I sighed,

401
00:24:42.039 --> 00:24:46.279
So send me the list of rules. I shook my

402
00:24:46.319 --> 00:24:49.079
head in disbelief that I was doing this crap again.

403
00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:53.480
One at midnight, you must be in the security office

404
00:24:53.880 --> 00:24:57.799
and stay there until twelve thirty am. No matter what

405
00:24:57.920 --> 00:25:00.920
you see or hear, you must stay in the office

406
00:25:01.119 --> 00:25:05.839
and don't open the door for any reason. That doesn't

407
00:25:05.839 --> 00:25:11.319
sound ominous at all, I texted. Two. When doing a patrol,

408
00:25:11.400 --> 00:25:15.319
if you hear someone calling to you or screaming, ignore it.

409
00:25:15.799 --> 00:25:20.599
Do not attempt to find the source of the sound. Three,

410
00:25:20.839 --> 00:25:24.359
if the doors start changing, follow the lines back to

411
00:25:24.440 --> 00:25:28.559
the security room. That should actually take care of you

412
00:25:28.640 --> 00:25:32.359
for now. Just remember, do not follow the black line

413
00:25:32.720 --> 00:25:36.480
and don't go into any rooms. Are you kidding me

414
00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:39.599
with this? I texted, I don't want to do this again.

415
00:25:39.720 --> 00:25:44.000
Let me out. Sorry, not possible. Nothing can open those

416
00:25:44.039 --> 00:25:47.039
doors until your shift is over. And what did you

417
00:25:47.119 --> 00:25:53.720
mean again, I worked in a fire tower with weird rules. Interesting.

418
00:25:54.279 --> 00:25:59.079
I'd like to hear that story someday. Good luck, Thanks

419
00:25:59.079 --> 00:26:01.559
a lot. By the way, where's the key to the

420
00:26:01.559 --> 00:26:06.319
weapons locker? Just in case didn't the guard you relieved.

421
00:26:06.359 --> 00:26:10.519
Give it to you. I haven't seen him. That's not

422
00:26:10.720 --> 00:26:15.839
good news. Is there a spare key somewhere? No return?

423
00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:22.240
Text came, Hello, is there a spare key? No response.

424
00:26:23.599 --> 00:26:26.839
I checked my watch and it was twelve oh one.

425
00:26:27.039 --> 00:26:30.720
As if on cue, there was a knock at the door.

426
00:26:31.319 --> 00:26:33.839
I took a step toward it before I remembered the

427
00:26:33.960 --> 00:26:39.599
rules i'd been texted. The knocking became more insistent. Next,

428
00:26:39.640 --> 00:26:42.640
the doorknob began rattling, as if someone was trying to

429
00:26:42.680 --> 00:26:46.920
tear it out of the door. Who's there, I said,

430
00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:52.119
cringing at my own words. The doorknob stopped rattling. There

431
00:26:52.200 --> 00:26:55.000
was a silence that was only broken by the pounding

432
00:26:55.480 --> 00:27:00.160
of my own heartbeat. It's mister Larson, A voice said,

433
00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:03.480
I've misplaced my key. Could you please let me in.

434
00:27:04.480 --> 00:27:07.680
I took another step and reached for the doorknob. When

435
00:27:07.720 --> 00:27:12.079
I remembered there's a keypad on the door, I said,

436
00:27:12.839 --> 00:27:15.079
if you are who you say you are, just punch

437
00:27:15.119 --> 00:27:18.759
your coat and and the door'll open. There was silence

438
00:27:18.799 --> 00:27:22.119
on the other side of the door. It lasted so

439
00:27:22.240 --> 00:27:25.440
long that I wondered if whoever it was had gone away.

440
00:27:26.720 --> 00:27:29.119
I leaned against the door and put my ear up

441
00:27:29.160 --> 00:27:34.039
to it. That's when I heard the loudest, most blood

442
00:27:34.079 --> 00:27:39.079
curdling inhuman scream I'd ever heard in my life. I

443
00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:41.599
threw myself on the floor, trying to get away from

444
00:27:41.640 --> 00:27:46.279
the door as quickly as possible. The pounding continued. I

445
00:27:46.400 --> 00:27:48.960
wondered how long the door would hold up and what

446
00:27:49.000 --> 00:27:51.440
I would do when whatever it was broke it down.

447
00:27:52.319 --> 00:27:55.759
I held my flashlight like a baseball bat, looking all

448
00:27:55.799 --> 00:28:00.000
around the room for a better weapon, and not finding any.

449
00:28:00.519 --> 00:28:03.799
My eyes fell on the weapons locker, wishing I had

450
00:28:03.799 --> 00:28:07.799
a key. The door started bowing inward with every blow.

451
00:28:08.440 --> 00:28:10.359
It was so bad I got one of the chairs

452
00:28:10.359 --> 00:28:13.160
from the brake table and wedged it against the doorknob.

453
00:28:13.599 --> 00:28:17.839
I stepped back and looked at my handiwork. The ludicrousness

454
00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:20.319
of a folding metal chair trying to hold off an

455
00:28:20.319 --> 00:28:23.200
assault that was bowing a solid door was enough to

456
00:28:23.240 --> 00:28:27.640
make me laugh. I knew it wouldn't last long. Sawdust

457
00:28:27.720 --> 00:28:31.279
was raining down on the floor. I considered locking myself

458
00:28:31.319 --> 00:28:34.319
in the bathroom, but save that for a last resort.

459
00:28:35.640 --> 00:28:42.440
And then suddenly the assault stopped. The last few remnants

460
00:28:42.480 --> 00:28:46.319
of sawdust floated to the floor. In silence, I gripped

461
00:28:46.319 --> 00:28:51.119
the flashlight tighter, not trusting this respite. Sweat dripped from

462
00:28:51.160 --> 00:28:53.519
my forehead. As I waited for the assault to resume.

463
00:28:54.680 --> 00:28:59.400
Nothing happened. I stood there, staring at the door, dumbfounded,

464
00:28:59.440 --> 00:29:02.160
not knowing what to do next. I glanced at my

465
00:29:02.279 --> 00:29:07.599
watch and it said twelve thirty two am. The text

466
00:29:07.720 --> 00:29:10.960
said to stay in the office from twelve to twelve thirty.

467
00:29:11.039 --> 00:29:16.359
I thought, maybe it's okay to go out now. I

468
00:29:16.440 --> 00:29:22.880
grasped the doorknob and slowly turned, taking a deep, cleansing

469
00:29:22.960 --> 00:29:27.519
breath before pulling it open. I'm not sure what I

470
00:29:27.599 --> 00:29:32.839
expected to be there, but what I found was nothing.

471
00:29:33.880 --> 00:29:36.279
The hallway looked the same as it had before.

472
00:29:38.480 --> 00:29:38.559
No.

473
00:29:38.759 --> 00:29:45.119
Wait, the lines on the floor, they were wrong. Every

474
00:29:45.119 --> 00:29:47.480
other time I came out of the security office, the

475
00:29:47.559 --> 00:29:51.240
lines stretched down the hallway to the right. Now they

476
00:29:51.240 --> 00:29:54.279
were going to the left. I looked to the right

477
00:29:54.359 --> 00:29:56.640
and saw the doors that went to the reception area

478
00:29:56.680 --> 00:30:01.400
and eventually the outside doors. This, this is impossible, I thought,

479
00:30:02.039 --> 00:30:05.640
my breathing becoming erratic with panic. I pulled out my

480
00:30:05.720 --> 00:30:09.559
phone and texted, the lines are reversed. It took a

481
00:30:09.559 --> 00:30:13.640
moment for the response. Did you break any rules? No?

482
00:30:13.839 --> 00:30:16.559
I did everything the way you said. Someone was trying

483
00:30:16.599 --> 00:30:19.160
to beat down the office door, but I didn't open it.

484
00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:22.039
Have you gone in any rooms?

485
00:30:22.519 --> 00:30:22.599
No?

486
00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:26.759
I wait. On my second round, I found an open

487
00:30:26.839 --> 00:30:30.480
door and went inside to check it. Not good. What

488
00:30:30.599 --> 00:30:35.799
did you see? Nothing? I lied? Are you sure I

489
00:30:35.839 --> 00:30:39.200
didn't see anything but an empty room? Then why are

490
00:30:39.240 --> 00:30:43.200
the lines switched? I have no idea. You're the one

491
00:30:43.200 --> 00:30:47.079
who's supposed to know this stuff. Okay, do a yellow

492
00:30:47.119 --> 00:30:49.680
line patrol when you get to the end instead of

493
00:30:49.759 --> 00:30:52.319
going through the door. The line ends at open the

494
00:30:52.359 --> 00:30:55.519
first door on your right and go through it, and

495
00:30:55.759 --> 00:30:56.799
that'll fix things.

496
00:30:57.720 --> 00:31:03.519
Hopefully you are scarce to come weekly, spooky, We'll be

497
00:31:03.640 --> 00:31:04.319
right back.

498
00:31:06.440 --> 00:31:12.200
What do you mean hopefully? No return text came. Come on, man,

499
00:31:12.240 --> 00:31:14.920
you've got to be kidding me with this. I texted,

500
00:31:14.960 --> 00:31:19.200
but still got no response. I looked left, then right,

501
00:31:19.359 --> 00:31:22.720
then back at the security room. I sighed and turned

502
00:31:22.759 --> 00:31:26.440
left down the hallway, following the lines. It was shortly

503
00:31:26.480 --> 00:31:30.759
after my first turn that I noticed a difference. The

504
00:31:30.880 --> 00:31:35.279
place was still silent except for my footsteps, but something

505
00:31:35.400 --> 00:31:39.480
felt off. It was like I was in a different place,

506
00:31:39.599 --> 00:31:42.920
but it looked the same. It was almost like I

507
00:31:43.000 --> 00:31:46.839
was walking through a replica of the warehouse, but different.

508
00:31:47.519 --> 00:31:49.480
Aside from the fact that I was going in the

509
00:31:49.480 --> 00:31:53.079
opposite direction, which defied the laws of physics because this

510
00:31:53.200 --> 00:31:59.440
hallway didn't exist, there was something else. I found out

511
00:31:59.440 --> 00:32:04.319
what it was when I stopped, my footsteps kept going.

512
00:32:05.240 --> 00:32:08.160
I stood there halfway down the hall, listening to my

513
00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:12.720
own footsteps continue on without me. I looked down and

514
00:32:12.799 --> 00:32:15.680
my shoes were still on my feet, so that was

515
00:32:15.720 --> 00:32:18.920
some comfort. I stomped my shoe on the floor, but

516
00:32:19.000 --> 00:32:23.559
to my surprise, it made no sound. I stared at

517
00:32:23.599 --> 00:32:27.119
my shoes as my footsteps rounded the corner and faded.

518
00:32:27.880 --> 00:32:31.599
I rushed to catch up, but the sound was gone.

519
00:32:31.839 --> 00:32:34.680
I looked down the dimly lit hall before me and

520
00:32:34.799 --> 00:32:38.079
saw nothing. My nerves were getting a workout as I

521
00:32:38.119 --> 00:32:42.359
resumed my patrol in total silence. My shoes no longer

522
00:32:42.400 --> 00:32:47.599
made any sound. I tried stomping again, but nothing happened.

523
00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:50.640
When I turned the next corner, I was greeted by

524
00:32:50.920 --> 00:32:54.920
the worst sight imaginable. The little thing that had been

525
00:32:54.920 --> 00:32:57.279
in the room on my green patrol was standing in

526
00:32:57.319 --> 00:32:59.960
the middle of the hall, staring at me and smiling

527
00:33:00.119 --> 00:33:04.400
that disturbing grin on its belly. But that wasn't the

528
00:33:04.440 --> 00:33:08.599
worst part. Behind him was the black, scaly creature from

529
00:33:08.599 --> 00:33:12.359
the glowing container. It stood at least eight feet high

530
00:33:12.359 --> 00:33:15.799
and was breathing smoke. It looked at me in extended wings.

531
00:33:15.839 --> 00:33:19.759
I didn't know it had. They reached both walls easily.

532
00:33:20.839 --> 00:33:28.960
It was also smiling. Neither smile was comforting. I found

533
00:33:28.960 --> 00:33:31.880
my feet rooted to the floor and my knees shaking.

534
00:33:32.440 --> 00:33:35.839
The smaller creature made a chittering sound as it started

535
00:33:35.880 --> 00:33:39.480
toward me, and the larger took its first step. Its

536
00:33:39.519 --> 00:33:42.920
foot landed with the force of a jackhammer. The sound

537
00:33:43.000 --> 00:33:46.880
was debilitating. I covered my ears as they approached. I

538
00:33:46.960 --> 00:33:51.759
turned to run back to where I came from, but somehow, impossibly,

539
00:33:51.839 --> 00:33:55.599
the same creatures were approaching from that very hallway. I

540
00:33:55.680 --> 00:33:58.079
glanced back and forth at the mirror images of the

541
00:33:58.160 --> 00:34:02.079
unearthly threats closing in on me from both sides. I

542
00:34:02.119 --> 00:34:05.559
had no choice. I dove into the nearest door and

543
00:34:05.680 --> 00:34:10.440
slammed it shut. The pounding began right away. I backed away,

544
00:34:10.480 --> 00:34:13.639
but my foot stepped into empty air. I turned to

545
00:34:13.679 --> 00:34:16.079
find I was at the top step of a stairway,

546
00:34:16.840 --> 00:34:20.119
but only for a moment. Gravity took over and I

547
00:34:20.159 --> 00:34:23.679
tumbled down the stairs. Fortunately there was a landing that

548
00:34:23.760 --> 00:34:26.519
kept me from falling the rest of the way. I

549
00:34:26.599 --> 00:34:29.320
slowly stood and made sure of my balance while looking

550
00:34:29.360 --> 00:34:33.079
around at my new environment. The stairs I had fallen

551
00:34:33.159 --> 00:34:37.599
down looked like concrete and had no railings. I glanced

552
00:34:37.639 --> 00:34:39.840
over the side at the darkness that seemed to go

553
00:34:39.920 --> 00:34:44.320
on forever. It reminded me of the Moria Mine staircase

554
00:34:44.639 --> 00:34:47.679
in Lord of the Rings. I looked up the stairs

555
00:34:47.719 --> 00:34:50.719
at the door that was still under assault, then looked

556
00:34:50.760 --> 00:34:55.280
down the stairs that disappeared into darkness. Looking around the room,

557
00:34:55.360 --> 00:34:59.760
I saw no other option. I reached into my pocket

558
00:35:00.039 --> 00:35:03.920
pulled out my phone. I had to go in a room. Sorry,

559
00:35:04.239 --> 00:35:08.800
I texted, no response, come on, don't be like that.

560
00:35:09.159 --> 00:35:12.760
Answer me nothing. I looked at the phone and it

561
00:35:12.800 --> 00:35:18.239
showed no Wi Fi signal. Great, I said, hearing the

562
00:35:18.280 --> 00:35:22.280
word echo back to me, I sighed and started down

563
00:35:22.320 --> 00:35:26.239
the stairs. Fortunately there was a landing every thirty steps

564
00:35:26.320 --> 00:35:29.880
or so. Each landing started the next set of stairs

565
00:35:29.880 --> 00:35:32.519
in a different direction. Looking down through the middle of

566
00:35:32.519 --> 00:35:36.599
the staircase, I could see them disappear in an elongated square.

567
00:35:37.559 --> 00:35:41.719
After a few landings, I found myself thinking the strangest thought,

568
00:35:42.239 --> 00:35:46.079
what about the rest of my rounds? The unending stairs

569
00:35:46.119 --> 00:35:50.440
didn't answer. As I continued down my squared circle, I

570
00:35:50.519 --> 00:35:54.320
found myself getting tired. More than once. I stumbled and

571
00:35:54.360 --> 00:35:57.239
nearly rolled down the stairs, only catching myself in the

572
00:35:57.280 --> 00:36:01.800
nick of time to avoid falling into the abyss. I'd

573
00:36:01.840 --> 00:36:05.039
been walking for what felt like hours. I checked my

574
00:36:05.159 --> 00:36:09.559
watch and it said two twenty two am. I was

575
00:36:09.679 --> 00:36:13.079
tired and thirsty. I sat down on a step above

576
00:36:13.119 --> 00:36:17.880
a landing and contemplated my non existent options. I could

577
00:36:18.000 --> 00:36:21.119
keep going. I leaned over and looked down at the

578
00:36:21.199 --> 00:36:26.199
continuing endless stairs. I could go back. I looked up

579
00:36:26.199 --> 00:36:29.920
at the seemingly endless stairs above me, knowing the creatures

580
00:36:29.920 --> 00:36:34.320
were somewhere up there waiting. I wondered if I would

581
00:36:34.360 --> 00:36:37.039
be fired for not doing my patrols, and if I

582
00:36:37.119 --> 00:36:41.360
truly cared. My first hunger pang ripped through my stomach.

583
00:36:42.519 --> 00:36:47.079
I know, I said, looking at my belly. The foods

584
00:36:47.400 --> 00:36:51.400
somewhere up there. I pointed in some random upward direction,

585
00:36:51.920 --> 00:36:59.920
having no idea where the security office was. Out of

586
00:37:00.119 --> 00:37:05.480
sheer boredom, I glanced at my now useless phone for

587
00:37:05.519 --> 00:37:10.079
an instant. The Wi Fi signal showed up, then disappeared.

588
00:37:11.119 --> 00:37:15.000
A bolt of hope shot through me. I texted, I

589
00:37:15.079 --> 00:37:19.400
got chased into a room by some creatures. I clicked

590
00:37:19.440 --> 00:37:24.280
send and waited. The signal stayed dead. I got a

591
00:37:24.280 --> 00:37:27.000
beep saying there was a text, and excitedly read it,

592
00:37:27.519 --> 00:37:30.559
only to find it was the failed to send notification.

593
00:37:31.719 --> 00:37:35.280
I tried again, with the same results over and over.

594
00:37:35.360 --> 00:37:38.760
I kept trying to send. It was my only option

595
00:37:38.880 --> 00:37:43.599
other than continuing down the endless stairway. My phone dinged

596
00:37:43.639 --> 00:37:47.320
again and I prepared to hit resend when a message

597
00:37:47.360 --> 00:37:51.760
showed up. It said, we'll deal with the consequences later.

598
00:37:52.360 --> 00:37:56.920
Describe the room to me. I was so overjoyed I

599
00:37:57.039 --> 00:38:02.559
kept misspelling words dark, room, endless stairway. It took five

600
00:38:02.719 --> 00:38:04.679
tries for it to send, and it was a few

601
00:38:04.719 --> 00:38:09.599
minutes until a response got through. Okay, do nothing. Set

602
00:38:09.639 --> 00:38:12.920
your phone down and lay perfectly still for five minutes.

603
00:38:14.159 --> 00:38:18.000
I didn't bother to try repeatedly sending Okay. I lay

604
00:38:18.000 --> 00:38:21.199
on the platform, I set my phone beside me, and

605
00:38:21.280 --> 00:38:27.119
I closed my eyes. I counted out five minutes very slowly.

606
00:38:28.039 --> 00:38:31.000
Just to be sure I didn't end early. When I

607
00:38:31.079 --> 00:38:35.639
opened them, I gasped. I was laying on the floor

608
00:38:35.679 --> 00:38:38.559
in the middle of a square room. The pattern on

609
00:38:38.599 --> 00:38:42.480
the floor looked like the endless staircase. I stood and

610
00:38:42.599 --> 00:38:45.840
walked over to the door. I reached for the doorknob

611
00:38:45.880 --> 00:38:50.000
and opened the door very slowly. The hallway appeared to

612
00:38:50.000 --> 00:38:54.280
be empty. I stepped tentatively out into the hall and

613
00:38:54.440 --> 00:38:58.000
started back, following the yellow line. I hoped I was

614
00:38:58.039 --> 00:39:01.199
going in the right direction. At the end of the hall,

615
00:39:01.519 --> 00:39:05.199
the line turned left. The green line separated off to

616
00:39:05.239 --> 00:39:08.159
the right, and I stayed with the yellow. One more

617
00:39:08.199 --> 00:39:11.119
turn in the yellow line dead ended at a door.

618
00:39:12.480 --> 00:39:15.760
I reached for the knob, then remembered and turned to

619
00:39:15.800 --> 00:39:19.039
the right. Opening that door, I peeked through and saw

620
00:39:19.039 --> 00:39:22.280
the security room across the hall. I lunged for it

621
00:39:22.320 --> 00:39:25.559
and dove back into the relative safety of the office.

622
00:39:26.199 --> 00:39:28.719
I went straight to the fridge and grabbed my water bottle,

623
00:39:28.880 --> 00:39:32.039
then opened the closet and pulled out my sandwich. I

624
00:39:32.159 --> 00:39:34.519
lay on the couch and chugged half the bottle while

625
00:39:34.559 --> 00:39:38.960
inhaling my sandwich. It wasn't long until I was asleep.

626
00:39:40.159 --> 00:39:42.960
I woke to the sound of my phone dinging. I

627
00:39:43.039 --> 00:39:45.519
read the text, Are you still with us?

628
00:39:46.760 --> 00:39:49.760
Did you hear that? Better check the locks on your doors?

629
00:39:50.440 --> 00:39:52.800
Weakly spooky. We'll be right back.

630
00:39:54.280 --> 00:39:58.400
Yes, thanks to you, I texted, take a break before

631
00:39:58.400 --> 00:40:01.800
you do any more. Patrols way ahead of you, and

632
00:40:01.880 --> 00:40:05.679
don't break any more rules. I'll do my absolute best.

633
00:40:05.960 --> 00:40:11.480
Trust me a couple more rules. Really, if you see

634
00:40:11.519 --> 00:40:15.239
any more creatures, don't go in a room, stand on

635
00:40:15.280 --> 00:40:18.280
the line and be still. As long as you're on

636
00:40:18.320 --> 00:40:24.719
the line, you'll survive. Can they hurt me? Next rule? Yes?

637
00:40:25.599 --> 00:40:28.960
The next text didn't come. I set down my phone

638
00:40:29.320 --> 00:40:32.039
and set a timer for an hour. I thought he

639
00:40:32.039 --> 00:40:35.079
would text the rest by then. I woke an hour

640
00:40:35.199 --> 00:40:39.440
later to my phone's alarm, but no text. I tried

641
00:40:39.480 --> 00:40:42.920
again and waited, but got no response. What do I

642
00:40:43.000 --> 00:40:46.280
do now? I looked at my watch and it said

643
00:40:46.760 --> 00:40:52.199
three forty seven am. Okay, let's evaluate, I said, sitting

644
00:40:52.280 --> 00:40:54.519
at the desk in front of the cameras and computer.

645
00:40:55.639 --> 00:40:58.039
I have a little over five hours left until I

646
00:40:58.079 --> 00:41:05.079
can leave this. I've done one green patrol and three yellows,

647
00:41:05.559 --> 00:41:07.880
so I have one ech of red, yellow and green

648
00:41:07.920 --> 00:41:12.039
to do yet. There's some kind of monstrous creature roaming

649
00:41:12.039 --> 00:41:15.840
the hallways with his deformed sidekick, and I still don't

650
00:41:15.840 --> 00:41:17.639
know where the other guard and the keys to the

651
00:41:17.679 --> 00:41:21.880
weapon locker are. The laws of reality seemed to be

652
00:41:21.960 --> 00:41:24.920
subjective and depend greatly on whether or not I open

653
00:41:25.000 --> 00:41:30.280
any doors on my patrol. Somehow I decided to do

654
00:41:30.320 --> 00:41:33.719
another patrol. I was more worried that the building itself

655
00:41:33.760 --> 00:41:35.719
wouldn't let me out on time if I didn't do

656
00:41:35.800 --> 00:41:39.320
all my patrols. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if

657
00:41:39.320 --> 00:41:42.000
that was what happened to the guard I was supposed

658
00:41:42.000 --> 00:41:46.480
to relieve, if he was sitting on some endless staircase,

659
00:41:46.559 --> 00:41:51.519
trapped forever because he missed one patrol. It wasn't a

660
00:41:51.559 --> 00:41:55.239
comforting thought at this point. It was all that kept

661
00:41:55.320 --> 00:41:57.639
me from laying on the couch and sleeping the rest

662
00:41:57.679 --> 00:42:01.360
of my shift away. I took another drink and went

663
00:42:01.400 --> 00:42:04.639
to the bathroom, then stuck my phone in my pocket,

664
00:42:04.880 --> 00:42:09.039
grabbed my flashlight, and headed out the door. When I

665
00:42:09.079 --> 00:42:11.760
looked down, I was surprised to see the lines going

666
00:42:12.400 --> 00:42:16.119
to the right. Maybe I reset things when I reset

667
00:42:16.159 --> 00:42:20.000
the room, I thought. I headed down the hallway, hearing

668
00:42:20.039 --> 00:42:23.960
my footsteps. Once again, I stopped, and the sound of

669
00:42:23.960 --> 00:42:28.119
my footsteps stopped as well. It was a comforting return

670
00:42:28.199 --> 00:42:31.239
to some normalcy. As I made the first turn, I

671
00:42:31.320 --> 00:42:33.800
paused and peeked around the corner to see if any

672
00:42:33.840 --> 00:42:38.280
creatures were waiting for me. The hallway seemed empty. I

673
00:42:38.320 --> 00:42:40.679
looked at the doors to make sure none were cracked

674
00:42:40.719 --> 00:42:44.880
open waiting for me to pass. They all seemed closed.

675
00:42:45.679 --> 00:42:48.320
I was glad I hadn't run across the creatures, but

676
00:42:48.480 --> 00:42:50.880
every step I took made me wonder if they were

677
00:42:50.960 --> 00:42:54.400
lying in wait for me at the next turn, silently

678
00:42:54.440 --> 00:42:57.880
waiting to jump out and do unspeakable things to me.

679
00:42:59.079 --> 00:43:01.039
I glanced down at the lines where the red and

680
00:43:01.079 --> 00:43:03.880
black went left and the green and yellow went right.

681
00:43:04.880 --> 00:43:07.760
There was something on the floor. I'd bent down and

682
00:43:07.800 --> 00:43:11.800
shown my flashlight to get a closer look. There was

683
00:43:11.840 --> 00:43:16.960
a small drop of something red. I touched it with

684
00:43:17.000 --> 00:43:21.119
my finger and it smeared on the floor. Whatever it

685
00:43:21.320 --> 00:43:25.800
was wasn't dry yet, it hadn't been there long. I

686
00:43:25.880 --> 00:43:29.400
brought my finger up to my nose and smelled it.

687
00:43:29.400 --> 00:43:35.039
It had a metallic scent. My eyes went wide with

688
00:43:35.079 --> 00:43:39.880
the realization it was blood. I jumped up and looked

689
00:43:39.880 --> 00:43:42.760
all around, searching the floor for where it came from.

690
00:43:43.360 --> 00:43:46.800
The yellow and green hallway looked clean, but the red

691
00:43:46.800 --> 00:43:50.920
and black hallway I saw another drop three feet down

692
00:43:50.920 --> 00:43:54.159
the hall. I shone my flashlight at the yellow and green,

693
00:43:54.960 --> 00:43:59.400
longing to do a quiet patrol. Then I looked over

694
00:43:59.480 --> 00:44:02.079
at the red d black lines that were punctuated with

695
00:44:02.159 --> 00:44:07.679
drops of blood every few feet. I sighed and turned left,

696
00:44:08.400 --> 00:44:11.639
following the blood and the foreboding red and black lines.

697
00:44:12.760 --> 00:44:16.320
My senses went on high alert. I could hear my breathing,

698
00:44:16.519 --> 00:44:19.639
I could smell my perspiration as my stress level rose.

699
00:44:20.400 --> 00:44:23.960
Every step sounded louder than the one before. Even the

700
00:44:24.039 --> 00:44:28.280
doors seemed to somehow menace me. When a light in

701
00:44:28.320 --> 00:44:32.000
the ceiling flickered, I froze nothing, jumped out of a

702
00:44:32.079 --> 00:44:35.119
room and dragged me to hell. I paused and took

703
00:44:35.159 --> 00:44:39.760
a deep, cleansing breath, then continued my patrol, keeping an

704
00:44:39.760 --> 00:44:42.679
eye on the blood on the floor. I came to

705
00:44:42.760 --> 00:44:46.880
another turn and checked carefully before stepping into the new hallway.

706
00:44:47.800 --> 00:44:51.480
The problem was it was a fork. The red line

707
00:44:51.519 --> 00:44:56.159
went right and the black line went left. The blood

708
00:44:57.480 --> 00:45:01.559
followed the black line. I thought back to the repeated

709
00:45:01.599 --> 00:45:04.960
warnings not to follow the black line. I remembered being

710
00:45:05.000 --> 00:45:08.000
trapped for hours when I disobeyed a rule and went

711
00:45:08.039 --> 00:45:11.559
into a room. I stood there at the fork, looking

712
00:45:11.599 --> 00:45:16.119
at each line in turn back and forth. It came

713
00:45:16.199 --> 00:45:20.079
down to a choice. Obey the rules, follow the red

714
00:45:20.119 --> 00:45:24.559
line and play it safe. Disobey the rules, follow the

715
00:45:24.599 --> 00:45:29.000
blood and see if the other guard is hurt. One

716
00:45:29.119 --> 00:45:33.920
choice was selfless and the other was selfish. Another thought

717
00:45:33.960 --> 00:45:37.360
pushed to the front of the line. I've already broken

718
00:45:37.400 --> 00:45:40.320
the rules. True. I was trapped on the stairway to

719
00:45:40.400 --> 00:45:42.760
hell for a while and wasn't sure if I'd make

720
00:45:42.800 --> 00:45:46.960
it out, But I did. This thought tipped the scales,

721
00:45:47.280 --> 00:45:49.360
and I stepped off the red line and onto the

722
00:45:49.400 --> 00:45:53.199
black one. The moment I did, I felt a chill.

723
00:45:54.679 --> 00:45:58.320
I looked around, but nothing else seemed different. I kept

724
00:45:58.360 --> 00:46:01.280
following the trail of blood, and the hall got darker.

725
00:46:02.159 --> 00:46:05.480
I looked up and every third light was still lit.

726
00:46:06.199 --> 00:46:10.920
It was like something was snuffing out the lights. The

727
00:46:11.039 --> 00:46:13.840
chill got more intense, to the point where I could

728
00:46:13.880 --> 00:46:17.320
see my breath. The doors in this hall were fewer

729
00:46:17.360 --> 00:46:21.360
and farther apart, and there were no turns. I looked

730
00:46:21.360 --> 00:46:23.199
at the doors to try to figure out how far

731
00:46:23.280 --> 00:46:28.119
I'd gone. When I noticed they were blank. I shone

732
00:46:28.119 --> 00:46:31.079
my light at the half dozen doors. Not one of

733
00:46:31.119 --> 00:46:34.840
them had a letter number or any markings on it.

734
00:46:36.039 --> 00:46:40.039
I decided my selflessness had reached its limit. I turned

735
00:46:40.079 --> 00:46:42.800
and started back towards the fork where the red line was.

736
00:46:43.679 --> 00:46:46.559
I walked for five minutes, and the red line was

737
00:46:46.639 --> 00:46:51.000
still nowhere in sight. In fact, the chill hadn't gone

738
00:46:51.039 --> 00:46:54.400
away either. The drops of blood were still there, though.

739
00:46:55.400 --> 00:46:57.719
I broke into a light jog for a few minutes,

740
00:46:57.760 --> 00:47:01.440
which soon became a flat out run. After a few

741
00:47:01.480 --> 00:47:06.039
more minutes, I stopped to catch my breath. That's impossible,

742
00:47:06.199 --> 00:47:09.559
I thought, realizing even as I thought it, that I

743
00:47:09.559 --> 00:47:14.599
had already seen impossible things tonight. Once I was breathing

744
00:47:14.639 --> 00:47:18.079
normally again, I decided to break out of this loop.

745
00:47:18.400 --> 00:47:21.239
I reached for one of the doors, but it was locked.

746
00:47:21.840 --> 00:47:27.840
I tried another, and another, all locked. I pulled out

747
00:47:27.840 --> 00:47:32.440
my phone and texted, I'm stuck again. We told you

748
00:47:32.519 --> 00:47:35.760
not to follow the black line. The return text said,

749
00:47:36.599 --> 00:47:40.199
it sent chills down my spine. How did you know

750
00:47:40.280 --> 00:47:43.440
I was following the black line? I only said, I

751
00:47:43.519 --> 00:47:46.559
was in trouble. We know exactly what you're doing the

752
00:47:46.679 --> 00:47:50.039
entire time you've been in the building. Then why didn't

753
00:47:50.079 --> 00:47:53.559
you tell me not to follow the black line? We did?

754
00:47:54.039 --> 00:48:00.320
You ignored it? So what do I do now? A

755
00:48:00.360 --> 00:48:04.039
single word came back, making me wish I'd never come

756
00:48:04.079 --> 00:48:14.000
to this place die. As I was still staring at

757
00:48:14.000 --> 00:48:17.440
the three horrid letters on my phone, I heard a

758
00:48:17.480 --> 00:48:21.920
noise behind me. It was just the shuffle of a foot,

759
00:48:21.960 --> 00:48:25.119
and I knew I wasn't moving. I looked up and

760
00:48:25.199 --> 00:48:28.960
there stood the hideous creature with no head and its

761
00:48:29.000 --> 00:48:33.280
face on its belly. It was staring at me and grinning.

762
00:48:34.159 --> 00:48:36.800
I turned to escape the other way, but the massive,

763
00:48:36.880 --> 00:48:41.320
scaly creature was standing there, blocking my path. They had

764
00:48:41.360 --> 00:48:43.920
me boxed in and none of the doors would open.

765
00:48:44.719 --> 00:48:47.480
I was out of options. The only thing I could

766
00:48:47.559 --> 00:48:50.840
think of was the text that told me to stay

767
00:48:50.880 --> 00:48:54.480
on the line. I stepped away from the door and

768
00:48:54.559 --> 00:48:57.400
out to the middle of the hallway and stood on

769
00:48:57.400 --> 00:49:01.679
the black line. As they approached, I could see smiles

770
00:49:01.719 --> 00:49:05.880
on each of their grotesque faces. The big one was

771
00:49:05.960 --> 00:49:09.679
flexing its claws, and the small one's arms were outstretched

772
00:49:09.679 --> 00:49:13.000
as if wanting to give me a hug, but I

773
00:49:13.079 --> 00:49:18.880
knew better. They had me, and they knew it. With

774
00:49:19.000 --> 00:49:22.320
nothing to lose, I ran towards the smaller one, and

775
00:49:22.400 --> 00:49:25.119
right before I got to him, I swung my flashlight

776
00:49:25.199 --> 00:49:28.719
with everything I had it smacked him right in the teeth.

777
00:49:29.400 --> 00:49:33.280
I dove over his falling body as he crumpled to

778
00:49:33.360 --> 00:49:36.960
the floor. I kept running as hopes sprung up in

779
00:49:37.039 --> 00:49:40.679
my chest and fueled my escape. It was short lived,

780
00:49:40.679 --> 00:49:44.320
as I heard massive wings flapping behind me, and the

781
00:49:44.360 --> 00:49:47.599
next thing I knew, claws grabbed my shoulders, tearing through

782
00:49:47.639 --> 00:49:51.000
my uniform and into my sides. I tried to escape

783
00:49:51.000 --> 00:49:54.880
its grasp, but its grip was like iron. I stumbled

784
00:49:54.920 --> 00:49:56.679
and fell to the floor. With the weight of that

785
00:49:56.880 --> 00:50:00.360
thing landing on top of me, I felt I heard

786
00:50:00.400 --> 00:50:04.239
pops in my back as pain raced down my spine.

787
00:50:04.360 --> 00:50:06.800
It matched the pain in my face. As my skull

788
00:50:06.880 --> 00:50:11.280
bounced off the concrete floor on impact, I knew instantly

789
00:50:11.760 --> 00:50:15.320
my nose was broken. It released its grasp so its

790
00:50:15.320 --> 00:50:18.440
claws could stand on the floor, but it still kept

791
00:50:18.480 --> 00:50:22.280
me pinned down. I heard it cackling as it relished

792
00:50:22.320 --> 00:50:25.920
in my helplessness. I felt hot liquid run down my

793
00:50:26.079 --> 00:50:29.719
back that I hoped wasn't my blood. I tried to

794
00:50:29.760 --> 00:50:32.159
break free and squirm my way out of its grip,

795
00:50:32.599 --> 00:50:35.159
but it was too strong, and all I ended up

796
00:50:35.159 --> 00:50:39.159
doing was causing myself more pain. I felt its claws

797
00:50:39.239 --> 00:50:42.000
tearing at my back, ripping cloth and skin.

798
00:50:43.280 --> 00:50:48.639
Are you afraid? Good? Weakly, spooky, We'll be right back.

799
00:50:49.880 --> 00:50:52.679
There was nothing I could do. It was digging into

800
00:50:52.679 --> 00:50:56.000
my spine. Once there, I was just a piece of meat.

801
00:50:56.760 --> 00:51:01.440
Whoever had texted me was right. I was about to die.

802
00:51:01.519 --> 00:51:05.239
The rules had finally been my undoing. There was a

803
00:51:05.280 --> 00:51:09.320
flash of light and an explosion from behind me. I

804
00:51:09.400 --> 00:51:12.239
felt the pressure release as the creature's weight lifted off

805
00:51:12.320 --> 00:51:17.079
of me. I wondered at this new development, feeling grateful

806
00:51:17.119 --> 00:51:20.239
but cautious, as I painfully rolled to my side and

807
00:51:20.320 --> 00:51:23.119
attempted to get up. I got as far as my

808
00:51:23.199 --> 00:51:27.199
knees when I felt and then heard at presence. I looked,

809
00:51:27.679 --> 00:51:30.480
and there stood a man with a uniform on similar

810
00:51:30.480 --> 00:51:34.360
to mine, only not as destroyed. He was older than

811
00:51:34.360 --> 00:51:37.039
me and looked like he had been through a rough

812
00:51:37.079 --> 00:51:40.679
time as well. He had several scratches on his cheek

813
00:51:40.719 --> 00:51:44.000
and his uniform was ripped in several places. He also

814
00:51:44.039 --> 00:51:46.760
had a bandage on his hand that was red and dripping.

815
00:51:47.679 --> 00:51:50.400
I tried to get to my feet but struggled. He

816
00:51:50.400 --> 00:51:52.280
helped me up and we stared at each other for

817
00:51:52.320 --> 00:51:58.679
a moment. Mister Larsen, I presume, I said. Finally. He

818
00:51:58.760 --> 00:52:02.199
looked surprised when I said his name. Do I know you?

819
00:52:02.800 --> 00:52:07.440
He said, I'm your new trainee. I just started tonight.

820
00:52:08.599 --> 00:52:11.719
What are you doing out here on the black Line?

821
00:52:11.840 --> 00:52:13.800
I saw the blood and followed it to make sure

822
00:52:13.840 --> 00:52:18.079
someone was all right. He looked at his hand. Yeah,

823
00:52:18.239 --> 00:52:21.079
got into a bit of a scrap. He said, we

824
00:52:21.119 --> 00:52:24.400
should probably head back before Ugly decides to show up again.

825
00:52:25.400 --> 00:52:28.800
I agree, I said, starting to walk away, but my

826
00:52:28.920 --> 00:52:32.519
left leg didn't want to cooperate. I started to fall,

827
00:52:32.559 --> 00:52:35.960
but he caught me. You all right there, son, my

828
00:52:36.119 --> 00:52:38.840
leg seems to be having a bit of a problem.

829
00:52:39.400 --> 00:52:41.599
He grabbed my arm and pulled it over his shoulder.

830
00:52:42.400 --> 00:52:44.679
Let's get you back to the security office and take

831
00:52:44.719 --> 00:52:47.719
a look at that. We started back down the hall,

832
00:52:47.760 --> 00:52:50.039
and within a few minutes came to see the fork

833
00:52:50.360 --> 00:52:53.480
where the red Lion split off. I was never so

834
00:52:53.599 --> 00:52:56.239
glad to see anything in my life as that line

835
00:52:56.280 --> 00:52:59.639
of paint on the floor. We started to turn back

836
00:52:59.679 --> 00:53:03.920
towards the yellow and green lines, but I stopped. Do

837
00:53:04.000 --> 00:53:07.480
you mind if we do a red line patrol, I said.

838
00:53:08.400 --> 00:53:11.840
He looked at me, puzzled. I'd rather have someone with

839
00:53:11.920 --> 00:53:14.239
me anyways, and we do have to go all the

840
00:53:14.280 --> 00:53:19.840
way back. Sure thing, kid, he said. We kept going

841
00:53:19.880 --> 00:53:22.840
straight on the red line. The farther we went, the

842
00:53:22.880 --> 00:53:26.039
more my back seemed to hurt. Do you mind if

843
00:53:26.079 --> 00:53:29.920
I ask you some questions? I said, keep my mind

844
00:53:29.960 --> 00:53:37.000
off the pane? Shoot, what is this place? Well, now

845
00:53:37.079 --> 00:53:39.360
you asked one hell of a question to start out with,

846
00:53:39.960 --> 00:53:44.440
he said, It's hard to explain. Let's just say it's

847
00:53:44.480 --> 00:53:49.360
a form of a testing facility, testing what. He seemed

848
00:53:49.360 --> 00:53:51.880
to struggle with that for a moment and was silent

849
00:53:51.960 --> 00:53:56.239
as we walked, testing all sorts of things. Obviously you've

850
00:53:56.280 --> 00:54:00.079
seen some of the more incredible subjects, but there there

851
00:54:00.079 --> 00:54:05.760
are also simpler tests going on, like what mostly dealing

852
00:54:05.800 --> 00:54:10.920
with reactions? How different subjects deal with stimuli. How do

853
00:54:11.000 --> 00:54:14.840
you know so much about this place, he chuckled, When

854
00:54:14.840 --> 00:54:17.239
you've been here as long as I have, you learn things.

855
00:54:18.360 --> 00:54:21.400
Just then a door burst open, and three ugly troll

856
00:54:21.480 --> 00:54:25.840
looking creatures lumbered toward us. He stopped and tapped his watch,

857
00:54:26.239 --> 00:54:29.400
then fiddled with controls for a moment. As the trolls

858
00:54:29.440 --> 00:54:32.679
advanced on us. Suddenly there was a wave of light

859
00:54:33.000 --> 00:54:35.519
and they froze in place, right as they were reaching us.

860
00:54:36.400 --> 00:54:39.920
I looked from him to the trolls and back. That's

861
00:54:39.960 --> 00:54:44.159
a handy gadget you have, I said, When do I

862
00:54:44.239 --> 00:54:49.760
get one of those? He smiled. Can you keep a secret? Sure?

863
00:54:50.880 --> 00:54:54.400
I'm technically not supposed to have it, but I find

864
00:54:54.440 --> 00:54:59.039
it makes patrols a lot easier. Nice. Maybe I could

865
00:54:59.039 --> 00:55:01.599
borrow it once in a while, if you don't quit

866
00:55:01.679 --> 00:55:06.480
after tonight. He said, that's a mighty big if, I said,

867
00:55:06.840 --> 00:55:10.920
feeling the pain getting worse. We continued past the frozen

868
00:55:10.960 --> 00:55:13.760
trolls until the red line dead ended at a door.

869
00:55:14.320 --> 00:55:17.840
I reached for it, but he pulled me back. I'm

870
00:55:17.880 --> 00:55:21.920
guessing you didn't get all the rules yet. Apparently not.

871
00:55:22.760 --> 00:55:25.239
He touched his watch and a light shone from it

872
00:55:25.280 --> 00:55:27.599
onto the door. It had a red X on it.

873
00:55:28.280 --> 00:55:30.519
He showed it on the door beside it, and it

874
00:55:30.599 --> 00:55:34.039
also showed a red X. The third door showed a

875
00:55:34.039 --> 00:55:38.039
green circle. It's this one, he said, opening the door

876
00:55:38.280 --> 00:55:41.360
and helping me through it. To my surprise, we came

877
00:55:41.400 --> 00:55:43.800
out in the main hallway. I looked at the number

878
00:55:43.840 --> 00:55:47.280
on the door and it said a five. We walked

879
00:55:47.320 --> 00:55:49.880
down to the security room and I reached for the

880
00:55:49.960 --> 00:55:53.639
number pad to enter my code. I stopped and withdrew

881
00:55:53.719 --> 00:55:58.239
my hand. Why don't you enter the code? I said, what?

882
00:55:59.000 --> 00:56:02.400
Because I'm holding you up so you don't collapse. I

883
00:56:02.519 --> 00:56:06.199
painfully reached over and leaned against the wall. I'm good,

884
00:56:06.639 --> 00:56:09.920
Go ahead. He looked at me for a very long moment.

885
00:56:11.239 --> 00:56:13.519
This isn't a very polite way to treat someone who

886
00:56:13.519 --> 00:56:16.840
helped you out. No, it isn't. But I'd still like

887
00:56:16.880 --> 00:56:19.880
to see you enter your code. He glared at me

888
00:56:20.000 --> 00:56:23.840
with fiery intensity. Is this the way you're going to

889
00:56:23.880 --> 00:56:28.639
treat your superiors? Not if they really are my superiors?

890
00:56:28.960 --> 00:56:32.519
What are you saying? I'm saying I'd like to see

891
00:56:32.559 --> 00:56:35.320
you punch in your employee code to show me you

892
00:56:35.400 --> 00:56:38.400
are who you say you are. Who else would I be?

893
00:56:39.559 --> 00:56:43.800
I don't know, let's find out. He stood there, looking

894
00:56:43.880 --> 00:56:46.719
every bit like he wanted to deck me, and then

895
00:56:46.800 --> 00:56:53.079
suddenly his expression softened. Good job, kid, he said, then

896
00:56:53.199 --> 00:56:58.440
faded away to nothingness. I let out of breath. I

897
00:56:58.440 --> 00:57:01.719
didn't realize i'd been holding and punched in my coat.

898
00:57:02.679 --> 00:57:05.840
The door opened, and I found myself once again looking

899
00:57:05.880 --> 00:57:09.199
at this room as my place of refuge. I limped

900
00:57:09.199 --> 00:57:12.000
into the bathroom and painfully peeled off what was left

901
00:57:12.000 --> 00:57:15.800
of my shirt. I wetted some paper towels and tried

902
00:57:15.800 --> 00:57:18.280
to pat down the gouges and scrapes on my back.

903
00:57:19.119 --> 00:57:21.599
I looked in the mirror at my broken nose and

904
00:57:21.719 --> 00:57:24.519
patted it with wet paper towels to get as much

905
00:57:24.519 --> 00:57:28.039
of the dried blood as possible. I wasn't looking forward

906
00:57:28.119 --> 00:57:30.400
to getting it set if I ever got out of

907
00:57:30.440 --> 00:57:33.519
here alive. That is, as I stepped out of the bathroom,

908
00:57:33.679 --> 00:57:38.960
something was different about the room. The weapons locker was open.

909
00:57:39.519 --> 00:57:41.639
I stepped over to it and found the metal door

910
00:57:41.800 --> 00:57:46.599
hanging wide open. There was a shotgun and a handgun missing.

911
00:57:47.840 --> 00:57:50.639
I didn't want to think about the ramifications of someone

912
00:57:50.719 --> 00:57:53.239
being in what should have been the most secure room

913
00:57:53.280 --> 00:57:57.199
in the building, not only that, but taking weapons as well,

914
00:57:58.039 --> 00:58:00.400
and the fact that they thought there was enough danger

915
00:58:00.440 --> 00:58:03.840
to need the weapons in the first place. I'll admit

916
00:58:03.960 --> 00:58:06.239
it would have been nice to have the shotgun on

917
00:58:06.360 --> 00:58:10.400
the last patrol. But I grabbed a shotgun and loaded it,

918
00:58:10.800 --> 00:58:13.960
then through some extra rounds in my pants pocket. Then

919
00:58:14.039 --> 00:58:16.000
I took a holster and put it on my belt,

920
00:58:16.400 --> 00:58:19.039
loading a handgun to put in it. I grabbed a

921
00:58:19.079 --> 00:58:22.519
taser and pepper spray as well. It was strange, but

922
00:58:23.119 --> 00:58:26.880
being armed didn't make me feel more secure. Maybe it

923
00:58:26.960 --> 00:58:29.119
was the fact that I had no idea who had

924
00:58:29.159 --> 00:58:33.280
the other guns. I hoped it was my supervisor, but

925
00:58:33.400 --> 00:58:37.280
this place had taught me to expect the unexpected. The

926
00:58:37.360 --> 00:58:39.719
other difference in the room was the locked door that

927
00:58:39.800 --> 00:58:43.360
I had assumed was a maintenance closet. It was open.

928
00:58:44.159 --> 00:58:46.800
I chambered around in the shotgun and peeked around the

929
00:58:46.880 --> 00:58:50.360
corner into the open door. It was dark. I was

930
00:58:50.400 --> 00:58:53.320
tempted to close the door and walk away, but my

931
00:58:53.440 --> 00:58:57.480
curiosity wouldn't let me. I turned on the shotgun's flashlight

932
00:58:57.960 --> 00:59:01.800
and started through the door. I jumped as my phone dinged,

933
00:59:01.880 --> 00:59:05.039
saying I had a text, don't go in that room,

934
00:59:05.480 --> 00:59:08.840
it read. I stuck the phone in my pocket and

935
00:59:09.000 --> 00:59:12.679
continued into the room. The light wasn't much help against

936
00:59:12.679 --> 00:59:15.360
the total darkness. I could only see a few feet

937
00:59:15.400 --> 00:59:18.840
in front of me, the passageway was cramped. I had

938
00:59:18.840 --> 00:59:22.679
to walk a little sideways. Claustrophobia crept up on me

939
00:59:23.000 --> 00:59:25.559
and had me fighting off panic. As I continued down

940
00:59:25.599 --> 00:59:29.280
the tiny corridor. The light from the shotgun didn't do

941
00:59:29.360 --> 00:59:32.880
much to stave off the darkness. There was little to see,

942
00:59:32.920 --> 00:59:34.719
but it would have been nicer to see it much

943
00:59:34.800 --> 00:59:39.480
more brightly. Suddenly the corridor opened up into a large room.

944
00:59:40.320 --> 00:59:42.760
I made sure there weren't any steps to stumble down

945
00:59:42.840 --> 00:59:46.960
like before. I flashed the light around, but didn't see much.

946
00:59:47.800 --> 00:59:50.800
The room was empty except for something small in the corner.

947
00:59:51.679 --> 00:59:55.519
I cautiously started towards it, shooting glances all around as

948
00:59:55.519 --> 00:59:58.320
I went. When I got close, I could see it

949
00:59:58.400 --> 01:00:01.559
was a small box. There were bars on the front

950
01:00:01.559 --> 01:00:06.639
of the small door, and fingers were sticking out. Hello,

951
01:00:06.880 --> 01:00:11.199
said a raspy voice, barely loud enough to hear. Who

952
01:00:11.239 --> 01:00:11.599
are you.

953
01:00:13.280 --> 01:00:16.800
U sh it was only the wind. You are safe,

954
01:00:17.199 --> 01:00:19.280
weekly spooky. We'll be right back.

955
01:00:20.920 --> 01:00:24.880
My name is Kevin Larson. Who are you and why

956
01:00:24.920 --> 01:00:28.320
aren't you wearing a shirt? I looked down, and sure

957
01:00:28.400 --> 01:00:31.119
enough I forgot to put my shirt back on when

958
01:00:31.119 --> 01:00:35.639
I was tending to my wounds. That's not important. I

959
01:00:35.760 --> 01:00:39.360
need to get you out of here. You can't. They're

960
01:00:39.400 --> 01:00:42.079
waiting for someone to rescue me so they can capture them.

961
01:00:43.119 --> 01:00:47.480
I'm nothing more than bait, and I fell for it,

962
01:00:47.880 --> 01:00:51.039
I said, looking at the lock that prevented his escape.

963
01:00:52.239 --> 01:00:55.480
Go back and report that I'm missing. The other security

964
01:00:55.480 --> 01:01:00.239
guard said, I did that several hours ago, and they

965
01:01:00.239 --> 01:01:04.960
haven't sent me one unless they're invisible, which for this

966
01:01:05.119 --> 01:01:09.039
place that might not be much of a stretch. Who

967
01:01:09.079 --> 01:01:14.599
are you again? I started last night. I'm your new trainee.

968
01:01:14.760 --> 01:01:19.039
You say you started last night? Yes, and you called

969
01:01:19.039 --> 01:01:24.320
in that I was missing. Yes, you're not my trainee,

970
01:01:25.039 --> 01:01:29.000
you're my replacement. What do you mean If they haven't

971
01:01:29.000 --> 01:01:33.599
come looking for me yet, that means they think I'm gone. Wow,

972
01:01:34.559 --> 01:01:38.239
talk about job security. I kept fiddling with the lock,

973
01:01:38.320 --> 01:01:42.880
but it refused to open. Step back, I said, what

974
01:01:42.960 --> 01:01:45.800
are you going to? I fired the shotgun at the lock.

975
01:01:46.239 --> 01:01:50.280
It hit but didn't break it. Stop, he yelled as

976
01:01:50.360 --> 01:01:53.559
I chambered and fired another round. This time the lock

977
01:01:53.639 --> 01:01:56.519
broke and came free. I opened the door in time

978
01:01:56.559 --> 01:02:00.239
to receive a punch to the jaw. You idiot, you

979
01:02:00.280 --> 01:02:03.039
could have killed me. He came out of the box

980
01:02:03.079 --> 01:02:06.000
and wrapped his hands around my neck. Get off me,

981
01:02:06.480 --> 01:02:09.239
I yelled, twisting out of his grip. He knocked me

982
01:02:09.280 --> 01:02:14.079
to the floor and we rolled around trading punches. Your welcome, asshole,

983
01:02:14.519 --> 01:02:18.280
I said, for what? Trying to give me a buckshot milkshake?

984
01:02:19.159 --> 01:02:22.320
I stopped rolling when I heard the sound. It was

985
01:02:22.400 --> 01:02:27.119
like a rushing wind coming toward us. What is that?

986
01:02:27.519 --> 01:02:30.639
I said. He jumped up and ran toward the corridor.

987
01:02:31.760 --> 01:02:35.079
What is it? I said to his rapidly disappearing back

988
01:02:35.320 --> 01:02:38.199
as I ran as best I could behind him. It

989
01:02:38.280 --> 01:02:41.239
didn't take long for me to find out the large

990
01:02:41.280 --> 01:02:44.239
creature I'd met last in the back hallway must have

991
01:02:44.280 --> 01:02:47.239
had a lot of family, because they were all flying

992
01:02:47.280 --> 01:02:51.360
toward me. I kicked into high adrenaline gear, running faster

993
01:02:51.440 --> 01:02:54.599
than my injured body wanted to. The wave of black

994
01:02:54.639 --> 01:02:57.719
wings was almost on me. I turned around long enough

995
01:02:57.760 --> 01:03:00.599
to fire a shot at the closest one. I was

996
01:03:00.639 --> 01:03:03.679
rewarded by seeing him not only fall, but take a

997
01:03:03.679 --> 01:03:07.719
couple of his brothers with him. Encouraged, I fired again,

998
01:03:07.920 --> 01:03:12.079
watching three more go down. I fired again and again,

999
01:03:12.760 --> 01:03:15.159
feeling like I could take them on. As I squeezed

1000
01:03:15.159 --> 01:03:18.880
into the corridor. I aimed one more time, but the

1001
01:03:18.920 --> 01:03:22.639
gun only clicked. I had fired my last shot and

1002
01:03:22.760 --> 01:03:27.239
needed to reload. The problem was I was running backward

1003
01:03:27.280 --> 01:03:29.960
in a corridor that had no room, and my arms

1004
01:03:29.960 --> 01:03:33.239
were nearly pinned to my sides. I started hacking at

1005
01:03:33.280 --> 01:03:34.840
them with the butt of the gun when they got

1006
01:03:34.840 --> 01:03:38.239
close enough. It wasn't as effective as a buckshot blast,

1007
01:03:38.280 --> 01:03:41.880
but it still worked. They were almost on me. I

1008
01:03:41.960 --> 01:03:45.519
felt claws scratch at my head and face. Suddenly I

1009
01:03:45.559 --> 01:03:50.280
fell backward onto the floor of the security room. Help me,

1010
01:03:50.880 --> 01:03:53.199
Larson said, as he tried to slam the door shut.

1011
01:03:53.880 --> 01:03:56.159
I had the wind knocked out of me. I stumbled

1012
01:03:56.159 --> 01:03:58.039
to get up and rolled over to press my weight

1013
01:03:58.039 --> 01:04:01.159
against the door. They were still holding it open enough

1014
01:04:01.159 --> 01:04:03.880
that it wouldn't latch. I reached into my pocket and

1015
01:04:03.920 --> 01:04:06.760
pulled out a shotgun shell. I loaded it and stuck

1016
01:04:06.800 --> 01:04:10.079
the barrel into the opening. Before I could do anything,

1017
01:04:10.119 --> 01:04:13.239
it was nearly ripped out of my hands. By some miracle,

1018
01:04:13.280 --> 01:04:16.039
my finger was already on the trigger. It went off,

1019
01:04:16.159 --> 01:04:20.280
knocking them back just enough to close the door. He

1020
01:04:20.360 --> 01:04:25.119
collapsed beside me, breathing hard, and offered his hand now

1021
01:04:25.159 --> 01:04:28.840
I'll thank you for the rescue. You're welcome, I said,

1022
01:04:29.159 --> 01:04:33.760
sitting there, trying to catch my breath, not to sound ungrateful.

1023
01:04:33.840 --> 01:04:37.639
But how did you get in there? Anyway? I pointed

1024
01:04:37.679 --> 01:04:41.679
my thumb over my shoulder. Door was open. He fixed

1025
01:04:41.719 --> 01:04:46.639
a hard stare at me. That's impossible, I shrugged. I

1026
01:04:46.639 --> 01:04:49.000
don't know what to tell you. I walked in after

1027
01:04:49.039 --> 01:04:51.679
my last patrol. The door was open, and so was

1028
01:04:51.719 --> 01:04:56.599
the weapons locker. Was anything missing? He said, suddenly, alarmed

1029
01:04:57.440 --> 01:05:00.480
a shotgun and a handgun. He grabbed my arm and

1030
01:05:00.559 --> 01:05:05.519
yanked We have to go right now. Why The word

1031
01:05:05.559 --> 01:05:07.840
was barely out of my mouth when the floor erupted

1032
01:05:07.880 --> 01:05:10.639
beside me. I jumped up and followed him toward the door.

1033
01:05:10.840 --> 01:05:13.719
A shotgun blast hit the wall behind me. A chunk

1034
01:05:13.760 --> 01:05:15.840
of the door blasted out in front of us just

1035
01:05:15.920 --> 01:05:19.280
before we reached it, causing us to duck. Who the

1036
01:05:19.320 --> 01:05:23.840
hell's doing that? I said, Oh, come on, A voice

1037
01:05:23.840 --> 01:05:26.559
said from the other side of the room. You've forgotten

1038
01:05:26.599 --> 01:05:30.519
your rescuer already. I glanced around the corner and saw

1039
01:05:30.559 --> 01:05:33.679
the fake Larsen aiming a shot at my head. I

1040
01:05:33.800 --> 01:05:36.400
ducked back just in time as the blast tore a

1041
01:05:36.480 --> 01:05:39.440
hole in the wall. Does this kind of thing happen

1042
01:05:39.880 --> 01:05:43.199
often on night shift? I said, loading more shells into

1043
01:05:43.239 --> 01:05:47.079
my shotgun. Only when you break the rules, he said,

1044
01:05:47.119 --> 01:05:49.960
fixing me with a pointed glare. If I would have

1045
01:05:50.039 --> 01:05:52.599
known this place had all these freaky rules, I never

1046
01:05:52.639 --> 01:05:56.519
would have taken the job. Neither would anyone else, he said,

1047
01:05:56.559 --> 01:05:59.960
peeking around the corner and being rewarded with a shotgun blast,

1048
01:06:00.119 --> 01:06:02.920
nearly hitting him in the face. I don't get it,

1049
01:06:03.119 --> 01:06:07.000
I said, all these rules are stupid. Maybe we could

1050
01:06:07.039 --> 01:06:10.320
discuss it when we're safe. I fired off a blast

1051
01:06:10.320 --> 01:06:13.840
when I saw fake Larsen peek around the corner. And

1052
01:06:13.920 --> 01:06:16.760
when will that be? I shouted over the return shot.

1053
01:06:17.320 --> 01:06:20.679
His eyes darted around the room, as if searching for something.

1054
01:06:21.320 --> 01:06:24.280
He grabbed the shotgun from me and fired the buckshot

1055
01:06:24.320 --> 01:06:27.159
pierced the fire extinguisher, instantly filling the room with a

1056
01:06:27.199 --> 01:06:30.159
cloud of white powder. He grabbed me and dragged me

1057
01:06:30.199 --> 01:06:34.000
toward the door as the other Larsen fired. Blindly. We

1058
01:06:34.039 --> 01:06:37.760
fell into the hallway, barely staying upright, coughing powder out

1059
01:06:37.760 --> 01:06:40.840
of our lungs. I turned and slammed the door shut.

1060
01:06:41.719 --> 01:06:44.800
Will that hold him? I said, How many more patrols

1061
01:06:44.800 --> 01:06:47.400
do you have to do? He said, looking at his watch.

1062
01:06:47.840 --> 01:06:50.199
Are you nuts? Why would I do any more patrols

1063
01:06:50.239 --> 01:06:54.400
with that psycho running around? Believe me, he said, looking

1064
01:06:54.440 --> 01:06:57.360
me in the eyes. There are worse things than him

1065
01:06:57.400 --> 01:07:01.000
in this place. I thought for a moment, I still

1066
01:07:01.039 --> 01:07:04.400
need to do one yellow and one green. Do you

1067
01:07:04.440 --> 01:07:07.239
have any more shells for this thing? I felt in

1068
01:07:07.280 --> 01:07:10.320
my pocket and pulled out two more shotgun shells, then

1069
01:07:10.440 --> 01:07:13.840
handed them over. I pulled out the handgun and chambered around,

1070
01:07:14.320 --> 01:07:18.239
then turned on the safety. Let's go, he said, heading

1071
01:07:18.280 --> 01:07:19.000
down the hallway.

1072
01:07:20.440 --> 01:07:24.159
Don't go away weakly, spooky, We'll be right back.

1073
01:07:26.159 --> 01:07:28.480
I was still shirtless and feeling the effects of the

1074
01:07:28.519 --> 01:07:31.440
attack in the black hall, but I did my best

1075
01:07:31.519 --> 01:07:34.559
to hide the pain and let the adrenaline carry me along.

1076
01:07:35.400 --> 01:07:38.519
We walked side by side, each alert for anything that

1077
01:07:38.599 --> 01:07:41.599
might pop out at us. Surprisingly, we made it all

1078
01:07:41.599 --> 01:07:44.800
the way through a yellow patrol without a problem. I

1079
01:07:44.840 --> 01:07:47.079
looked at my watch as we emerged back into the

1080
01:07:47.119 --> 01:07:51.880
main hall, near the security room eight eleven. I said,

1081
01:07:52.440 --> 01:07:55.760
we'd better get that last patrol in quick. The first

1082
01:07:55.800 --> 01:07:58.840
hallway was no problem. When we turned the corner however,

1083
01:07:59.280 --> 01:08:03.320
my large daily friend made an appearance. I didn't even hesitate.

1084
01:08:03.519 --> 01:08:05.760
I shot him in the torso, then in the head.

1085
01:08:06.159 --> 01:08:08.880
He screamed an inhuman shriek and ran the other way.

1086
01:08:09.519 --> 01:08:11.880
His little buddy took one look at me, pointing the

1087
01:08:11.880 --> 01:08:15.639
gun at him, and followed suit. Larsen grinned and nodded

1088
01:08:15.679 --> 01:08:18.640
at me. When he turned the second corner, I couldn't

1089
01:08:18.640 --> 01:08:24.239
believe my eyes. The floor was suddenly made of lava.

1090
01:08:25.319 --> 01:08:29.000
You've gotta be kidding me, I said, Okay, I know

1091
01:08:29.039 --> 01:08:32.319
it looks bad, but stay single file, and whatever you do,

1092
01:08:32.560 --> 01:08:36.640
stay on the line. He started walking, keeping his feet

1093
01:08:36.680 --> 01:08:40.079
on the line like a tightrope walker. I followed after him.

1094
01:08:40.399 --> 01:08:43.319
The heat from the floor was tremendous. I was sweating

1095
01:08:43.359 --> 01:08:46.359
buckets and didn't even want to think about the consequences

1096
01:08:46.399 --> 01:08:50.039
of toppling over without a shirt on. We continued as

1097
01:08:50.079 --> 01:08:53.800
quickly as possible, looking every bit like two kids trying

1098
01:08:53.800 --> 01:08:56.960
to walk the yellow curb on a sidewalk. Right in

1099
01:08:57.000 --> 01:08:59.920
the middle, I stumbled and lost my balance. I stepped

1100
01:09:00.079 --> 01:09:02.840
one foot into the lava to regain my balance and

1101
01:09:03.000 --> 01:09:07.279
was instantly rewarded with pain. I screamed in shock and agony.

1102
01:09:07.760 --> 01:09:10.680
It felt like my foot was literally on fire. I

1103
01:09:10.760 --> 01:09:13.479
got it back on the line, sucking wind through my teeth,

1104
01:09:13.680 --> 01:09:17.600
trying to stay on, limping with one foot. You okay,

1105
01:09:18.159 --> 01:09:24.119
Larson said, Define okay, I said, I'm in some madhouse

1106
01:09:24.159 --> 01:09:28.239
of a not warehouse with demons and ghostly employees chasing me,

1107
01:09:28.479 --> 01:09:32.439
and I literally just burned my foot on lava. I

1108
01:09:32.520 --> 01:09:35.479
know it's a lot to process, he said, but we

1109
01:09:35.560 --> 01:09:38.680
need to keep going, focus on the job, and save

1110
01:09:38.800 --> 01:09:42.159
going crazy for later. I took a deep breath and

1111
01:09:42.199 --> 01:09:46.840
immediately began coughing from the fumes. I hopped along, staying

1112
01:09:46.880 --> 01:09:49.720
on the line as best I could. I was ecstatic

1113
01:09:49.760 --> 01:09:52.359
when we turned the corner and left the lava behind.

1114
01:09:53.159 --> 01:09:55.880
I nearly ran over Larson, who had stopped and was

1115
01:09:55.920 --> 01:09:59.279
staring down the hallway. I was about to ask why

1116
01:09:59.319 --> 01:10:03.560
he'd stop, when I saw for myself. At the end

1117
01:10:03.600 --> 01:10:08.439
of the hall stood his doppelganger, and he wasn't alone.

1118
01:10:08.680 --> 01:10:12.680
There were five of them. What do we do? I

1119
01:10:12.720 --> 01:10:15.840
said quietly in his ear. He jumped at the sound

1120
01:10:15.840 --> 01:10:20.680
of my voice. So close, I don't know. I looked

1121
01:10:20.720 --> 01:10:24.840
at my watch and it said eight fifty one. We

1122
01:10:24.920 --> 01:10:28.720
only have nine minutes, I said, just go straight at him.

1123
01:10:29.880 --> 01:10:32.520
I ran ahead as fast as I could hobble. They

1124
01:10:32.560 --> 01:10:34.880
came at me in a crowd. I fired and hit

1125
01:10:34.920 --> 01:10:36.960
the first one in the knee, taking him out of

1126
01:10:36.960 --> 01:10:40.039
the fight. I fired again, hitting another in the shoulder,

1127
01:10:40.319 --> 01:10:43.319
then again hitting his knee. Foe Larsen had fired his

1128
01:10:43.359 --> 01:10:46.359
shotgun at me and thankfully missed, although I did feel

1129
01:10:46.359 --> 01:10:49.479
a burning in my leg. I would worry about that later.

1130
01:10:49.960 --> 01:10:53.800
Another shot another Larsen down. I was nearly halfway when

1131
01:10:53.800 --> 01:10:56.880
his shot hit me in the shoulder. It erupted in pain,

1132
01:10:57.439 --> 01:10:59.720
but I kept going, shooting down the last of his

1133
01:10:59.720 --> 01:11:02.800
twin fans. I fired a shot at Larsen and somehow

1134
01:11:03.119 --> 01:11:06.079
hit him in the chest. He was wobbly, but still

1135
01:11:06.159 --> 01:11:09.239
raised his shotgun and aimed at me. We were close

1136
01:11:09.359 --> 01:11:12.800
enough now I could tell he would hit me. Suddenly

1137
01:11:12.800 --> 01:11:15.880
a blast came from behind me. It passed so close

1138
01:11:15.920 --> 01:11:18.960
I could feel the heat from the buckshot. It hit

1139
01:11:19.039 --> 01:11:22.319
him in the neck and he stumbled back. I added

1140
01:11:22.319 --> 01:11:24.800
my last round into his chest before he could pull

1141
01:11:24.840 --> 01:11:28.680
the trigger again. He collapsed in a heap, his hand

1142
01:11:28.720 --> 01:11:32.079
reaching out toward us as we stumbled past, through the

1143
01:11:32.159 --> 01:11:35.800
door and out into the main hall. I paused to

1144
01:11:35.840 --> 01:11:39.039
catch my breath and leaned against the door, checking my watch.

1145
01:11:39.840 --> 01:11:43.199
Eight fifty eight, I announced. We hobbled up to the

1146
01:11:43.199 --> 01:11:47.239
reception door and stood silently like two people waiting for

1147
01:11:47.279 --> 01:11:51.600
an elevator. The daytime staff began arriving and punching in

1148
01:11:51.680 --> 01:11:55.239
through the door, throwing furtive looks our way as they entered.

1149
01:11:55.840 --> 01:11:58.199
The last one was the security guard for the day.

1150
01:11:59.319 --> 01:12:02.800
What the hell happened to you two, he said. We

1151
01:12:02.840 --> 01:12:05.279
looked at each other and laughed as we punched in

1152
01:12:05.319 --> 01:12:08.600
our numbers and walked out. He stood next to his

1153
01:12:08.640 --> 01:12:12.880
car and I stood next to mine. Will I see

1154
01:12:12.880 --> 01:12:17.560
you at work tonight? He said, absolutely, No way in hell,

1155
01:12:18.039 --> 01:12:23.560
I said. He smiled and nodded, understandable. He got in

1156
01:12:23.600 --> 01:12:28.079
his car and drove away. I took an extra moment

1157
01:12:28.159 --> 01:12:31.600
to look around at the building, which looked completely normal

1158
01:12:31.960 --> 01:12:35.920
from the outside. I breathed in the clean forest air

1159
01:12:36.399 --> 01:12:39.600
and listened to the birds singing their merry oblivious song.

1160
01:12:40.680 --> 01:12:44.520
I got in my car slowly and gingerly, knowing there

1161
01:12:44.560 --> 01:12:46.880
was no way I could afford to go to the hospital.

1162
01:12:47.960 --> 01:12:50.920
I hoped I had some gauze and some antibiotic ointment

1163
01:12:50.960 --> 01:12:55.000
at my dingy apartment. I started my car and hoped

1164
01:12:55.000 --> 01:12:58.199
I had enough gas to make it home. Driving away

1165
01:12:58.199 --> 01:13:01.760
from that building was the best feeling. I started wondering

1166
01:13:01.800 --> 01:13:04.600
if there was any place around here that didn't have

1167
01:13:04.680 --> 01:13:09.960
some strange rules to protect their weird secrets. I knew

1168
01:13:10.000 --> 01:13:13.239
I would have to find a job in quickly. Maybe

1169
01:13:13.239 --> 01:13:16.479
I could do fast food. There's no way anyone could

1170
01:13:16.520 --> 01:13:22.960
have dark secrets in a burger joint, right,