You abandon the door, hearing it shake as the creature slams into it a few times. You nearly trip down the stairs before you turn your flashlight on. Reaching the bottom, you shove a broken floor waxer aside and run blindly. You take corners at random, ignoring anything except the faint yet persisant sound of the door caving inwards. Your radio howls, and you can swear you hear Trevor's death rattle coming through.\n\nYou come to an intersection. Pipes snake up the walls, and you can smell rusted metal. With no idea where you are, you can only hope that whatever way [[you choose|left]] will be the [[right one|right]].
The concrete walls are dank and rough. You've hardly ever been down here. Water drips from a copper pipe, hitting a puddle that is slick with oil. The passage [[stretches on|right 2]], but can see some kind of [[light|locker room]] shining underneath a door to your left.
The noise climbs to a peak, overwhelming your senses, your thoughts. All you can see is Trevor's guts spilled out on the floor and the bands of static creeping up the monitor feed. \n\nThen it cuts off. You're left with your own panicked breathing. You hear a thump as the creature takes one step, then nothing else. It's waiting. \n\nYour radio begins to whine again. The tinny whisper starts climbing again to a scream. <<if $injured eq "yes">> It doesn't matter though. The pain is even worse, the blood sticky and sickly on the bottom of the crate. You won't last long anyways. <<else>> You can't tell if your own screams mingle with the growing noise of the radio, trapped in that echoing box, with that thing patiently standing outside. <<endif>>\n\nTHE END
You voices cracks as you yell into your radio. \n\n"What?" Trevor asks. He's pokes through the plants on the wrong side of the wall. Across the room, the shadows lengthen.\n\nYou yell into your radio again.\n\n"For Chrissakes, what is it? There's nothing there!" Trevor turns to the camera and gives an exasperated look. \n\nA hunched shape slides out of the leaves. The cheap potted plants barely move as the thing brushes past. It's indistinct, blurring into the static. It seems to shudder with each step, and you glimpse two long limbs hanging towards the floor. \n\nYou croak and cough, then try to speak. But you watch Trevor reach for his radio, cutting you off. "You know, Sal, you need to stop winding an old man up."\n\nThe thing envelopes him, swirling around his shoulders. The blood looks black in the monochrome feed. It looms over him as he falls to the floor, intestines bursting from his stomach. He's still clutching the radio at his shoulder, and as his ropey innards spill onto the floor you hear his screams cutting in and out. The creature hovers over him for a second. The bands of static still make their lazy way along the monitor, hiding Trevor's mutilated body for a moment here and there. \n\nYour legs tense. It's time to [[run|run]].\n\nThe shape seems to turn in the direction of the camera. It has no head, but you think it's looking straight at you. It draws closer to the camera, stepping past the gore. Your hands grip the edge of the desk. The flashlight begins to rattle as it shakes. You [[can't move|stay on feed]].
"Don't see anything," Trevor says. "Do you?"\n\nYou ignore him for now, not wanting to lie. If you count to five, you can say you checked the monitors, then left to the back. That'll reassure him. \n\n"Hmm...." Trevor is talking to himself again. You can picture him holding the radio on his shoulder, his other hand hitched into his belt. "Maybe something..."\n\nStatic overwhelms the channel, and you wince as your radio blares into your ear for a second. Trevor is silent. You call back, telling him you didn't hear that. \n\n"Mary, Mother of God," he says. "Sally, get the fuck out of here!"\n\nYou stop in your tracks, confused. Then he starts screaming. He's coughing and sobbing, his voice cutting in and out as his forgotten grip on the radio relaxes. You hear another cough, then the harsh static comes back. \n\nWith the signal cawing into your ear, you realize you're still not moving: hesistant and confused. You're gripping your flashlight like it's a totem. \n\nTrevor told you to [[run|run]], but he needs [[your help|dash to lobby]].\n\n
"Sally. Sally."\n\nYou can hear [[him|upstairs convo part 1]], but the feed from the lobby camera is more entertaining. You tap your finger in rythmn with the bands of static that crawl across the screen. \n\n"Jesus fuck, Sally. Will you [[listen to me?|upstairs convo part 2]]\n\n\n
You run automatically, grabbing at your belt for the baton and pepper spray hanging there. Trevor hasn't spoken in a while, but the harsh static barks out of your radio intermitteningly. You round the corner to the lobby, and see Trevor dead on the floor.\n\nHis organs are spilling out of him, one hand slack against the ragged hole in his stomach where he had been trying to keep them in. A hunched shaped looms over his body. It's huge, and fuzzy around the edges. Two long, swirling limbs hang down from its body, which sway as it turns towards you. It has no face, no head even. It's body is a shifting pattern of black and grey, and what might be its front is now facing you. \n\nTrevor was your friend, and now he's dead. You could raise your baton and [[hope|fight lobby]] for the best.\n\nThe creature raises its huge arms and slams them onto the ground. The concrete floor cracks, yet the thing doesn't make a sound. Maybe it's time to [[run|run]].\n\n
Eventually, Trevor shows up on the screen. He's standing near the empty reception desk, thumbs hooked into his belt. He hefts his pants up with a few jerky motions, then seems to remember you're watching him as he turns with an embarassed wave. \n\nYour radio crackles. "Can't see shit," Trevor says. You reach towards it to reply, but your hand is stilled by another shadow flicking across the screen. This time it had a shape. Hunched, with a back like a dome and arms that dangled to the floor. It was huge--bigger than Trevor--but somehow disappeared behind some potted plants. The bands of static still crept along the screen as the leaves rustled. \n\nYou frantically call Trevor, telling him what you saw. \n\n"Huh?" He replies. "There's nothing by the plants."\n\nHe's ambled over to the wrong one, against the far wall. He's shining his flashlight in the wrong direction. Idiot. Fucking idiot.\n\nYou might be able to get [[over there|dash to lobby]] in time but it would be faster to [[just talk to him|feed part 2]].\n\nThe leaves are rustling again. \n\n
Have you been here? These fucking hallways are all the same. You can't see any equipment anywhere, so it can't be where you first came in. But where is this? You can't see the light of the locker room anymore. And where is that thing? Is it close? Off to your right a ways down, you can see a [[door|storeroom]], but the hall [[keeps going|left 3]] in [[both directions|right 2]].\n\n<<if $injured eq "yes">> You're losing a lot of blood. Ever time you step more seeps out. Your hand sticks to your side, and you're afraid to take it away. <<endif>>
Coming around a corner, you see a [[light|locker room]] to your left. That must be...have you seen that? You can't remember. You can barely think over the sound of your own breath and the steady static of your radio. The hall [[turns again|hub]] but there's also a [[side passage|right 3]]. You've definitely been down that one. Haven't you?\n\n<<if visited() gt 1>> No. You've seen this. You know it. But the thing must be getting closer. Your radio crackles again. You need to get away. <<endif>>
You climb into the container, lying on your side amongst some trash and boxes. <<if $injured eq "yes">> You have to stifle a moan as you lay down on your bad side. The blood pools around your ribs as you lay there, life seeping out of you. <<else>> You flick your flashlight off and hold your breath in the darkness. <<endif>>\n\nThe door creaks as the creature enters. Its footsteps are still audible and heavy. The room goes silent. It seems to be waiting there. The tinny whine from your radio gets louder, climbing to a roar. The static and feedback echo in the tiny container, and Trevor's screams cuts through the noise. His death mingles with the harsh roar of the signal that threatens to take over the room.\n\nOver the roar and your panicked breath you listen for footsteps, but hear none. It's still here. But it must hear you. There's no use [[staying in here|keep hiding]]. It must be waiting to strike. You could [[run|run 2]], maybe take it by surprise. \n\n
The hallway here curves slightly. You lean against a cracked AC unit left on the ground. You squint as your flashlight catches the outline of a [[door|storeroom]] that's half open. You could keep going [[around the corner|right 3]] or down the [[long hallway|hub]] behind you. \n\n<<if visited () gt 1>> You must have been here. Have you tried that door? You can't tell. <<endif>>
Something moved.\n\nA shadow darted across the screen of the lobby camera. You look over at Trever, and before you can speak, he pipes up. "Yeah, I saw it too."\n\nThe two of you watch the screen for a few seconds, but nothing happens. You reach over to grab your hefty flashlight, but Trevor waves you off. \n\n"I'm already standing, I'll go check it out. Shit, it's probably just a bug passing by the lens. But watch the other feeds, see if anything pops up or whatever. Oh, and once I give the all clear, you go check the back and then do your proper rounds. Could be just a quick homeless guy that got in through the basement or something. [[Sit tight|watch the feed]]."\n\nTrevor loves artificial drama. He'll fuss over the smallest thing like he's a real cop. Watch the other feeds, like there's an invasion going on. You want to snort as his retreating back. You could just go [[check the back|go to the back]] to get it over with.
You keep your flashlight on the ground, trying to dart around the junk littering the floor of the hallways. You turn and dart for a few minutes, but the edges of the beam seem to be getting fuzzier, the light itself dimmer. You're breathing hard now, your side burning, the gashes in your back aching. You can't keep this up for long. The static on your shoulder once again climbs to a roar. \n\n\nTHE END
<<if $injured eq "yes">> As you steady yourself, the pain lances through your body. You realize the mistake as soon as the creature steps through the door. <<else>> You take a breath, but your hands are shaking. The creature lazily walks through the door. You can't bring yourself to scream. <<endif>>\n\nIt stands there, waiting. The beam of your light seems to slip around it. You lunge at it, swinging your flashlight at it. The beam plays across the ceiling and wall in an arc as the creature waits patiently for your foolish charge.\n\n\nTHE END
You step into room, playing your flashlight along the piles of junk. It's a storeroom of some kind. Large containers, almost like small dumpsters, line one wall, large enough to fit inside. You catch your breath for a second. There's no other entrace besides the door you came in. \n\nYou can hear it. Its footsteps. It was silent before, but the slow thump is unmistakable. It's close. Scrambling around, you don't see anything of use beyond rusted metal and frayed wires. \n\nIt's getting closer. You could [[hide|hide]] in the containter, but is it worth it? Could it find you? Smell you? \n\nMaybe you could [[stand your ground|fight]]. But then you think back to Trevor's screams. \n\nA tinny whine emerges from the radio on your shoulder. \n
You stand with your feet wide apart, baton gripped in both hands. You can't help but stare at the blood slicked floor around Trevor. \n\nThe creature walks towards you almost lazily, arms slackly hanging. It towers over you. You take a step back without thinking. \n\nAll your life you've been tough, but nothing has ever scared you so much. The thing raises an arm. \n\n\nTHE END
Gasping for breath, you hold on, placing your trust in the metal. \n\nThe door continues to cave inward. The lock breaks and it flies open. You're knocked aside and fall down the short flight of stairs, slamming your head against the floor. Your flashlight scatters away, illuminating the foot of the stairs. Through the diziness you see the creature's indistinct feet as it walks towards you.\n\nTHE END
Shoulder braced against the metal door, you take a deep breath and wait for the next impact. The entire frame rattles as the creature bends a chunk of the door further inward. Your eyes widen as you watch an arm curve towards you. \n\nPain lances through your side as it slams into your ribs. You can feel flesh tearing. Your yell of pain is drowned out by the high pitched whine in your ears. \n\nBlood is pouring down your side. You [[can't fight it|injured fast]]. But maybe your only hope is to [[keep struggling|injured slow]], if that's possible. \n\n<<set $injured = "yes">>\n
"Thank you," Trevor says, "Mary would weep at the lack of help I get around here. I'm the goddamn supervising guard, you know."\n\nTrevor's Catholicism isn't a matter of belief so much as it is cursing. Most of the other guards don't like his refrains, but you find that the night shift passes faster with him. \n\n"Anyways, your turn to do the rounds. [[Check the back|go to the back]] and the basement door. I forgot earlier."\n\nYou feel like protesting, mostly to pass the time. Someone has the watch all the nothing in the [[lobby|lobby feed]], you want to say. \n\n\n\n
Trevor is a large man, the stomach hanging over his belt only making him seem more solid. He regularly challenges people to try and knock him over. Idly, he fiddles with his pepper spray as he leans against your desk. He looks over to the [[lobby feed|lobby feed]] that you're watching.\n\n"Nice to know you're actually doing your job. Things quiet?"\n\nYou nod, eyes back on the screen.\n\n"Good, good. Anyhow, feel like doing some work today?"\n\nYou give a sour [[grunt|upstairs convo part 2]].
You head towards the back, sprinting without thinking. You try to push aside the sound of Trevor's screams playing in your head. You can't tell where the thing that killed Trevor is. Static still barks out of your radio.\n\nYou realize you ran past the stairwell and the back door, and don't want to risk turning back. The basement door is just ahead, and as you pull the heavy steel door open, you see the creature at the end of the hallway. \n\nIt's huge, even from this distance. The headless shape leans forward as it walks, arms hanging straight down from its rounded body. You can barely see its legs, which are lost to the fuzzed black and grey of its body.\n\nYou pull the basement door shut as fast as you can. The stairs leading down are dim and cramped. You barely go down here. You can try [[locking the door|lock the door]], unless there isn't [[enough time|door unlocked]].
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You wander around a branching hallway, which forks at one point. Mould covers the concrete walls, and the smell attacks your nostrils. Over your shoulder is a [[weak light|locker room]], but there's also a [[narrow hall|left 3]] you could run down. To your right, another hall turns a [[sharp corner|right 2]]. Your flashlight shines on a pair of eyes and you jump. Fuck. It's just a piece of metal. \n\n<<if $injured eq "yes">> The blood is seeping down your side. You want to keep pressure on it, but are revulsed at how your hand sticks to the already matted blood on your side. You're getting dizzy. <<endif>>\n\n<<if visited() gt 1>> You've been here before. <<endif>>\n\n<<if visited() gt 2>> You're wasting time. You can hear it stumbling around nearby. <<endif>>\n\n\n
You wince with every step as you go through empty door frames and follow copper pipes that lead nowhere. You're still holding your hand up against your side, and you feel something soft that moves oddly whenever you breathe. You keep pressing into your rent side and try to focus on what's in front of you. Directly ahead of you is a hall that [[snakes off|left 3]] past the length of your flashlight beam. But there's also a [[small passage|hub]]\nbeside you. \n\nYou can't hear the door shaking any more. You don't know what that means.
You begin to turn the lock as the thing hits the door. You nearly fall down the stairs from the impact, scrambing to hold onto the handle. You jam your shoulder against the metal and manage to lock the door. You shake with the next impact, and metal squeals as part of the door bends around the creature's hooked arm. You stare at the thing's hand gripped firmly around the jagged edge of the frame.\n\nYou're not sure if you can keep it out [[for long|door unlocked]]. But the lock is somehow holding for now. You could brace yourself and [[try|door break]] to keep the door shut.
You throw open the lid, tripping over the lip as you try to leap out. Hitting your head on the ground, everything blurs as you scramble up, feeling claws rake down your back. You manage to get out the door, bouncing off the concrete as you run away. You can hear its footsteps behind you. You can hear its breathing through the radio. \n\nYou're still ahead, but you're [[tired|tired]] and dizzy. You can't focus.
The bands of static creep along, and they seem to illuminate the creature as it gets even closer to the camera. Soon it's filling the monitor, its indistinct shoulders steadily rising and falling in rhythm with the static. You watch those shoulders: rising, falling. The desk is still shaking as you grip the edge, but you're glued to it. Your mug falls to the floor, shatter. \n\nIt gets closer to the camera, and somehow closer to you. \n\nThe monitor goes black. Soon enough, you can smell it. You can't even raise your arms to cover your face. \n\n\nTHE END\n
A bare buld hangs from the ceiling, weakly illuminating a row of beat up lockers on one side of the wall. One hangs open, and you can see it's cluttered with parts and tools. Your radio crackles. You need to press forward. \n\nThere's a bare hallway leading [[somewhere|hub]], and a door that opens to a [[sharp corner|right 2]]. Have you been that way already? Did you turn a corner? \n\n<<if visited() gt 1>> This is no good. You've already looked here. You need to hide, to get way. Not stand around. You can here it. You can here it walking around. Fuck. <<endif>>
\nTrevor's voice comes through the radio on your shoulder. "See anything?" he asks. \n\nYou feel a little guilty. He did ask you to watch the cameras. It's not like anyone is there, but who knows, this could be the one time some burglar or homeless guy was wandering around. You'd hate for Trevor to be right and not be there for him. Perhaps it's best to go back [[to check|watch the feed]]. \n\n"Lord, those elevators make a racket." Trevor isn't really talking to you, but the chatter calms him. It isn't really worth indulging his heroic fantasies, is it? You could just [[keep walking|listen in]]. \n
Graham Robertson\n
You scramble down the stairs, feeling the blood pool around your hand as you hold onto your side. Above your panting, you can hear the sound of the door shaking with further impacts. You take corners at random, hoping for the best. Finally, slick with sweat, you stop to breathe. You flick your flashlight around, and see only the dank concrete and a few copper pipes. There's a [[side passage|hub]] here, or you can keep going down [[this hallway|injured fast 3]].\n
The hallway here is cramped, littered with broken equipment. Only the janitors ever come down here. It's not even a part of your rounds. You trip over something and your flashlight beam veers wildly, playing along the ceiling and floor. \n\nEventually you come to the end of the hall. There's a [[door|locker room]]. Is that it? Was there another door you missed? Shouldn't there be?