A frenzied din pierced his ears. It was garbled and gravelly.

  Static echoes of screams and shouts cut in and out.

  Was this what hell sounded like?

  His head pounded immensely, as if his brain were trying to break free from his skull. His eyelids felt lethargic; however, he somehow managed to pry them open. There he met flaring red lights, and he rapidly blinked to clear his vision.

  Something wet trickled down his temple, but he ignored it. Because the media in front of him stole his attention and his breath. People were running, their faces twisted and sweaty. Then, from behind them, a mass shot forward.

  It appeared as an amalgamation of glitches and static, distorting the screen while it passed through. Then it consumed a person, turning them into a red mist. Sending limbs flying, scattering over the corridor. Internal organs smashed against the walls, spilling their contents to the ground.

  This was one fucked up prank. Who replaced the camera feeds with a horror film? It was stupid. Reprimands would be given, and Schafer knew he’d get to the bottom of it. Except he couldn’t shake the feeling that Ashley might’ve had a hand in this. Perhaps it would be best to speak with her first.

  The screaming stopped, only appearing occasionally with an accompanying gunshot or two. Following the sound, he leaned down and picked up a fallen radio, turning it off and tossing it onto the control panel. Honestly, he had to be impressed. The guards had never attempted such a thing before, so whatever Ashley could’ve possibly done to persuade them eluded him.

  Briskly striding to the door, he entered his code. Expecting a green light to appear, it came back red.

  So he tried again. And again. And again.

  Yet no matter how many times he tried, nothing changed. Had he forgotten? It wasn’t possible, unless… wait. Why was he in the security room in the first place?

  Schafer lifted a hand, dabbing at the liquid dripping down the side of his face. Pulling his hand back, he found a red dot glistening on his fingertip. Blood? Was he bleeding? Why? He had only hit his head on…

  Returning to the control panel, he pulled a chair and sat down. His eyes returned to the security cameras, which were still detailing a slaughter. One that looked too realistic.

  An actor was gesturing wildly to a group of running peers, then pushed over against the wall by another man. That’s when the unknown shape entered view. Suddenly the actor’s legs disappeared, severed just above the knee. Then an arm detached itself from his body, thrown off-screen.

  The actor’s face throughout was distorted, their eyes widening while his mouth stretched wide open to spew words Schafer couldn’t hear. Then a massive hole appeared in his side, as his insides were yanked out by a jumble of malfunctioning pixels. A long line of intestines hit the wall opposite of his body, and he stopped moving.

  After its work was finished, the mass moved, repeating a similar process to another victim.

  It was terrible, and Schafer had to shut his eyes. Eventually, they were open again, and he was met with the remains of the carnage.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Organs, flesh, and bone tossed around without care.

  What the fuck was happening?

  Tearing his eyes away, he focused on his breathing. He wasn’t dreaming, was he? At this point, he’d already recollected the day’s past events. The layoff, Ashley, the guard, and hitting his head on the control panel.

  Whatever was happening on those screens, they couldn’t… No, they shouldn’t be real… What was that thing that darted around, mutilating anything it came across? Why did the cameras not pick it up? Or did it just look like that? A giant walking glitch?

  It wasn’t rational. Nothing was. Those people were dead, weren’t they? Killed by whatever that thing was. He had just watched his employees get mauled and ripped apart. That was all real.

  Schafer rubbed his face harder, running a hand through his hair. If this was indeed a prank, Ashley was pushing it too far. But if it wasn’t, he was in danger, wasn’t he? His code didn’t work, probably due to a system wipe done in emergencies.

  What bullshit. Why was resetting the access codes even an option? So what if there could be a threat that could use them to access places they shouldn't?

  No, he had to hold out. Right now the signal would be sent, and the company would send a recovery team within twenty-four hours. All he had to do was be patient. He would be saved and—

  A woman entered the view of one of the cameras, standing over a body.

  “Ashley!’ Schafer shouted.

  Except, of course, she couldn’t hear him. After pausing over his body for a while, she began to move, hobbling along the walls. She appeared to be approaching the elevators, yet the hallway appeared to be blocked with debris.

  Reaching over, Schafer grabbed the radio and turned it on. Hopefully there was another nearby, and he could reach her.

  “Hello!? Hello!? Can you hear me!?”

  She continued to move, not reacting at all to his calls. However, in another camera feed, the mass suddenly appeared, catching his eye. It hovered over a guard's body, slowly slinking towards it.

  Swallowing, Schafer tried again. “Hello!? Ashley, can you hear me!?”

  As the message was sent, the mass lunged forward, diving into the body and tearing it to pieces. Once satisfied, it darted away. It couldn’t be… right?

  “Hello…?” he repeated.

  In an instant the mass returned to the body and, instead of ravaging it, appeared to be studying it. Then it turned to a small object on the ground, incorporating it into its distorted appearance, before walking off. The radio was completely ruined.

  In turn, one in his own hand slipped out and clattered to the ground.

  Schafer fell silent, watching the beast roam, while Ashley appeared to have arrived at the checkpoint and was conversing with the guard. It was evident he wouldn’t let her pass, and she left, seeming able to stand on her own two feet again.

  However, it seemed that she was on a collision course with the mass, who were rapidly approaching her location.

  Gritting his teeth, Schafer searched the control panel and pressed a button.

  Just before the mass could make it through, a bulkhead suddenly shut.

  The mass then diverged, heading down another corridor while Ashley continued forward, eventually passing the area where it had been. Schafer, meanwhile, wiped his drenched brow and leaned back.

  At least he wasn’t useless.

  Movement flickered across the monitors.

  Section B.

  Three figures. One sagging between the other two, boots dragging, leaving a red streak behind them.

  They faltered. One shouted something. They let him drop.

  The injured man tried to crawl.

  In the corner of the screen, the distortion slid into view.

  Once sealed, there was no reopening from his side.

  Schafer’s eyes were glued to the feeds.

  The two men were almost out.

  The thing began to catch up.

  His finger hovered over the button. If they crossed, he wouldn’t have to choose.

  They didn’t.