The glitter on a paint and plaster face...

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 12:03 pm

Steve breathed out nervously as he approached the door to his room and fished his room key out of his pants pocket.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 12:10 pm

The door opens to the room as usual. The big double bed, the smaller one on the other side of the room. The three empty suitcases placed against the wall and out of the way.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 12:14 pm

"Mom? Dad?" he asked as he walked into the room proper.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 12:18 pm

Nothing but the creaking floorboard as he walks into the room.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 12:21 pm

"Huh... not here..." He turned back to begin leaving.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 12:25 pm

The creaking floorboards again. This time coming from behind him inside the room though.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 12:27 pm

He froze and slowly looked back into the room.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 12:31 pm

Nothing. Wait, did the covers on the bed shift or had they been pulled back when he came into the room?

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 1:50 pm

Steve suddenly felt a twinge of cold run up his spine. His parents' bed hadn't been that way. He unconsciously took a step backward towards the door.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 1:51 pm

The door slams shut behind him.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 1:53 pm

He jumped and rushed for the door.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 1:54 pm

Which doesn't budge when he tries to open it.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:02 pm

He furiously wrestled with the knob for a moment before he choked down the panic and tried his room key.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:04 pm

Nothing. It turns but the door won't open.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:09 pm

He glanced back, fully expecting some horrible, unnatural thing to be behind him.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:14 pm

The room is empty.

But the covers on the bed are fully drawn back now and then the floor creaks somewhere between the bed and him.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:18 pm

As panic rose, he suddenly thought of the unusual key from the book.

Could it work?

He yanked the key from his pocket and jammed it into the lock.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:21 pm

It fits and as soon as he turns it the door swings open.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:25 pm

He pulled the key free and ran out into the hall.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:33 pm

The moment he stepped through the door he'd notice that the wallpaper in the hall is peeling form the walls, the light is dim and the now almost familiar metallic smell of blood hangs in the air. Behind him from the door comes a pained groan.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:46 pm

He spun around to look.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:51 pm

There's two shapes shambling around though only one of them is clearly visible in the gloomy light. If it was human once it definitely doesn't look the part anymore. What little skin is left in it's face is twisted around and pulled taut over sinews and bone.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 3:01 pm

His mind churned violently, just as his stomach did.

No. No... no... no...

He ran for the elevator in a nearly blind panic.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 3:04 pm

The shape seems to shout something but it only comes out as gargling as Steve outruns it easily. The elevator is there and after a moment of fighting with the rusty gate he's inside and it shakily goes down.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 3:12 pm

He collapsed against a corner and began to cry.

His parents were dead.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 3:24 pm

Meanwhile the elevator kept going and going.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 3:27 pm

He slowly glanced up at the floor numbers.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 3:33 pm

2...1...-1...%...}/...§... Then the display just goes blank.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 4:51 pm

Where was it taking him? The possibilities all terrified him. He was frozen.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 4:57 pm

Eventually the cabin jerks to a stop and the doors open. Beyond them is a long hallway that looks just like the one his room is on except this one looks like it's ancient. The wallpaper is grey and most of it has crumbled to dust. There's cobwebs everywhere and the handful of lightbulbs that still work are caked with dust and grime, shedding very little light.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 5:13 pm

He slowly rose and tentatively exited the elevator, eyes not still for a moment. He wished he had a flashlight.

... or a weapon.

He walked onward.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 5:21 pm

It's deathly still, not even the flickering lights making any sound. Here and there a door stands open, revealing rooms that are in the same sorry state as the hallway.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 5:24 pm

"No way I'm going in any of those..." he muttered quietly as he went ever forward.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 5:30 pm

Soon he comes across an old brown-reddish smear on the floor, coming out of one of the rooms and leading further down the hall.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 5:53 pm

He told himself there was no other way to go, and pressed forward.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 5:59 pm

Slowly the stain on the floor becomes less brown. At first it's hard to tell in the bad lighting but soon the blood looks almost fresh.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 6:12 pm

As if driven by curiosity before fear, he wasn't deterred. Besides, there was no... turn around!... turning back.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 6:18 pm

Up ahead something seemed to be moving. It's hard to tell and from here it's just formless shadows shuffling in the distance.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 6:21 pm

That finally arrested his forward momentum. There was something about this that was beginning to seem... familiar.

by **Narrator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 6:23 pm

Were those voices he could hear? Something was faintly echoing down the hallway at least.

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