Jacob rubbed his tired eyes, shuffling paperwork as the world outside faded into darkness. The building felt deserted, every footstep echoing as he made his way to the elevator at the end of the hallway. He pressed the call button, watching the glowing numbers descend.
Jacob sighed, pressing the button for the 12th floor. The panel vibrated beneath his finger, and to his surprise, the number 13 illuminated in an unnatural red. He frowned, remembering there was no 13th floor in the building. The elevator lurched, lights flickering overhead.
Jacob hesitated, unable to step forward as distant screams echoed through the haze. Shadows danced along the blackened walls, warped nameplates glinting in the firelight. His heart pounded as an unsteady figure emerged from the gloom.
Jacob[/@ch_1]’s own.]
Jacob pressed himself against the elevator wall, panic rising in his throat. The figure’s cracked lips part, and a faint, strangled voice emerges, echoing his own tone. "Jacob..." The single word hangs in the air, heavy as ash.
Jacob[/@ch_1] frantically presses the “Close” button. The doors refuse to budge, grinding and sparking. The figure’s charred fingers curl around the edge of the door, its grip burning.]
Jacob’s breaths come in ragged gasps as he pounds the panel, desperate to break free. The lights strobe, casting the hallway in hellish fragments. The figure raises the badge toward him, its eyes never leaving his.
Jacob[/@ch_1] inside. The elevator plunges downward, lights flickering out one by one. Silence settles, broken only by the distant echo of his own scream.]
When the elevator is pried open hours later, it’s empty—Jacob is gone without a trace. But on stormy nights, when the building is quiet and shadows linger, some say the elevator still stops at the 13th floor. And if you listen closely, you might hear a voice whispering your name from the smoky darkness.
