flats. It was made of
wood and glass and had no chance of stopping the thing coming to
introduce him to those terrible teeth.
But
through the glass he saw something else; the steel doors of the
lift were open; wide and inviting. And although Anderson never
thought the day would come when he’d welcome such a thing, he found
himself weeping with joy. He edged towards the stairwell’s exit,
eager to get inside the lift before the creature could get anywhere
near him. The door to the exit opened smoothly for the first few
inches, then the squeal of neglected hinges carved its name in the
air.
“ Shit!”
An
explosion of movement now; heavy footfalls from below, the hideous
growling a soundtrack to the event as the creature pounded up the
steps. Anderson moved too, throwing open the door and launching
himself towards the lift, his feet slipping haphazardly on the
greasy linoleum.
But he
was a few feet away when, to his total horror, the doors began to
close.
He threw
himself at the doors, his arm stuck out in front of him in an
attempt to activate the opening mechanism. He got lucky, his hand
made it through and the sensors picked it up. The doors slid lazily
open with the incongruous, bright chime of a bell.
Just as
Anderson bundled his body into the car, the doors to the stairwell
were yanked open, the noise loud as the frame came with it and the
remains were cast aside with the din of splintering wood and
shattering glass.
The
growling was louder now, filling the landing, filling Anderson’s
world. The reek of piss was overwhelmed by another stench, the
stench of something he couldn’t immediately place until it was so
powerful it was difficult to suppress.
The stink
of dead meat.
Not the
clinical butcher’s shop stink, but that of road kill, or something
trapped under a floorboard or behind a skirting board.
In his
frenzy, Anderson flailed at the buttons on the wall. The lift doors
began to close just as Anderson’s new buddy came into view, the
eyes - ruby red and devoid of empathy – scanning his, a streak of
viscous saliva swinging from its lower jaw almost hypnotising the
trapped man with its pendulous motion.
The doors
dragged themselves together as the creature launched at them. The
lift began its descent as the beast’s bulk struck the outer doors,
the impact bowing them inward and shaking the car violently.
Anderson cried out as he was dumped on his ass as the car shimmied.
The lift shaft creaked and groaned but the car was moving, leaving
the thing battering the external doors on the seventh floor
landing.
“ Guess again, you sonofabitch,” he said, his voice frayed with
fear and relief. As the car slid down the shaft, Anderson climbed
to his feet, his mind trying to shrug off the sluggishness his fear
had saddled him with. Rational thought needed to re-assert itself
and fast.
He pulled
out his mobile, his intention to notify the cops, to tell Jennifer
and that sorry fuck Malcolm to stay put. His brain was just
registering that there wasn’t any signal when a huge, distant thud
occurred overhead. There was the distinct din of metal being bent
and twisted and then something clattering down the lift shaft,
bouncing against the sides with a series of dull echoes until it
smashed into the roof of the car.
Again the
whole lift bucked and Anderson was knocked into the doors, cracking
his forehead a good one as he went, and filling his head with
bright shiny lights. The car came to a shuddering halt as fell to
his knees, his hands clutching his brow.
Then, the
lights went out.
Darkness,
complete and suffocating.
Anderson
tried to stem the tide of horror threatening to wash over him and
drag him down into madness. The car remained stationary; the steady
creaks from outside adding to the ominous sense of
threat.
He
activated his mobile phone, the light from the tiny screen
seemingly huge in the pervading blackness about him. He checked his
signal again, his heart scudding against his sternum
wood and glass and had no chance of stopping the thing coming to
introduce him to those terrible teeth.
But
through the glass he saw something else; the steel doors of the
lift were open; wide and inviting. And although Anderson never
thought the day would come when he’d welcome such a thing, he found
himself weeping with joy. He edged towards the stairwell’s exit,
eager to get inside the lift before the creature could get anywhere
near him. The door to the exit opened smoothly for the first few
inches, then the squeal of neglected hinges carved its name in the
air.
“ Shit!”
An
explosion of movement now; heavy footfalls from below, the hideous
growling a soundtrack to the event as the creature pounded up the
steps. Anderson moved too, throwing open the door and launching
himself towards the lift, his feet slipping haphazardly on the
greasy linoleum.
But he
was a few feet away when, to his total horror, the doors began to
close.
He threw
himself at the doors, his arm stuck out in front of him in an
attempt to activate the opening mechanism. He got lucky, his hand
made it through and the sensors picked it up. The doors slid lazily
open with the incongruous, bright chime of a bell.
Just as
Anderson bundled his body into the car, the doors to the stairwell
were yanked open, the noise loud as the frame came with it and the
remains were cast aside with the din of splintering wood and
shattering glass.
The
growling was louder now, filling the landing, filling Anderson’s
world. The reek of piss was overwhelmed by another stench, the
stench of something he couldn’t immediately place until it was so
powerful it was difficult to suppress.
The stink
of dead meat.
Not the
clinical butcher’s shop stink, but that of road kill, or something
trapped under a floorboard or behind a skirting board.
In his
frenzy, Anderson flailed at the buttons on the wall. The lift doors
began to close just as Anderson’s new buddy came into view, the
eyes - ruby red and devoid of empathy – scanning his, a streak of
viscous saliva swinging from its lower jaw almost hypnotising the
trapped man with its pendulous motion.
The doors
dragged themselves together as the creature launched at them. The
lift began its descent as the beast’s bulk struck the outer doors,
the impact bowing them inward and shaking the car violently.
Anderson cried out as he was dumped on his ass as the car shimmied.
The lift shaft creaked and groaned but the car was moving, leaving
the thing battering the external doors on the seventh floor
landing.
“ Guess again, you sonofabitch,” he said, his voice frayed with
fear and relief. As the car slid down the shaft, Anderson climbed
to his feet, his mind trying to shrug off the sluggishness his fear
had saddled him with. Rational thought needed to re-assert itself
and fast.
He pulled
out his mobile, his intention to notify the cops, to tell Jennifer
and that sorry fuck Malcolm to stay put. His brain was just
registering that there wasn’t any signal when a huge, distant thud
occurred overhead. There was the distinct din of metal being bent
and twisted and then something clattering down the lift shaft,
bouncing against the sides with a series of dull echoes until it
smashed into the roof of the car.
Again the
whole lift bucked and Anderson was knocked into the doors, cracking
his forehead a good one as he went, and filling his head with
bright shiny lights. The car came to a shuddering halt as fell to
his knees, his hands clutching his brow.
Then, the
lights went out.
Darkness,
complete and suffocating.
Anderson
tried to stem the tide of horror threatening to wash over him and
drag him down into madness. The car remained stationary; the steady
creaks from outside adding to the ominous sense of
threat.
He
activated his mobile phone, the light from the tiny screen
seemingly huge in the pervading blackness about him. He checked his
signal again, his heart scudding against his sternum
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