The Next-Door Down

Monster

Your parents half eaten corpses lay in the centre of the lift.

Your mother's loose eyeball staring directly at you as it rolled across the floor.

The terrifying thing was that it wasn't even the most scary part.

No.

The real fear that swelled inside you was caused by the huge 10ft monster that loomed over you.

It's face splayed in a horrifying manner.

It almost looked like a bud, or at least, a bud covered in blood and flesh.

You were too frightened to scream, too frightened to move.

You just stood there, awing at the beast that had positioned itself before you.

And then, just like that, the creature began to edge closer, so slow that it was barely perceptible.

That was when you snapped out of it.

Your flight or fight was definitely flight, I mean, If you saw a 10ft unknown animal what would you do?

"Help!" You yell as you sprint up the nearest staircase, not caring where it led.

As your feet thumped across the metal and as your fingertips brushed the wall, you realised that you were probably the only one left in the building.

You and... that.. that thing.

"Help me!" You cry again but it wasn't any use.

The creature let out a blood curdling roar as it began to ascend the same stairs that you were on.

"Shit." You exhale as you continue travelling upwards.

Truthfully, you had never been scared like this in your life.

Sweat was pooling down from your forehead at a tremendous rate and you could feel your face heating up.

It was like the feeling before you get your test results, just about four times more worse.

And then there was the impeding doom.

The impending doom that the monster would find you and that you would meet the same grizzly fate as your parents.

The alarm continued to blare as you rounded yet another corner and towards more steps, this building seemed to last forever.

You could feel the monster getting closer... and closer.

But, you didn't dare turn around in fear that you would loose momentum, trip over or something.

The bad thing was, you always imagined the worst:
The monster's rotten breath breathing down your neck; it completely devouring you whilst you were still alive; the pain it'd inflict on you.

You shook your head to shake away the bad thoughts as you ran into a new section.

In fact, you ran so fast that you didn't notice the 'radioactive' signs beside the door that you'd just sprinted through.

All you could think about was the huge grey stalker behind you.

You could feel your emotions begging to be set free.

The mourning you should be feeling from your parent's sudden deaths was trapped inside of you, fear being constantly on your mind and forcing any other emotions away.

At least that was until you saw the gate.