Horrorfest

7. Nineteen

"Hold the door!" I shouted at the elderly man in the elevator as I sprinted towards him.

Taking the elevator alone after 1am always gave me the creeps. I was utterly grateful when I saw another breathing soul taking the elevator that night.

The doors slid open and the man shuffled towards the back of the elevator without a word.

"Th-tha-thanks..." My breaths returning in quick succession once I made my way safely inside.

I looked through one of the glass panels on the elevator door, relieved that I was no longer in the darkness.

As the elevator made its way up and I managed to catch my breath, I realised that I had forgotten to press the button to my floor. I hastily pressed the button to the fifth floor but it skipped my level.

Damn it. I was too slow.

That's when I realised that the man had also forgotten to press a floor number as well. "Which floor do you get off?"

"N..i..n..e..t..e..e..n..."

The little hairs on my neck stood on its ends.

The highest floor was 18th.

I took a deep breath, unsure of what to do next. I was too terrified to turn around. I prayed whatever I remembered and I mustered enough courage before turning around.

I could not believe what I saw.

I looked around in panic, not sure whether to feel relieved or absolutely terrified.

He was gone.

The elevator still had to go up to the highest floor before it goes back down to my floor that I lived.

But there he was, standing at every lift landing, looking straight at me through the other side of the glass panels.

10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th...

I could not take it anymore.

I stumbled to the side to press the button to fifth floor, but a bony hand was already pressing it.

I screamed. I panicked. I started to shake.

I have no idea when the elevator travelled downwards but it felt like forever. Finally, the elevator stopped and I ran towards my apartment door which was at the end of the hallway.

The old man was waiting outside my door, his back towards me.