Narrator

Spread across the surface were various items. Wallets, cell phones, car keys, a wristwatch. My stomach twisted uncomfortably. Marcus picked up a cracked smartphone. Its screen flickered weakly, showing a missed call notification dated nearly two years ago. These look like they belong to someone, he whispered hoarsely. I reached out and picked up a mold-covered backpack, unzipping it carefully.

Spread across the surface were various items. Wallets, cell phones, car keys, a wristwatch. My stomach twisted uncomfortably. Marcus picked up a cracked smartphone. Its screen flickered weakly, showing a missed call notification dated nearly two years ago. These look like they belong to someone, he whispered hoarsely. I reached out and picked up a mold-covered backpack, unzipping it carefully.

Inside was a student ID. I wiped the grime from the faded picture. A smiling young woman's face stared back at me. My breath caught in my throat as recognition hit me. I saw her on the news, I said quietly. She went missing a couple years ago. They never found her. Marcus's eyes widened in horror.

Inside was a student ID. I wiped the grime from the faded picture. A smiling young woman's face stared back at me. My breath caught in my throat as recognition hit me. I saw her on the news, I said quietly. She went missing a couple years ago. They never found her. Marcus's eyes widened in horror.

We exchanged a silent, dreadful look, both of us realizing simultaneously that these items hadn't simply been lost. They had been taken. A sudden sound echoed through the hallway behind us, sharp and metallic, the unmistakable clang of metal striking concrete. Marcus jerked his flashlight toward the door we'd entered through, his hand shaking. The sound came again, closer this time.

We exchanged a silent, dreadful look, both of us realizing simultaneously that these items hadn't simply been lost. They had been taken. A sudden sound echoed through the hallway behind us, sharp and metallic, the unmistakable clang of metal striking concrete. Marcus jerked his flashlight toward the door we'd entered through, his hand shaking. The sound came again, closer this time.

Heavy footsteps splashed through the flooded corridor behind us, deliberate and relentless. Panic surged through me like electricity. Go now, I hissed urgently. We bolted from the room, water splashing wildly around our legs as we ran deeper into the building. Marcus's flashlight beam bobbed chaotically, illuminating shadowy corridors filled with debris and rusted machinery.

Heavy footsteps splashed through the flooded corridor behind us, deliberate and relentless. Panic surged through me like electricity. Go now, I hissed urgently. We bolted from the room, water splashing wildly around our legs as we ran deeper into the building. Marcus's flashlight beam bobbed chaotically, illuminating shadowy corridors filled with debris and rusted machinery.

My lungs burned with exertion and fear, the taste of panic bitter in my mouth. We rounded another corner, then another, before reaching an old rust-stained maintenance door set into the concrete wall. Marcus grabbed the handle and pulled hard, but it didn't budge. I pushed against the metal frame with him, muscles straining, desperately trying to force it open.

My lungs burned with exertion and fear, the taste of panic bitter in my mouth. We rounded another corner, then another, before reaching an old rust-stained maintenance door set into the concrete wall. Marcus grabbed the handle and pulled hard, but it didn't budge. I pushed against the metal frame with him, muscles straining, desperately trying to force it open.

Behind us, the footsteps slowed, then stopped altogether. A voice drifted from the darkness, low and almost whispering. You shouldn't have come this far down. I felt my body seize with terror as Marcus and I pushed desperately against the rusted door. It creaked agonizingly slow, metal grinding against concrete.

Behind us, the footsteps slowed, then stopped altogether. A voice drifted from the darkness, low and almost whispering. You shouldn't have come this far down. I felt my body seize with terror as Marcus and I pushed desperately against the rusted door. It creaked agonizingly slow, metal grinding against concrete.

Finally, with one last desperate shove, it groaned open into a pitch black tunnel beyond. Without hesitation, we slipped inside, closing the heavy door behind us, hoping, praying, it would buy us enough time to find another way out. The tunnel stretched into pitch darkness, the air thick with mold and the lingering odor of decay.

Finally, with one last desperate shove, it groaned open into a pitch black tunnel beyond. Without hesitation, we slipped inside, closing the heavy door behind us, hoping, praying, it would buy us enough time to find another way out. The tunnel stretched into pitch darkness, the air thick with mold and the lingering odor of decay.

My headlamp flickered weakly, barely illuminating the narrow concrete corridor ahead. Marcus followed closely, his breathing ragged, each footstep echoing sharply off the walls. Behind us, the heavy metal door remained shut, but I couldn't shake the feeling that at any moment it might swing open, the old man appearing with his hammer raised high.

My headlamp flickered weakly, barely illuminating the narrow concrete corridor ahead. Marcus followed closely, his breathing ragged, each footstep echoing sharply off the walls. Behind us, the heavy metal door remained shut, but I couldn't shake the feeling that at any moment it might swing open, the old man appearing with his hammer raised high.

We pressed forward, adrenaline driving us on through twists and turns that felt like a maze beneath the power plant.

We pressed forward, adrenaline driving us on through twists and turns that felt like a maze beneath the power plant.

every few steps i glanced over my shoulder half expecting a silhouette emerging from the shadows each time there was nothing just darkness swallowing the beam of marcus's flashlight ahead the floor dipped suddenly descending into a stairwell littered with rusted debris and chunks of concrete water dripped steadily from the ceiling pooling at the bottom of the steps forming a stagnant filthy puddle

every few steps i glanced over my shoulder half expecting a silhouette emerging from the shadows each time there was nothing just darkness swallowing the beam of marcus's flashlight ahead the floor dipped suddenly descending into a stairwell littered with rusted debris and chunks of concrete water dripped steadily from the ceiling pooling at the bottom of the steps forming a stagnant filthy puddle