endless hallway [p3]

Having premonitions was one of the supernatural gifts which Ashley posses… she haven’t used it though… she treated it as a curse especially the other gift… some think of her as a freak, that’s why she never opened this up even to her new friends at the office.

Her friends… Gabby, Michael and Melissa came after an hour…

She cried when she saw them… after few minutes she started to tell everyone what happened and the premonition she had about Drake’s whereabouts. Gabby was a little bit doubtful about the story… but he didn’t let anyone know… after calming down Ashley, they think of a plan of what to do.

Gabby went to the John… the 32nd floor John was one of the freakiest amongst the building… there were hearsays that there were those who hears somebody crying… with a voice as if coming from a little girl… everyone who enters here feels eerie… they feel as if someone was watching you… though you were definitely sure you were the only person inside. And that’s what Gabby was feeling as of the moment… too bad he has to overcome his fear for that uncontrolled call of nature he had by that time… he tries to play some games thru his cell to divert his thoughts of someone else was around… and just as he almost forgot the fear he has… he was alarmed with a pounding sound… and he felt the floor was a bit shaky as well… the pounding didn’t stop, it becomes much louder… he hurried to get out of the cubicle where he was… and as he opened the door the lights went off… he used his cell phone so he could see the way to the door… but there was no door… everything was in place except the door… and he heard some splashes of water… coming from the faucet… he closed it…but right after that the water on the toilet suddenly overflowed… he shouted for help.

Back in the training room… Ashley noticed Gabby was missing… she asked Michael to have him checked… Michael opened the John adjacent to where Gabby was… then he heard someone shouting… Michael tried to open the other door, this time it was locked... and after several attempts he gave up… Michael promised Gabby that he would be back…

Michael hurried to the training room and told Melissa and Ashley of what just happened… They all came rushing to the John… when Ashley get to hold the door knob she had another premonition… she saw Gabby drowning… she was shocked… she told everyone to calm down and look for something to make the door open.

And when Ashley was left alone she tried to use her other gift… the power to communicate with the non-living creatures… she was suspecting something supernatural was doing these things at the office… she also have heard before that there was a girl who was raped here, when the building wasn’t that furnished yet… she summoned the spirit so she could help her friends.

endless hallway [p2]

Ashley was Drake’s ex-girlfriend. Though they still have feelings for each other they were better off separated. They went out for a date every now and then… some think they've already reconciled. That same morning when Drake went to the office, Ashley went to the office at the 34th floor to do some reports that she have left last Saturday when the system went down in later part of the afternoon.

She finished her reports earlier than expected so she checked some mails and browsed on to some movie sites. Ashley suddenly think of inviting her friends to watch a movie… after calling them all she was reminded of Drake… when they’re still a couple they have promised to each other to watch this movie together… so Ashley called up Drake’s house and discovered that he was in the building also… she tried to call his cellphone but it was out of coverage area… so she went down to the 32nd floor to check him up if he’s there…

As she went down the lights at the elevator was flickering…

Ashley head straight to the training room… no one’s in there… she tried to dial Drake’s cell number once more… and then a phone rings… somewhere in the room… she looked around the terminals… then she saw Drake’s phone and bag… and as she lifted up Drake’s bag… she had a premonition… Ashley saw Drake exhausted, running around out of nowhere… she have seen that same place before she just cant remember where.

endless hallway [p1]

Drake was one of those associates who have the potential of making it big in the Project.

He comes from a wealthy family, graduated from an exclusive school. He was a great leader; he has his very own way of befriending everyone... he breaks the ice when everyone’s being too serious with their work. The only problem was his schedule adherence… he resides from the South and the office is located in the North. One time he came too early at the office because he needs to prepare for a presentation with the clients. He proceeds to the training room at the 32nd floor so he could concentrate on his speech. He was all alone at the floor… he didn’t even try to check up the people at the 34th floor.

He was reciting his speech over and over… adds some jokes and erases some part that he thinks wasn’t necessary. He walked thru the room, having some gestures as he speaks… experimenting to some lines… humming the lines with familiar songs so he could easily memorize. He stands, he sits, he goes on circles… then he faced the mirror wall… so he could see himself.

A few hours later the room becomes a bit foggy, he was puzzled because the air condition wasn’t turned on that time… he just put on an electric fan at the front of the room. He tried to look where’s the source… he was lead to the conference room at the farther side of the floor… the fog suddenly fades as he opens the door. Nobody’s there… just some boxes of files.

He went back to the training room… but the hallway was not the same… the computers, the cubicles, the chairs… they’re all gone… all that’s left was an empty long hallway heading to nowhere… he shouted… “Hello, anybody there?”… Then he heard a giggling sound of a child… he looked back the conference room was now replaced by a wall… a wall where some images were forming… he ran towards the hallway… he risked of heading to nowhere.

If only he checked the 34th floor he would have discovered it was still Monday… nobody’s expected to be at the office that early... nor be at the office.

the mirror has weird faces

Au, Gem, Macie were good friends. Au, the most “kikay” of the three, was fond of cute guys and always worried of her long black straight hair. Gem, the girl with a great smile, she’s gifted with a towering height that made her face featured into some of the country’s glamorous magazines. Macie, the so-called “geek” of the group, who seemed like she have her own little world every time she’s in front of her pc, feeding her neopet (on a virtual pet site). The three got along very well that they called themselves “Kikays”. They always arrive at the office together, and it has been their habit to head straight to the powder room and have their retouch done... for 30minutes. That makes their total working hours with an average of 7.

That Saturday afternoon they have to stay to wait for their friend Jane, the fourth member of the “kikays” who unfortunately didn’t pass the training. They’ll be spending their weekend out-of-town with their boyfriends. They’ve decided to do some experimenting on their beauty kits. They tried to curl their hairs and put on some make-ups… they even have pictures taken trying on their swimsuits. It took them 3 long hours to get tired of their vanity trip.

As they wash their make-ups off their faces… the mirror in front of them started to become blurry… they tried to clean it up with paper towels but they saw some weird images of them… images of them dead… Gem screamed… she’s hematophobic… she accidentally held on the hand dryer who suddenly becomes grounded and got her electrocuted. Seeing this Au had her seizure attack, Macie didn’t have any training on first-aid stuff so she didn’t know what to do that time… she was crying of being useless… she cant help her friends… Gem already ran out of breathe because of the shock. And Au at that time was starting to become pale… Macie decided to go out and get some help… she could see thru the doors of the hallway separating the rest room from the office floor, the lights were off… she headed to the door but it was locked… she banged on it… but seems like there’s some kind of force outside that was overpowering her… she went back to check up on Au… when she checked for pulse Au’s already dead then… she tried to contact Jane but for some weird reasons she was only hearing blurred voices… then it becomes louder… the language spoken was like of a spooky tribe having their rituals. She got scared and she accidentally looked on the mirror again and she saw someone was standing at her back… with a butcher’s knife aiming at her… she turned back and tried to slap the person on her back with her cellphone… but there’s no one standing… she just heard someone just closed the door outside the hall… so she ran out and shouted for help… but the doors were still locked and no one’s there… she was feeling somebody’s watching her and when she take a peek at the wall mirrors of the hallway there’s a lot of images around it… then suddenly the door opposite to where she was standing suddenly opened… and without any hesitation she ran to get the hell out from where she was… but when she reached half way to the door two hands from both side of the mirror walls suddenly comes out and pulled her legs that caused her to fall out of balance… she rolled back and the next thing she saw was the mirror walls cracked down and before she could stand up and ran the broken pieces started to fall unto her… killing her.

the death of ritchie

Back at the 34th floor... when everyone wasn't informed yet of what happened at the 37th floor.

The much awaited awards were about to be announced… Team Claims 123 won the award… everyone from the team was blissful… members were cheering their team lead as she delivered a speech. And for the last award, the fourth associate to be placed on the Hall of Fame... Ritchie… the eager-beaver associate… who sometimes bites off more than what he can chew. As the crowd from his team joins his achievement, some were skeptic with his achievement… there were those who maliciously looked at him. There were undisclosed issues going on to some of his colleagues… it all started when everyone begins to notice the change of his attitude towards his colleagues. Some says he started to become bossy, he gives out annoying remarks every now and then, he acts as if he was of a person with authority and worst he becomes distant to everyone who ask for his assistance.

He planned for a victory party after work… he ordered pizza and pasta and serve it at the conference room… the pizza arrived and he have to go up to the 35th floor, it’s a protocol for outsiders to meet up with the employees there, when he reached the 35th floor, there’s no guard on duty not even a delivery guy… just boxes of pizza, pasta and some bottles of soda. He tried to take a peek in the reception area… he noticed a shadow passed by the door of the clinic. Thinking that it was the guard or the delivery boy he entered… but to his surprise there is no one on the whole floor… he was about to badge out when he heard a flush on the toilet… he haven’t checked the john yet, so he waited for that person to come out, but 5 minutes have passed and still no one came out… he decided to come in… he knocked on the door, nobody answered… he opened the cubicle doors, there’s no one in there… he started to have goose bumps… he hurriedly went out of the john and grabbed his orders… he just left his money at the counter of the receptionist, he noticed that some sticky liquid was flowing on the box of pizza… it was red, and it was blood! His terror grows more the moment he open the box, the toppings were eyeballs! He then threw everything to the trash bin, and ran into the main door… it was unusual that by that time he can’t badge out… he heard something was like rolling… he looked back… it was the eyeballs, they bounced out on the trash bins and rolled towards him… he ran into the other side of the floor and tried if his badge would work… but there’s no luck… the eyeballs started to bounce into his face, he tried to pull it off, the eyeballs were somewhat like glued onto his epidermis by a super glue… that whenever he tried to pull it off, his outer skin were stripped off as well. He can’t do anything but to shout that time… but that didn’t take long, an eyeball bounced in to his mouth, he choked to death… and then once again silence surrounds the whole floor.

till death do us part

Everyone at the office was shocked of the gruesome death of Benz. After a week, Project Ebony people offered prayers, candles and flowers for the soul of Benz, even Katie and Lance, who was then cleared on the police investigation from the possible angle of murder. It was an accident, that’s what everybody knows… the by-standers that time were all saying he was shouting and trying to go out of his car… no one said about the green smoke… the shrieking sounds… what happened that night was buried at the necropolis along with Benz.

Stella and Bryce was such a perfect couple of the night shift team. Bryce was a bit shy type that is why everyone’s been suspicious of his sexuality. Stella was one of the smartest associates of the team, brain plus beauty… who wouldn’t fall for her. Everybody teases them for they look good together, and thru this they became friends… very special friends. There was a time Bryce got sick for few days; Stella went to his pad to take care of him, and these made him fall for her. He calls her starlight, she calls him sunshine… they would talk for hours over the phone talking about anything, a typical thing lovers do. Everyone was just waiting for a confirmation from them both. They built a world of their own… a world that was ruined when Donald came to the picture. Donald, a hardworking and responsible person, he tries to woo Stella and somehow his doggedness was paid off. It was a big surprise for everyone when they noticed the sudden change of character from the love story half-baked. Everybody sympathized with Bryce, who would have thought Stella would have a change of heart impetuously. Deep depression caused sleepless nights. A few days after, just when Bryce can’t take seeing his starlight with someone else… more so a close friend of him, Bryce gave his resignation letter. And the following day his mother called Rob, Bryce’s immediate supervisor… she asked to advance the terminal leave of his son for some reasons she vaguely explained but promised to send medical records explaining his son’s condition. Everybody thought that it was just a cover up of the truth; some were speculating that Bryce would be leaving the country for good and just help his father on their family business located at Ontario, Canada. Yes indeed it was a cover-up, the sleepless nights and depression lead to a major nervous breakdown. Bryce now keeps saying words that makes his parents worry, “Mah, here they are again, make them leave… starlight, Don… I am afraid, I don’t want them here… Mah! Help me!!!” that’s what he repeatedly says. Tears burst into his mother’s eyes; it was such a tragic situation for a parent to see their only child suffering.

It’s the first Friday of May, and as always every morning it was the time when all the team members, dayshift and nightshift, meet… this is also when the qualifiers for the incentives will be announced and the updates as well. Donald and Stella went back to 37th floor to get their things so they would be ready to leave as soon as the meeting ends.

At the training room, they decided to grab the chance since they were the only one there that time, Donald made a move... he gave Stella a passionate kiss… suddenly somebody kicked the door and to their surprise it was Bryce… now rugged looking… he was talking like a child… saying “You killed Bryce! Murderer! I hate you!” Bang! Bang!!! Bryce brought his father’s handgun and flees when he sees everyone in their house are asleep… blood flows all over the floor. Bryce fired Donald on his forehead and Stella on her shoulders… she was crying and begging Bryce to stop… but Bryce who have turned schizophrenic, is now crying, “Stop it starlight, you hurt me… Mah… they are here again! They are mocking me! Mah!!!” and after that another set of gunshots were heard. When the guards came into the scene Bryce is nowhere to be found… they just heard from the “romeo”, guards radio tool, that somebody fell from the building… it was Bryce. It was a tragic love story they say. Based on what they see he took his life because of guilt that he killed his friend and most especially the girl he loved… but there are always different sides of a story… what really happened between the killing of Stella and Bryce jumping off the building veranda?

After emptying the handgun at Stella, Bryce ran into the office beside the training room and was horrified of what he have just done… he killed his beloved starlight, he was crying like a baby… suddenly a familiar voice spoke softly, its like Stella’s! “It’s okay Bryce, I am sorry I caused you a lot of troubles…” he looked back… it is Stella, smiling at him… her face as beautiful as ever, but he noticed blood is still flowing through her gunshots, and when he looked again to her face… the smiling face was starting to cry and some brain parts were falling off from the wound on her head… Bryce, terror-stricken from what’s standing in front of him, tried to open the door heading to the veranda… but to his surprise Stella was also there… she was speaking of unfamiliar language and after that Bryce cannot control his body anymore… he was grasping for breath… he just saw himself lifting into the air... he wants to say sorry to Stella but he can’t fight the force that’s over powering him right now. He looked down and Stella wasn’t there anymore… he just see himself falling off the building… seeing his near death.

the parking lot

Weeks have passed and people start to wonder what happened with Paolo. There’s no phone call received explaining his absence… they’ve tried calling him but no one’s answering the phone at his pad located at Bark Chateau, which is just a block away from InterBank Plaza. A memo was already waiting for him to be signed once he gets back. That is, if he is still coming back.

Benz is one of the pain-in-the-ass associate of the team. Though he was the oldest, he was the most stubborn and the most immature. Sometimes he can be so annoying that you would just resort to ignoring him so you won’t spoil your day. If the whole team has agreed unto something, he will be the only one to contradict.

He has the reputation for being a swinger… he tries to hook up with all the girls he got an eye on, but not all falls for his archaic schemes, especially Katie, the team-lead of his group. The rejection of Katie has made him more determined to win her heart. He was so determined that it came to a point that he was already stalking her. That time Katie was in love with Lance, the team lead of the night shift group, and even if they weren’t a couple Benz still won’t stand a chance. His fascination for Katie turns into anger when he discovered this.

One Tuesday morning Benz and Katie crossed path at the hallway beside the entrance of the office… he approached her, and asked if there would still be a chance for them to become a couple… and he begged Katie to give him at least a chance to prove his affection for her. He was dismayed when she replied shrilling… NEVER!!! As always, a hot-tempered-freak he was, he grabbed her in the neck and tried to assault her. Ripping off her clothes, he got hold of her mouth and stopped her from making the sluggish-guard-on-duty that time becomes aware of what’s happening. Good thing Katie has a pen on her pocket that she immediately thrust it onto his arms, which made him loose his grip on her. She immediately ran into the glass window and banged unto it to wake the now sleeping guard.

After some medications done by the company nurse, a termination was given by his supervisor for such vicious act committed by the hot-headed associate. Benz, being close-minded, blames Katie for being responsible for his termination. He leaves the office cursing Katie, his supervisor, the guard and even Lance… who then just arrived on the scene.

Benz light some cigars at the parking lot to placate the raging anger inside of him. He sat beside Harpy, his vintage Volkswagen, and kicks the trash bins beside him. After a few minutes he turn on his stereo to the loudest volume and starts the engine, all he wants that time is revenge and he needs to get out of the building to set up a crooked plan against Katie. Just when he started the engine, a shrieking sound overpowered his stereo. He paused for a while to see where it is coming from, he have never heard such kind of deafening sound. The shrieks stopped, his signal lights started to flicker… his pacified anger was now replaced by terror… he started his engine again and suddenly all the lightings shut down for a second. Benz grabbed his flashlight from the dashboard drawer… and quickly turned it on… total darkness emanates the whole floor of the parking lot that makes him tremble. The shrieks starts again, Benz then started to pray, he was relieved when the shrieking stopped again… but as he started the engine again and drove a few meters away, his car was automatically locked… and suddenly green smoke emerged from the air condition… he tried to open the door but to no luck he got trapped, he drives off in circles, and grabbed anything to smash into the window so he could break free… but it was too late, he was already starting to be suffocated of the green smoke… he stepped on to the accelerator and hit on the post near to the exit. The impact has caused his body to be thrown out of the streets of Topaz, where a garbage truck passed by over him, thus ending his life.