Tales of amity Park

Chapter four: Graveyard Shift

The faint aroma of coffee emanating from the coffee maker filled the office one late and cold night as a dark hooded creature pours himself a cup of the steaming liquid, the creature then stares out the window where he sees black clouds gathering in the sky threatening the city with rain, with soundless steps, makes his way to the opposite side of the room tilting his head to the side upon touching the glass wall as all he could see was darkness, the cubicles earlier that evening were brimming with life. Men and women ran up and down, answering phone calls, but now all was in complete silence.

"Work dignifies man. All people spent large portions of their lives working, we all complain about it but, feel very odd when there is no work to be done, not for the lack of income but for the need of doing something, of feeling useful."- the hooded creature said while taking a sip of coffee while looking out the window. "Though some men just pretend to work in jobs that other men would kill to have."- the creature added as he moves towards the desk and stroked the blonde hair of a sleeping man.

A powerful thunder woke Jeremy Manson from his heavy slumber forcing him to instantly sit up dazed and confused, a slight headache overtook him followed by hints of soreness around his shoulders, back, neck and cheek, clearly the result of sleeping over the hard wooden desk, the man clears dry drool from the corner of his lips using a nearby napkin while looking around his empty office, the only source of light came from the computer screen and from the street lamps just beyond the windows as all-around was in complete and utter darkness. His attention was then drawn towards the glass wall where he saw nothing more than pitched black, not a soul in sight within the sea of cubicles, but it was the deafening silence which Jeremy found most eerie, the initial confusion was soon replaced by frustration as his secretary nor any of his employees had the decency to wake him up.

"This is what I get for playing cool boss."- Jeremy said as he stood up.

The man was surprised to hear how loud his footstep was in the dead of night as he made his way towards the light switch which illuminated the office and for a moment blinded him. Despite being the president of a local yet large advertising company, his office was of a modest size which he dislike very much and was planning to expand greatly by sacrificing the worker's lounge, there were few commodities around, a bookcase next to the window that overviews the streets, a few metallic cabinets behind his desk for easier access, a potted plant by the corner next to the door with a water cooler followed by a black leather couch with a coffee table in front, finally came a coffee maker machine that was overly used resting over a small table by the corner relatively closed to the desk, it was by the corner that one could find a wooden closet.

Jeremy felt cramped in such a confine workplace as he stretched his arms up high while yawing loudly making his way towards the window while taking hold of his cell phone and glancing over to the clock that hang on the wall just above the door, and seeing that it was already ten pm. His eyes set over the dark and empty streets of Amity Park presented through the large window, a downpour was taking place which kindly explained the lack of cars or pedestrians walking around despite it being somewhat early, Jeremy was sure there was no rain forecast in the morning news which made this sudden rain something completely unexpected, it was loud and dreadful despite it being sunny all day long.

It was then that the man tilted his head to the side as he saw what seemed to be the silhouette of a person, a woman to be more precise just a few steps away from the street light near the alleyway, Jeremy was sure it had to be madwoman to be out in such weather, the light only illuminated a pair of high heels, the lady had her arms stretched out holding some strange items but just as Jeremy squeezed his eyes and leans forward to get a better look was that a sudden thunder rumbled through the sky taking him by surprise, even dropping him on the floor. The man shook his head feeling most embarrassed for getting startled by a simple thunder, no different from a toddler for that matter.

Jeremy picked himself up grateful no one saw him fall over a thunderclap before heading towards the closet where he retrieves his coat, already mentally scolding his secretary for not waking him up, surely, a simple tap on the shoulder should have sufficed as he considered himself a light sleeper, it was then that he was reminded of having let go of the woman. Jeremy remembers lashing out at many employees during the whole week for the low sales despite himself not making one good deal since arriving at the company nearly two years ago, though on further examination also recollected making a scene the previous day after running out of his favorite Colombian coffee which he imported directly from said country.

Jeremy was so infuriated that he fired his personal secretary, a foreign beauty named Desiree, on the spot for not being able to purchase such a valuable item, the woman tried to explain there was a simple delay in the delivery even as she was being shoved directly to the elevator in front of everyone without being allowed to collect her personal belongings. Along the way, Jeremy insulted the poor woman by calling her a "Brainless bimbo" who couldn't get one single project done, tears came to the woman's eyes as she pleaded with her boss who shoved her into the elevator taking away her presentation for a new perfume campaign.

It was then that his eyes set over his mother's portrait. Ida Manson was a one-of-a-kind woman, respected, even loved by her workers but above all feared by the competition. She left very big shoes for Jeremy to fill, sales plummeted very quickly after being inherited the company as he lacked the same vision and leadership as his mother. Jeremy took hold of a picture that rested over the desk allowing him to smile upon laying eyes over his beloved wife and teenage daughter, there was no denying that his wife Pamela was beyond beautiful with her exotic orange hair styled into a cute bob haircut, it pleased Jeremy greatly to know she is loyal and caring, the same applied for his young daughter Samantha whom he was sure to be fending off potential suitors sooner than later.

Despite the late hour, Jeremy was sure that his dear wife would be wide awake and extremely worried about his well-being, surely, wondering if he had a car accident or was simply running late due to an impromptu work meeting. The phone rang for a few moments before going to voice mail which took Jeremy by surprise. "Hi, sweetheart. Sorry I didn't call earlier, got caught up in the office and I'm on my way home."- the man simply assumed that Pamela had fallen asleep on the couch while waiting for him.

Just as Jeremy was getting ready to depart the office noticed the old painting under his mother's portrait, it consisted of five men all dressed as poor farmers with burlap bags over their heads holding an array of work tools in front of a rundown farmhouse, the landscape was dry and empty that reminded him of a post apocalypses scenario, he never understood his mother's taste in art, surely, it must have some sort of queer meaning such as working hard or coming from the bottom, something that Jeremy considered pure nonsense. Nevertheless, he intended on having it change for something more colorful like a beautiful woman bathing in the river.

(XXXXXX)

An unnerving chill ran up Jeremy's spine as he walked out of his office, breaking the darkness with his cellphone's light which shined over the cubicles, the man gulped down as he never felt so threatened in his own building despite being completely alone, it was the primordial fear of the dark that haunted humanity since ancestral times forcing him to lock as quietly as possible. It didn't matter how educated and skeptical Jeremy was, that fear was something burned into humans' genetic code, Jeremy shook his head once reminding himself there was nothing to fear at all as he made his way towards the elevator using his flashlight to find his path, though walked much faster than normal but without sprinting.

The company president had walked the same path countless times every morning and evening for the last couple of years, though now felt as if he was walking across an entire whole city block as the elevator felt so far away, the glowing signs and random light strips on the floor were Jeremy's only guide along with his flashlight app, the man could even swear someone was breathing over the nape of his neck forcing him to constantly turn around and shine his light, but there was no one behind him. Jeremy knew everything was in his imagination and was simply letting some childish fear take over. Yes, there was the off chance some punk broke in intending to steal something, but what? The payroll? Impossible, that was safe in the bank, perhaps the computers which were the only real valuables around.

Jeremy pushed the call button and instinctively pressed his back against the door keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings while waiting for the lift to arrive, his cellphone shined over the cubicles as the rain added for background noise creating a strangely scary ambiance which made his heartbeats faster as his hand begun to shake, Jeremy had to constantly remind himself there was nothing to fear at all, no madman was going to leap from around the corner and no ghouls was coming out from the ventilation system. There was no such thing as a ghost.

"Get a grip!"- Jeremy said to himself. "Stop acting like a scared school girl."- he added.

The man jumped and even scream as he saw a pile of paper fall and scatter on the floor, Jeremy sighed in frustration and embarrassment as he leans down to pick up his phone which he accidentally tossed on the ground near the cubicles after being so childishly scared, it reminded him of the many times that he cuddled with his mother during rainstorms. His entire body was paralyzed in unspeakable fear as the moonlight shining through the window outlined the silhouette of a person, a million thoughts ran through Jeremy's head as he tried to rationalize the situation, was there truly a burglar? No, common sense would have the intruder hiding, though he could be trying to scare… maybe a prank… his employees left him sleeping so it stood to reason they wanted to prank him.

With a quick hand movement was that he shined his light over the intruder ready to see the rest of the staff bounce out screaming "you got pranked!" But his light revealed an empty cubicle, just the computer, and some files, there was no one around. Jeremy assured himself to have been imagining things and jumping at shadows, it was then that the elevator doors open showing the bright interior which made him sigh in relief. Just as he pressed the basement button, a powerful thunder created a white background where he saw two silhouettes as clear as day, a woman in a dress and a girl giving her skirt, his open wide in terror as the doors closed.

Jeremy's heart was beating so hard it could break through his chest, he was sure to have seen a woman and a child standing by the window, or was it again his overly active imagination? Despite being both pitched black, were very detailed, the one-piece dress and frilly skirt. Jeremy was sure to have once again imagined things that weren't real, the dark ambiance was starting to get to him as he could have sworn the previous shadow was an actual person but now seemed to be just a figment of his imagination. The man assured himself that it was simply the overly discreet night cleaning staff doing their rounds.

The elevator door slides open with a ding just a floor beneath making the company president roar in anger, already making mental notes to have whoever was in charge of the elevator maintenance fired for such incompetence, his fingers pressed the parking lot button several times in frustration almost breaking the button, a cold shiver runs up his spine upon feeling the presence of someone else in the elevator with him, there was no manner of explaining it, he could feel someone almost by instinct. Jeremy quickly leaped out ready to punch whoever was behind him, but once again found that the lift was empty, the door closed moments later.

"I don't know who's the prick in charge of the elevators but he so damn fired!"- Jeremy muttered as he pressed the call button several times only to see the digital numbers vanish leaving the lift completely useless, he was flabbergasted. "Take a deep breath and count to a hundred." The man said to calm his nerves.

There was nothing to be worried about as all Jeremy needed to do was find another elevator or stairs to take him to the parking lot, rather simply, if he knew his way around the building that is, Jeremy had only ever been in the fifth floor where his office and conference room are located at, never daring to step into any other floor if he didn't need to. In the last two years since assuming the position of president Jeremy had never stepped in any of the lower floors or met with more than one or two employees, he even wanted to have a private elevator installed but the city refused to grant the permits much to his dislike.

As much as Jeremy loathed talking with his employees especially those of the cleaning staff and maintenance crew, knew that he needed to learn the layout of his own building seeing that he had been walking around in circles for the last ten minutes, the lack of light and proper signaling along with the sea of cubicles and identical offices that created small mazes made things rather hard for Jeremy. No matter where his light shone, it was all the same. Row after row of cubicles and locked office doors, the only guidance Jeremy had was from the buildings outside which served as a reference point, especially the billboard announcing a new perfume by a beautiful redhead who smile gently.

"Can you believe we have that stupid prick, Jeremy, as our company president, damn idiot doesn't know shit about the business."- A voice said which caught Jeremy's attention. There was a sliver of light coming from underneath the door. "Motherfucker gave me shit for not selling his ridiculous insurance policy, I don't know who's the bigger idiot, Jeremy for making that ridiculous scam, whoever buys it or us for trying to sell it?". the man ranted.

"What did you expect? Damn bastard inherited the business from his mommy"- A female voice added as Jeremy leans to the side and saw the window, the curtains were drawn but could see light coming from within. "Mama's boy doesn't know jack shit about the company, much less how to run it." She added.

Jeremy illuminated the sign on the door that read, "Employee Lounge" as he analyzed the kind of grief, he was to give these foulmouthed dogs, Jeremy understood that not everyone liked the fact that he was granted his position as company president by his own mother, the previous president. Nevertheless, had the experience and knowledge by spending every weekend at the company with his mother, learning all there was to know about running the business, but was well aware that his company was filled with dinosaurs, perhaps even fossils who vehemently refused to accept his new modern and most daring ideas. But he is the president and had to make sure everyone obeyed his every command.

The man slammed the door wide open while showing his angriest expression ready to fire these disloyal dogs on the spot, they needed to be reminded who was boss around here. And yet, he met with a dark empty lounge, Jeremy quickly flipped the light switch on confirming there was no one inside. Just a simple table with a few paper cups in the center, towards the corner, was an empty refrigerator next to the kitchen counter and a sink, followed by an old and overly used microwave oven and cupboard with the workers' mugs and plates, Jeremy carefully examines the room that could hold ten people at the same time, it was fairly empty.

"What the hell?"- Jeremy was absolutely sure there was someone inside mere seconds ago.

(XXXXXX)

Jeremy hastily walked between the cubicles shining his cellphone light all around while trying to find his way towards the elevator, already on the verge of tears as his heart was beating stronger than ever before, the man felt as if he had just run a marathon. Every random shadow made him turn around as did his light trying to make heads and tail of his surroundings, but it was the billboard just outside the building that truly caught his attention, the redhead model was still smiling and announcing her new perfume yet could swear that she was looking straight at him, the girl's pale blue eyes sending terrible shivers up Jeremy's spine. Just like the voice earlier, it was all in his head, there was no way for the picture of a girl to be watching him, surely, a publicity trick to draw more sales.

The office was nothing short of a maze which made Jeremy feel most frustrated, one thing was for sure, he needed to seriously reorganize the entire place, maybe even put a map somewhere as it was just too easy to get lost around here. The man smiles long and wide as his eyes set over the second elevator, the bright sign above allowed him to let off a sigh of relief as he called for the elevator. Soon he would be at the parking lot and on his way home. Jeremy turns around shining his light fearing the shadows would make themselves present again, much to his relief there was no one behind, he then noticed the billboard was straight ahead, the model looking straight at him through the window though was no longer smiling but held a more serious expression, Jeremy was sure it should further to the right, hardly visible from where he was standing.

"I'm just tired and seeing weird shit, that's all. It's just another ad. Nothing to worry about."- Jeremy encouraged himself.

The elevator bell rang and the doors slide open allowing for the light to shower Jeremy, the soft melodies of classical music filled his ears making the man feel more relaxed, it was then that Jeremy turned around ready to board, the man turned paled almost instantly as he laid eyes over the most horrific scene that his eyes had ever met, the mutilated corpse of a young woman. Blood coated the wall followed by the foul and disgusting stench of human waste coming out from the intestines that hanged out from a wound, the sight was simply too much for Jeremy who retched on the floor. All strength suddenly left his legs forcing him to collapse to the ground.

His eyes set over the torn body unwillingly examining the remains, the pink dress and white high heels were unnervingly familiar, with trembling hands and feet was that Jeremy crawled closer towards the victim but yanked his attention away upon seeing the bludgeoned face that no longer resembled that of a human anymore. It surely had to be the work of a maniac as no sane person could inflict such brutal punishment on anyone, just as he got ready to call for the authorities was that the sounds of footsteps called upon him forcing Jeremy to turn around, fear embraced his heart as the elevator door closed behind him.

There was someone with him on the office floor, Jeremy could feel it in his heart, even with the dark all around could still make out the outlines of tables, desks, and cubicles but the sudden clapping of a thunder revealed the silhouetted of a person standing directly on the window. It was true, the maniac was there all along waiting for him, just as the light from the thunder faded away was that the shadow waved its hands towards Jeremy sending him into a frenetic dash.

Going against his better judgment was that Jeremy turn on the lights on the third floor soon after exiting the staircase, common sense told him to rush all the way down to the parking lot but in his haste ran into the floor below seeking refuge, it was so dark that he couldn't see his hand mere inches away from his face, but his shock was greater upon seeing there were no windows anywhere, just a sea of cubicles in the center and against the walls without any lateral offices making Jeremy cursed out at the braindead architect for coming up with such a ridiculous layout. It went against every single safety city code the city has. It was then that Jeremy recalled seeing windows on every floor whenever coming to work and light on every floor when leaving which now made no sense unless the architect intentionally set up the window frames to somehow trick the city inspector.

The lack of windows and the perfectly synchronized clock ticking created a claustrophobic atmosphere that was already getting on Jeremy's nerves as he marched alongside the cubicles wondering how his workers could handle such an environment, the sudden sound of a creaking door followed by heavy footstep broke the silence forcing the company president to get on his hands and knees to crawl beside the cubicles trying to get away from the deranged man. Whatever his reasons for killing the poor woman had nothing to do with him, Jeremy hadn't even seen the man and wouldn't be able to identify him even if he wanted to.

Tears streamed down Jeremy's eyes as he curled up in the bathroom stall after making a mad dash towards the nearest door. The man trembled in utter terror as he waited for the automatic lights to turn off as these were the biggest giveaway, the madman would surely see the light and know he was lingering within. His prayers were answered as darkness engulfed the room making him sigh in relief, only then was that he put the phone directly in front of his face ready to call the police, but his heart fell to the bottom of his stomach upon being unable to activate the device, the flashlight had drained the battery no different from a bad horror movie trope.

"You gotta be shitting me"- Jeremy whimpered as he constantly pressed the screen and played with the device but was unable to get it to work.

It was then that the lights suddenly turn on bringing Jeremy near the point of fainting, the man quickly and desperately patted his chest searching for anything that he could use as a defensive weapon, but all he could find was his new and most expensive gold tip fountain pen, he always considered gun owners as complete idiots who were compensating for having a small dick until now as begged to his god for one such weapon, anything that could drive away from this monster. Slow and heavy footsteps echoed with the bathroom, each time sounding closer to him almost as if the maniac already knew where he was hiding, Jeremy grip the pen so tight that his hand turn white.

"I ain't no woman to curl up in the corner and take a beating, no sir. Just come here and I'll show you what I'm made off!"- Jeremy mentally encouraged himself as he squats over the toilet.

A plan was forming within his head already, the moment the door opened he would lunge towards the maniac plunging the pen into his eyeball before rushing out the door and heading down the stairs, straight to the parking lot, the car keys already precisely placed between his fingers ready to be used an improvised spiked knuckle duster if the need arises. Jeremy wasn't much of a fighter by any means as he took dancing and poetry lessons in his youthful days over the boxing classes that his mother signed him up for just to spite the old woman, never once attending the classes that he considered barbaric and useless for the modern man, his personal version of a rebellious age. Now regretting not learning how to throw a proper punch.

A pair of dirty boots appeared underneath the door taking away all of Jeremy's fighting will, all of his initial bravado quickly faded away as he began begging for the madman would simply walk away, his hand quivered yet kept a tight hold on the pen. Jeremy slowly lifted his head, his entire body started shaking in utter terror as a pair of white eyes with the blackest pupils were looking down at him, the man had to be taller than two meters just to be looking down at him from above the door, there was no way that he could fight against this beast of a man, he didn't need a gun, Jeremy needed a shotgun just to even the grounds.

Jeremy began hyperventilating as the door slowly open him filling with terror and dread, surely the lunatic was savoring his fear, soon Jeremy would end up like the poor woman in the elevator, broken and torn into a bloody mess. It was then that Jeremy yanks the door open and rushes toward the maniac with his eyes tightly closed screaming as he thrust his fountain pen over and over, unwilling to go down without a fight, his hand violently sways around, but couldn't feel anything at all making him carefully open his eyes fearing the giant was standing in front of him with a crooked smile, ready to break him.

There was no one around, no beastly man covered in blood, no terrible giant to rip him apart, just himself in the bathroom. Jeremy chuckled while wiping away the tears and trying to collect himself all over again, the man then splashed water over his face while trying to come up with a logical explanation for what just happened, was it the Thai food he had earlier? Or perhaps it was the result of a self-induced state of panic due to him being alone in a dark building after seeing the murder victim? Yes, it was the combination of both, the office building was always brimming with life and activity and now was left in complete silence void of the ever-present people.

(XXXXXX)

The sudden sound of running water caught Jeremy's attention, he was sure that it wasn't the rain that he was listening to as the lack of windows prevented all exterior sounds from entering, the noise came from a second corridor to the main entrance that he was sure wasn't there when he rushed in, though was so terrified that he wouldn't have noticed an elephant in the room, as he came closer realized it sounded just like a shower. As far as he knew, there were no showers installed in the building as it had no purpose, no one was doing the kind of hard manual labor that required showering after the shift ended. Jeremy could see the steam coming out from the slit between the door and the floor.

"O.M.G., I swear that woman is a hardcore slut, remember last Christmas party? I saw her with the human resources manager… fucking in the janitor's closet."- a female voice said with a mocking tone as Jeremy approached the corridor.

"That's nasty, that's low. I mean the guy's ugly as sin and weight's what? Three hundred pounds?!"- A second woman replied. "What did you expect of a trophy wife like that?"- she added.

"You think the boss knows what his wife is doing behind his back."- a third voice added while trying to fight back the urge to laugh.

Office gossip wasn't anything new and as interesting as knowing who was having an affair with that ungodly horrible man was, there were more pressing matters to attend which made Jeremy call out to the ladies respectfully lowering his head to protect his female employees' modesty and prevent a potential sexual harassment lawsuit for walking during their shower, but as he walked in noticed the chatter had died down, his eyes set over the floor that was dry as a bone. The man slowly lifted his head and saw there was no one there, just an empty janitor's closet making Jeremy feel most uneasy, he began to hyperventilate as he considered his mind slipping away.

After regaining some degree of control over himself was that Jeremy carefully open the door, peaking out for a moment before exiting the bathroom, he was still very much aware of the maniac, though wasn't even sure at this point if there really was any killer roaming around or as part of his imagination, Jeremy shook his head swearing that the slain woman was real, he never smelled a dead body before and there was no way for his mind to know what a dead body should smell like other than disgusting, but his in current panicked state was seeing things that weren't real.

It was hard to walk as his legs shivered from fear, every little noise made him turn around, Jeremy felt as if a huge weight was removed from his shoulders upon entering the staircase, there would be no more detours no matter what. Just a couple of floors down and he would be at the parking lot and within minutes in his precious Jaguar riding home while calling the authorities, Jeremy frowned as he would have to wait for the cops to arrive, though figured this horrible situation was a good enough excuse to call in for an early vacation, maybe take the family out for one of those road trips just like in the movies, the sun his face and the forest all around.

The man froze just as his feet reached the second floor unable to believe what he was seeing, the entire first and ground floors were completely floated with the filthiest water that he had ever seen making it impossible to take a single step forward. Jeremy ran a hand up his hair cursing at the local weather forecaster for not giving the proper importance to the weather, this was no rain but a damn hurricane perhaps even a tsunami, something so dangerous should have been on every news channel. There couldn't be any worst scenario, trapped in an empty building with a madman and a hurricane.

Feeling there was no other option was that Jeremy barged into the second floor that was in complete darkness but it didn't mean the killer wasn't wandering around this floor looking for another victim, his eyes glancing over the many offices and random tables barely illuminated by the street lights and random glowing signs, but it was the large windows at the far back that drew his attention the most. The storm was raging with godly fury making the thick glass rattle, thunderclaps resounded within the building as Jeremy noticed the streets covered in water, his eyes moved over to the rooftops where he saw dozens of billboards with the same redhead model and her perfume.

The sudden clashing of tables being flipped around immediately caught Jeremy's attention, his heart nearly stopped as he saw the giant madman heading his way tossing everything in his path driving the man to let go of an ear-piercing shriek before running away, Jeremy could swear the still image of the redhead model in the billboard was mocking him with her grin as he ran around trying to escape from the demented man. The heavy deafening rain and thunder only added to his terror as he couldn't avoid jerking each time and even falling with each mighty thunderclap that reverberated through his body.

The small and frail man was forced to crawl underneath the desk begging that one of the staff members was a gun fanatic and would keep one, just one pistol under his desk, but no such luck was given to Jeremy as he screams upon the heavy wooden desk being tossed away as if it didn't weigh anything. A pair of glowing red eyes attacked the blackest silhouette and looked upon Jeremy making the man piss himself on the spot, it was then that he rolled to the side and once more began running for dear life, heading straight for the staircase and back up to the third floor, it had to be the very first time that he ran for so long and fast.

Tears streamed down his face as he desperately pressed the call button on the elevator panel begging it would hurry, his finger pressed over and over the button under the belief it would make it come faster, his entire body was shaking, it was already hard enough for him to remain standing, Jeremy nearly pissed himself upon hearing a door opening, taunting him with the sound. The man collapsed inside the lift not a second after the door slide open, it was by sheer instinct that he slammed the top floor button heading straight to his office, he had no weapons or any means of defense there but felt it was the safest place to be at the time, surely, his office phone would be working, if not there was still his phone charger.

"I just gotta call the cops and they'll send a rescue helicopter, a whole SWAT team to get rid of this manic."- Jeremy said as he looked at the numbers changing.

It was a quick straight dash towards his office from the elevator that now seemed like an obstacle course given the darkness that was momentarily broken by random thunder flashes that illuminated with blinding white light, even here, Jeremy could see the mocking face of the redhead model holding her perfume from the large windows, her eyes looming down over Jeremy making feel ever so small. He had never seen that girl before, there was no reason for her to torment him in such a manner, he shook his head knowing it was all in his imagination, there was no way for a simple picture to be looking at him.

The man tossed his phone across the office after being unable to hear a dial tone, the phone was completely dead, but not all was lost yet as he connected his cellphone to the charge, he just needs enough to make a call to the authorities. The sudden ding of the elevator drew his attention at the far end just in time for him to see the door sliding open, the light shining within the sea of cubicles made for an uncanny feeling, Jeremy began to hyperventilate as the giant man walked out, his long trench coat made him look even more imposing.

"No… no… dear god no…"- Jeremy muttered like a mantra while he lowered himself knowing that he was full sight thanks to his glass wall and the light shining above him. "This gotta be a bad joke"- the small man whimpered.

From behind the maniac came four more men dressed in what seemed to be dirty overalls and heavy-looking boots, the burlap bags that covered their heads stood out the most as these were fastened with ropes similar to a hangman's noose, Jeremy gulped as these men produced a series of farming tools that consisted of a machete, a scythe, pitchfork, and finally a pickax, each one sending terrible shivers up his spine. There was no way or manner for him to fight against these men.

(XXXXX)

Yee-haw! Jeremy heard echoed throughout the floor as he was being hunted down by these insane farmers, their laughter and taunting made the company president sob in desperation, he couldn't understand why they wanted him dead, he produces commercials and magazine ads, nothing worthy of having him killed for. Jeremy ducked as one of the madmen swung his ax from the corner nearly taking his head off clean, the constant giggling and laughter allowed Jeremy to assume this was nothing more than a game for these maniacs, something to laugh about. It wouldn't be the first time that a group of insane men killed another just for kicks and laughs.

Jeremy was being forced to run in circles around the sea of cubicles, the man pressed his back against the drywall trying to recover his breath yet the pitchfork was impaled through the wall missing his body by inches, forcing him to run away once more, Jeremy wasn't an athletic man, therefore, was already at his limit, it was clear the maniacs were simply toying with him, playing with their prey, the image of the murdered woman in the elevator came to Jeremy's mind as he knew it was just a matter of time before they trap and kill him in the most gruesome manner possible. His legs couldn't carry him any longer.

Almost like a revelation was that Jeremy laid his eyes over the fire axe neatly encased behind a frail glass that read "Emergency only," this was an emergency. The man used his elbow to break the glass and take possession of the axe, there was no way that he was going down, not without a fight at least. Adrenaline suddenly floated through his veins, new strength overtook his arms and legs, the man then turned over to the billboard outside as he took a deep breath, challenging the redhead model as if she had sent these madmen.

The sound of idiotic giggling made Jeremy turn around to see the scythe wielder just a few steps away moving his weapon side to side in a taunting manner, fear had abandoned Jeremy completely allowing him to take what he considers a fighting stance. The madman jokingly pretended to attack Jeremy, pulling back his curve blade while laughing knowing that the company president didn't have the courage to fight back, but a loud yell took the manic by surprise as Jeremy lunged over to him swinging his axe. Jeremy watched as blood poured out from the wound his axe made on the man's neck, gurgling sounds reach his ears as the madman fell to the ground.

"You're dead, jew-boy."- the pitchfork man said as he rushed towards Jeremy.

It was nothing short of a miracle that Jeremy managed to dodge the attack and immediately counter with an axe swing straight to the man's face dropping him with a loud thud, despite having murdered two men, Jeremy felt powerful and righteous, invigored. He was defending his life against these maniacs; it was his right. Jeremy looked up and saw the machete man trembling though whether it was due to fear or fury was unknown, it made Jeremy feel strong and brave.

"Not used to the prey fighting back?"- the man taunted as he slides into the dark, now has become the hunter.

No more giggling to be heard as the remaining killers walked around in silence searching for Jeremy, but the small man crawled under the desks taking full advantage of the raging storm, soon to be standing behind the machete wielder whom he considered the most dangerous given the nature of his weapon. Jeremy lifted his axe and brought it with fury down the man's head, splitting it in half with a single blow, blood splattered his face as a wicked grin was drawn on his face.

Just as Jeremy pulls out the axe, one of the madmen lunges toward him and unto the floor using his pickaxe to cut away Jeremy's airflow, both men scuffle for various seconds until Jeremy takes hold of a nearby pen which he used to stab the maniac in the side. Without wasting any time was that Jeremy rolled over his assailant and stab him in the eye making the man shriek in utter pain, using his palm to send the pen straight to the man's brain shutting him up instantly.

Jeremy slowly stood up covered in blood as his eyes set over the giant man, the leader of these nutcases. A wicked grin grew across his face upon seeing the giant shaking in fear while taking a step backward, they were used to killing innocent people that couldn't fight back but never came across someone who was willing to fight. Jeremy considered mounting the fire axe over his wall like a trophy once this mess was over, the two walked towards his office. The giant put his hands up front almost as if asking Jeremy to spare his life, but that time was long overdue.

The company president swung his axe straight at the giant's face but it was caught midair by the giant man who tried to wrestle the weapon away from Jeremy, there was no way for the small man to let go of his only source of protection and become a victim, the two shoved each other tossing the desk and the bookcase. The manic used his entire body to slam Jeremy against the window immediately breaking the glass, cold water fell onto both men, Jeremy grinned his teeth as he began to lose his footing, his eyes open wide as the window frame broke letting both men to plummeted out the window.

(XXXXX)

Red and blue lights shined all around the street as the day broke, a multitude of curious bystanders gathered beyond the police line trying to get a glimpse of what happened, and random flashes could be seen as more than one took pictures. It was then that a few patrolmen forced the crowd to make way for a black sedan from which a man dressed in a long black trench coat descended as did a blonde haired woman wearing a gray jacket, the two flash their detective badges as they walked towards the crime scene.

"Another jumper?" Detective Aragon asked.

"No, sir. Murder. The top floor is a bloodbath"- a patrolman said. "Victims are company president Jeremy Manson, and security guard Pedro Falluca."- the police officer added.

"Contact with the victims' families."- Aragon ordered.

"Already did sir, I couldn't get in touch with the Manson family and set a patrol car over."- the officer said as Aragon congratulated him for his initiative.

Detective Dorothea walks closer to get a better look at the remains of both men while covering her nose, their bodies crushed and bloody from the fall. Out of all places where Jeremy could have fallen, chose a chain pole that divided the street and the sidewalk, the man had landed sited over the pole most of his lower half had been crushed by the impact while the iron pole protruded from his mouth having taken his lower jaw. The guard had fallen over a nearby car, but at least he could have an open-casket funeral, it was then that a police officer told the detectives, that the technicians were expecting them in the security room.

Both detectives looked with cold expressions at the monitor where they saw Jeremy running up and down the building after screaming at something he saw in the elevator, later on, hiding and crawling like a lunatic, often looking out the window. It was like he was playing hide and seek by himself. The two detectives watched as the security guard in the company of a few janitors tried to reason with Jeremy who ran away only to come back with an axe, killing one and forcing the rest to flee, yet were quickly chased down.

Aragon and his partner Dorothea got onboard the same elevator Jeremy was looking in the video, but couldn't find anything that made him so afraid, Dorothea shared a theory about Jeremy taking hallucinogenic drugs leading to the horrible attack. Aragon agreed though would have to wait for the toxicology report before coming up with any conjectures. Dozens of police officers were scattered across the floor taking pictures and collecting evidence from the attack trying to determine what lead a seemingly harmless man to butcher his employees.

"My god… this is way hot…"- Dorothea complained. "Not a drop of rain in the last two months…"- She added upon reaching the president's office.

"The hell is this?"- Aragon asked as he looked at a strange red pentagram on the floor that he learned from a fellow officer, was underneath the rug by the desk.

"Not sure, but that looks like witchcraft to me."- Dorothea replied with a smirk.

"Sir… just got word that Mrs. Pamela Manson and her daughter were killed…"- the officer said as he explained that the woman was bludgeoned with a hammer until her face caved in while her daughter, Samantha Manson was drowned in the bathtub.

"Maybe the guy really was cursed…"- Aragon said looking out the window and seeing the empty rooftops.

The end.