You keep your head down and pretend to dig through your box for tools. The sign says SANCTUARY now. Just act like you know what you're doing. You grab the handle and crack the door. The sign says STAIRWELL again. Fuck this place. You slip through the door and shut it behind you. No one saw you. "Can you see them?" You spin around and see a man sitting on the landing below, covering his face with his hands. He snaps his head up in your direction but keeps one hand over his eyes. "The shadows. On the walls! Can you see them?" His mouth hangs open on the last word. A silent scream. The harsh glow of the fluorescent lights seeps into every crack and corner. There are no shadows. "They're inside us you know." His mouth is closed. His hand falls limp from his face, exposing the blood-crusted chasms where his eyes used to be. "Why won't they let us die?"
© 2018 Hack for Satan; story by @RYANxSHEFFIELD