Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Horror

Alright, let me start off by explaining a few things, I was nineteen at the time and it takes a lot to make me feel uneasy, even back then. The college I was attending at the time had an expansive system of underground classrooms, offices, hallways, dorms, roads, and, of course, parking lots. Almost everything down there was relatively new, they hadn't even finished construction in some areas. Now that that's out of the way, I'll get on with my story. 

My first year of college I had an early morning class in one of the underground classrooms and, to be honest, I actually really enjoyed being underground since I wouldn't have to worry about dealing with bad weather, specifically in winter. After midterms the temperature took a complete nose dive, with numbers in the negatives, I ended up parking in the underground lots and walking to my class from there. The walk there was partly along the side of one of the roads and partly in one of the hallways, neither of which was what anyone would describe as "creepy", although the road was dimly lit and slightly chilly, especially in the mornings. 

It was on was of these chilly mornings when I was walking along the road, when I first felt it. As I was walking past a darkened parking lot that was only half finished with some construction equipment left in the unfinished section. I felt like I was being watched, of course I shrugged it off and continued my walk. As soon as I opened the door and entered the underground hallway I felt an oppressive weight lifted off of me. 

On my way back to my car, after class, I paused at the door to the cave-like tunnel, feeling a dark sense of dread. Once again I ignore it and open the door, continuing the walk back to my car. The feeling of being watched was only stronger now, and it felt like all my senses were on edge. Occasionally I say a dark shadow out of the corner of my eyes and would whip my head in that direction, only to see nothing. As I pass by the darkened lot, I heard a loud bang coming out of the dark, unfinished section, I jump and take off at a run. I fumble with my keys and lock the doors as soon as I get inside my car. I shake my head and laugh at myself for freaking out like I did. "You idiot, it was probably just the damn equipment," I say out loud to myself, partly trying to convince myself of that. 

The next few weeks go by pretty uneventfully, with the only out of place thing being a feeling of being watched whenever I'm in one of the tunnels. On a particularly cold morning as I walk the feeling is stronger than its ever been, like if I turn around I'll see whatever the source is. I keep my eyes on the ground, listening to my own footsteps echoing off of the walls. The light bulb above me bursts, causing me to jump as pieces of glass rains down on my head. I take off my hat and shake it with a sigh, holding back my raising panic. As soon as I put it back on and look around the shadows seeming to move and shiver when I hear a deep guttural growl come from above me. Needless to say, I took off at a run, I honestly don't think I've ever ran faster. I slam myself against the door, pushing it open falling to the floor as I turn to look out into the tunnel as I back away, breathing heavily. I look around, thankful that no one saw me, and stand up, walking back to class, wishing that I had someone who I could have walk back to my car with me, but all my friends lived on campus in the underground dorms, plus I didn't want to tell anyone about how freaked out I was. 

Once class gets out I walk to the door and sit at a table next to it, taking out a book and waiting for someone to go out so I wouldn't be walking alone. After about an hour a group of students walk out the door and I get up and follow them. I make it to my car without incident and start to drive towards the exit, much more comfortable now that I don't feel as vulnerable. The head lights illuminate the darkened parking lot as I pass under the spot where the light bulb burst and I do a double take. In the unfinished area, clinging to the wall, was a very thin, grey-skinned, humanoid creature. It's head snapped to look at me with is large black eyes, it dropped to the ground, crawling towards me on all fours, it's long arms making it look like an emaciated ape. The thing opened its mouth and let out a screech, exposing it's sharp pointed teeth. I stepped on the gas and drove fast as I could, glancing up at the rear view only to see the creature crawling along the wall after me. I exit the tunnel, the sunlight blinding me, I look into the rear view again and sigh in relief, the creature was walking back and forth in the shadow of the tunnel it let out another screech and turned, disappearing back into the tunnel. 

The rest of that semester I only used the hallways to get to my classes, staying as far away from the tunnels as possible. I've never mentioned the creature to anyone else, I've only made an off hand comment about feeling uneasy about the tunnels to a friend of mine. They winter, during break, part of the underground collapsed, blocking off the section of tunnels that I used to use. Now a days I still feel stightly uneasy whenever I walk in the tunnels, thanks to the memories, but I've never seen or experienced anything else down there. I think the cave in either trapped that thing or, hopefully, killed it. Thinking back on my freshman year, a lot of students would go missing, though almost all of them showed up a few days, so it's not really out of the norm. I've talked to a few of them and none of them remember what happened, only that they woke up in their beds to find a few days had pasted. Anyone would assume that they just probably drank until they blacked out and then drank some more, since most of them went missing during the holidays, when the fraternities threw the most parties. All I know is that ever since the cave in no one has gone missing.