Don’t look

Alex could not remember what he was thinking.

John, May and Eric needed a camera guy because their usual guy couldn’t make it. They wouldn’t go somewhere too scary, they said. Not too scary, for them. Even the first floor of this abandoned office/school building gave Alex the creeps.

All the windows were dirty and most were broken. Shredded documents, paper, pens and even chairs scattered all over. Years of neglect built up quite a bit of dust and dirt everywhere.

“Relax. It’s just an empty building. There’s nothing here.” John shook his head at Alex: “Just a test drive for new content. We picked this place for a reason, eh? Not too creepy and - and there’s no story behind anything.”

“What if you missed something? What if a serial killer is hiding here?” Alex tried his best to not tremble. It was fortunate that he could talk in this video, otherwise he would be scared shitless AND had no way to express it.

“Dude, you’re really scared, huh?” Eric chuckled: “It’s fine. Okay? Just stay close.”

“Yeah - I feel like you’re gonna be a nice guest. You should come with us next time.” May giggled: “The algorithm loves hot girls and scared guys.”

Alex wanted to rebuke with: “Oh yeah? I don’t see any hot girls around.” But he decided against it.

“Alright, let’s check out the bathrooms.” Eric chuckled, “You know what they say …”

“Dude.” Alex moaned: “What the fuck?”

“It’s alright, three of us can brave through anything!” John laughed along and gave Eric a smack on his shoulder.

The two idiots dragged Alex into a bathroom with them, May sighed and followed.

The men’s bathroom was dirty and foul as Alex expected. The doors were broken, the toilets were covered in dark tar-like substance. The walls had been spray-painted with unintelligible words, symbols and profanities.

“Holy shit.” John and Eric giggled as they waved their flashlights around: “Totally awesome! Like a video game.”

“Yeah, but what’s gonna be the name? One week in a fucking office?” Alex’s lips and sound chord quivered, barely pulling off the diss.

“Or ‘The School of the not-alive’.” Eric thought for a while then raised his finger.

“Awesome!” John clapped and gave Eric a high-five.

Spots of light flashed from the broken mirrors when the flashlights shone on them. The reflections of John, Eric and Alex were distorted and scattered all over them. Alex backed out the door - the foul smell was one thing, the distinctly chilly air was another. May was at the door with him, grimacing as well.

“Boys. How can they last so long in there?” May shook her head.

“Maybe it’s the alcoholic phase in college. Or the weed.” Alex shrugged.

“Huh? What you’re talking about?” John tilted his head at Alex.

“Nothing.” John shrugged.

The women’s bathroom smelled much better. Though the graffiti were just as foul and profane. May still would not go in, complaining about how foul the smell was. John and Eric went in, looked around and exclaimed, trying their best to be funny and edgy for the video.

“Hello? Is there a lady ghost here?” Eric put his palms around his mouth into a horn: “Come out! We just want a chat! ”

“Or a date! Can you bring a friend?” John raised his voice along.

Both idiots laughed and high-fived each other before shoving their faces at the camera: “Alright, let’s go upstairs! ”

Footsteps came from the ceiling with the sounds of marbles bouncing the ground. Both the idiots jumped at the same time. Alex almost dropped the camera. A sudden chilliness grabbed his heart and lungs. He almost lost control of his legs and even his bladder.

“We need to leave.” May’s face was pale and even a little gray as she coughed and even wretched: “I don’t feel so good. Please, you - we should leave. ”

“We should leave!” Alex nodded at May then screamed at John and Eric, who were caught up in the mixed emotions of excitement, worry and fear. He knew these two too well, if no one knocked some sense into them, they would really go and check it out. “WE MUST GO!” He screamed again, then bolted towards the direction from which they came. Screw the video.

Maybe it was the wind, maybe he was hearing things, or maybe there were really children giggling, men and women screaming inside the walls and following him. His visions were becoming blurry; his sweat was pouring; though he was running at full speed and barely catching his breath, his body was cold.

“Wait up! ” Eric and John had no choice but to follow.

They made it back into the car. Alex took a look back at the building and almost dropped the camera under his seat - on the second, third and fourth floor of the building, countless human-shaped shadows stood behind the windows and on the balconies, staring at them. The car shot out of the parking spot. Only when Alex picked the camera up did he notice the sticker at the bottom, with a name: “May”.

For a moment, it was as if he forgot how to breathe. “Call May.” He muttered to Eric and John.

“What?” John was confused: “What happened, man?”

“JUST CALL HER!” Alex almost barked.

“Alright! Alright!” Eric raised his hand as he dialed May’s number and put it on speaker.

An older woman answered the phone, from the sound of it, she had been crying: “Who is this?”

“Hey, May?” Eric asked: “Are you alright?”

The older woman sniffled: “Sorry, sorry - I - uh - this is her aunt.”

“Hello, Miss - Miss aunt. Can I talk to May?”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry - this is really not a good time.” May’s aunt sniffled again: “She - uh - she’s still in the OR, we’re waiting for the doctor…”

A door opened in the background, followed by hurried footsteps. Words were exchanged. Eric hung up when people started crying.