Stalker
Stalker
Quinn M.
“Hello? Hello, hello?” A voice came over the hand radio, crackling and nearly drowned out by static.
A man in a white coat picked up the radio and held it to his ear. “Yes? Dr. Reece speaking. What do you need?”
“Yeah, this is Jack, repair staff. You asked to have the power shut off to your room.”
“Oh, right! Yes, I’m retrofitting the wall socket for-”
“Which power grid are you on?” Jack cut the doctor off, after years of working there, he knew the scientists never stop once they’ve gotten started on these things.
“Oh, hmmm… Let me check…” Dr. Reece pulled open a rattling drawer, shifted through papers and murmured.
“Sorry, you’re gonna have to say that again.”
“Say what again?” The doctor stopped his fumbling.
“My ears ain’t what they used to be, I didn’t hear what you said.”
“But, I didn’t say anything…”
“Oh, hah, sorry. Like I said, my hearing ain’t too good no more. I could get snuck up on by a marching band.”
Dr. Reece chuckled jovially and returned to his filing. “Yeah… It says here… this room is on grid 18b... No, no wait... This is 28a.”
“Alrighty then… that’d be over here…” The old custodian said to himself as he walked across the metal grated floor, his heavy footsteps echoing in the claustrophobia of the maintenance tunnel, after a certain point Dr. Reece could hear a second fainter set of footsteps amidst the white noise of the radio static.
“Oh, there’s two of you down there?”
“Two? Uh… nope. Just me. Kinda wish I had a bit of company though, gets mighty lonely down here.”
“Is that why you still have the radio on?” The doctor said teasingly.
“Hah, got me there. Ah, found it.” The custodian jingled a ring of keys before fitting one into a lock and opening a metal panel. “Alrighty… God almighty, I’ll tell you, the draft gets worse down here with each passing day. Feels like someone’s breathin’ down my neck…” A few clicks and switches later, all the lights in Reece’s room went dark.
“That did it, thanks… Now I wish I had a flashlight on hand.”
“Haha! You’re in the dark? Sorry about that, want me to switch it back on?”
“No, no, I’ll be fine, there’s one around here, somewhere…” Reece began to feel around in the dark of the room, knocking a beaker off a table in the process. “Oh…”
“You sure? Man, the dark always creeped me out, always feels like somethin’s ‘bout to jump me.”
“Everyone feels like that. Thanks for the help, by the way.”
“Don't mention it, it’s my job… Hey, y’know that feeling like you’re being watched? Strange, ain’t it?” A heavy breathing came through the radio, as if someone was looking over Jack’s shoulder and hissing into the receiver.
“Jack?” Reece said.
“Uh, yeah Doc?”
“Don’t move. Don’t open your eyes.”
Jack paused for a moment. “Don’t move? Well, okay… Why?”
Reece thought of a way to say it without causing him to panic, it wasn’t easy, he was never the best with people. “Just, don’t move. I think there’s something behind you, but don’t look at it.”
“What?” Jack said, clearly in a panic.
“DON’T LOOK!”
Jack clapped a gloved hand over his eyes. “I won’t! What is it?”
“Just… just don’t look behind you, don’t move, don’t breathe, just, just stay there! Stay there and close your eyes! I’m… I’ll come down and help you! Er, I’ll send help! But make sure your eyes are shut!”
A deep, wet, raspy voice whispered directly into the custodian’s ear, yet it’s so quiet that only parts can be understood. “Your friend…-really good advice... -now.”
“Who the heck is that?! Is… is he saying something?”
“I knew it… Don’t move! Don’t listen to it!”
“I… I could run for the door…” Jack whimpered out of the corner of his mouth, holding the radio an inch from his face.
“No, Jack, stay there! Statistically speaking, your best bet is to wait for him to go away on his own.” Reece didn’t bother mentioning that there was an 85.6% chance that he’d die of thirst before it leaves.
“Did you say ‘statistically’!? The heck do you mean ‘statistically’? This happened before?”
“I’m… I’m not authorized to say…”
“Jesus f-... How… how long before it goes away?”
“Depends-… -be patient… -likes you…”
“WHAT THE HECK IS THA-” A wet thud and subsequent splatter came through the radio, then a sharp clattering as the receiver hit the floor.
Doctor Reece put down the radio. He raked his fingers through his balding hair as he raked his mind for ideas. He groped about in the darkness, feeling his way to the door and opening it inwards, flooding the room with light from the hallway. He took a half step backwards to move around the door when he bumped into a warm, firm surface.
“There you are...”