It was late.
Later than usual.
The building was quiet.
Almost empty.
He had just finished a long day.
Tired.
Not thinking about anything.
He walked into the lobby.
Lights were on.
But the place feltā¦ still.
Too still.
He pressed the elevator button.
Waited.
A few seconds laterā¦
Ding.
The doors opened.
Empty.
He stepped in.
Pressed his floor.
The doors closed.
And the elevator started moving.
Normal.
Everything felt normal.
Until it stopped.
Not his floor.
The display showed a different number.
A lower floor.
He frowned.
āNo one pressed that,ā he whispered.
The doors opened.
Dark hallway.
No movement.
No one there.
He waited.
A few seconds.
Nothing.
āOkayā¦ā he muttered.
The doors closed again.
The elevator started moving.
But something felt off now.
That quietā¦
Felt heavier.
Like the space was smaller.
Tighter.
He checked the panel.
Only his floor was selected.
No other lights.
No other stops.
Then suddenlyā¦
The elevator stopped again.
Another floor.
The doors opened.
This timeā¦
The hallway lights flickered.
Empty again.
But something was different.
The air felt colder.
He stepped back slightly.
āHello?ā he called.
No answer.
The doors closed.
Now his heart was beating faster.
āThis is weirdā¦ā
He looked at the mirror inside the elevator.
Just to distract himself.
To calm down.
But thenā¦
He noticed something.
Behind him.
A shape.
Very faint.
His heart dropped.
He turned instantly.
Nothing.
Empty.
āNoā¦ noā¦ā
He looked back at the mirror.
And there it was again.
Standing behind him.
Still.
Not moving.
His breathing got heavier.
āSomeoneās in hereā¦ā he whispered.
But that didnāt make sense.
No one entered.
No one was there.
The elevator kept moving.
Slowly.
Too slowly.
He pressed the open button.
Nothing.
Pressed the emergency button.
No response.
The lights flickered.
For a secondā¦
Everything went dark.
Then came back.
And this timeā¦
The reflection was closer.
Right behind him.
He froze.
Didnāt turn.
Because nowā¦
He knew.
If he turnedā¦
He might actually see it.
The elevator stopped again.
Ding.
His floor.
The doors opened.
Bright hallway.
Normal.
Safe.
He didnāt move at first.
Then slowlyā¦
He stepped out.
Fast.
Heart racing.
He turned around immediately.
The elevator was empty.
Completely empty.
The doors started closing.
Then stopped.
Just before shutting completely.
And in that small gapā¦
He saw it.
Standing inside.
Looking at him.
Smiling.
The doors closed.
Silence.
And the worst part?
The elevatorā¦
Started moving again.
Even though no one pressed anything.
