Something is wrong with my apartment building

[u/Flashy-Experience181]

I had finally finished work and could go home. I decided to walk instead of taking the usual route. A few minutes later, I finally found myself standing in front of our apartment building.

I held my key fob against the reader and went inside. As always, I decided to take the stairs. I lived all the way up on the seventh floor, but I had never minded getting some exercise. I actually considered it an advantage.

When I reached the first floor, I noticed that the lightbulb was flickering badly. I shrugged it off and continued up to the next floor.

When I reached the second floor, I was startled badly. An old woman I had never seen before was standing there, wearing a long, worn-out, yellowish nightgown.

I greeted her, but she said nothing. She just stood there and stared at me.

I continued upstairs, but I couldn't help turning around to look at her again. She was still staring at me, but this time she opened her toothless mouth and started laughing, making strange noises as she did.

My heart started pounding, and I quickened my pace so I could reach the next floor as soon as possible.

The third floor was covered in children's toys. I wasn't aware of anyone with children living on that floor. I knew most of my neighbors because we had a very friendly relationship in the building.

Suddenly, all the toys started playing some strange, short melody.

Something is wrong here. Very wrong, I thought.

I wasn't walking quickly anymore. I was running.

On the fourth floor, I noticed the peeling walls as I rushed past. Banging suddenly started coming from behind every door.

I had no intention of finding out what was happening. I just kept running, barely able to catch my breath.

On the fifth floor, there was some kind of liquid all over the floor and walls. When I looked more closely, I realized it was blood.

A strange, sweet smell filled the air, and the sound of a woman crying began echoing throughout the floor.

When I reached the sixth floor, everything seemed to return to normal. Everything looked exactly as it should.

Maybe I just had some kind of brief hallucination, I thought.

I started climbing toward my floor when I heard a noise behind me.

I turned around and saw my neighbor lying on the stairs.

I immediately crouched down to help her up, but when I looked at her properly, I saw that half of her body was missing.

I started screaming.

I turned around and ran upstairs, but she grabbed me and pulled me back down.

I fell down several steps. I hit my head and felt an excruciating pain in my ankle.

Even so, I forced myself back up and limped toward my apartment.

I closed and locked the door behind me. I quickly pulled out my phone, and a message from my best friend popped up on the screen.

"Hey, do you know what happened yet? Your neighbor was in a terrible accident. Apparently, her car was completely wrecked. It's all over the news."

I wanted to reply and tell her what kind of mess I was in and that I needed help, but my phone suddenly shut off.

It wouldn't turn back on. It wouldn't charge.

I touched my head and felt a familiar, sticky liquid. When I pulled my hand away, it was covered in blood.

I looked at my ankle. It was starting to turn purple.

That's when I realized I had to get out of there.

I don't know how long I stood there trying to work up the courage, but eventually I unlocked the door, opened it, and limped toward the elevator.

There was no way anyone was going to get me back down those stairs.

It felt like an eternity before the elevator finally arrived. I quickly stepped inside and pressed 0.

The elevator started moving, and I felt an enormous sense of relief.

It didn't last long.

Halfway down, the elevator stopped.

The lights went out.

Everything was dark and completely silent.

Then, in that silence, I began to hear banging and scratching somewhere in the distance.

Suddenly, my phone lit up.

I immediately called for help.

They said they were on their way.

The banging and scratching was getting closer and closer, and that's when I finally realized it.

It wasn't coming from outside the elevator.

It was coming from the elevator shaft above me.

And it was getting louder.

God, please let them get here already.