‘It couldn’t have been easy.’

  Most doors on the base have a locked or are protected in some way, this one requires a key card and proper clearance.

  ‘Damn, I hope I have the right clearance level.’

  I take my keys out and hold my clearance card to the card reader.

  The screen blinks an angry red.

  >CLEARANCE DENIED<

  ‘shit, I’m not getting in here am I.’

  If this was any other situation I would have been able to kick the door down.

  But this is area fifty-one, these doors are so reinforced that not even a swat team on steroids could break it down.

  Additionally even if this door was not reinforced and it was possible to kick it down, I wouldn’t. The sound would be loud and attract attention that I don’t want.

  Fortunately there is another option. As a ‘senior sanitation technician’ I have a few perks. One is that I can send a request to administration to gain access to any room in order to clean it; Regardless of my clearance level.

  ‘After all messes can happen anywhere.’

  In order to file a request I need to access to a terminal, the closest is near the elevator.

  I begin walking to the elevator terminal with caution and stealth.

  The only sound I can hear is the slight rustling of my clothes and the loud beat of my heart.

  I constantly observe my surroundings for hidden threats.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  There are fewer dead bodies in this area, but the corpses that lie in this hall are all half eaten.

  Once I reach the terminal I input my card.

  I boot up the terminal.

  The black screen with dull grey text greets me.

  >...<

  >WELCOME DYLAN<

  When I first used the terminal one thing that stood out to me is that the system surprisingly antiquated for a high tech military installation. Somebody told me that the reason for this was to make the system more difficult to hack.

  A prompt appears at the center of the screen

  >MENU<

  >ASSIGNMENTS<

  >MESSAGES<

  >REQUEST<

  I input my command.

  >/REQUEST<

  >...<

  Then I clarify.

  >/REQUEST ACCESS: SURVEILLANCE ROOM FLOOR 60 REASON: CLEANING<

  I wait a few moments for my request to process through the system. Usually my requests are automatically granted since I am a senior sanitation technician.

  >ACCESS GRANTED ... CLEARANCE UPDATED<

  It comes to a slight surprise for me, I half expected the system to fail. Why is the system still running yet containment has failed?

  I exit the menu and shutdown.

  >...<

  >HAVE A NICE DAY DYLAN<

  >...<

  Now that I am fi...

  I think I hear something.

  *...*

  ‘What’s that?’

  I strain my ears, trying to catch any disturbance to the silence.

  *skkkt*

  *skkkt*

  A chill goes down my spine, and goosebumps cover my arms.

  ‘Fuck, this I’m out.’

  I begin quietly running towards my closet.

  *skkkT*

  *skkKT

  *skKKT*

  “FUCK!”

  I ditch my pole, and look behind me while still running.

  I’m being followed by something.

  This ‘thing’, looks like you took a lion, dipped it in blood red ink, gave it teeth that would make a piranha feel ashamed, then add a couple tumors and a parasitic twin into the mix.

  The red thing is equal parts terrifying and disgusting in a visceral way…

  *sKKKT*

  It’s catching up.

  I make a beeline to the surveillance room.

  I hold my card up to the reader.

  *SKKKT*

  >ACCESS GRANTED<

  The door opens with a click, and I slam it shut behind me.

  ‘Holy fuck’

  *BANG*

  I collapse on the ground from my exertion, I just outran a fucking mutant lion thing.

  *BANG*

  I feel so high on life that I don’t even notice the person behind me.