First time tuning in? Start here.

Last time we visited our protagonist, they had wandered haphazardly into a rather questionable-looking elevator. You can catch up on Part XVII here. Will the elevator deliver our protagonist to where they ought to go? Or will the elevator swallow them whole and leave us a bitter and unsatisfactory ending? Let’s see, shall we?

I spin around, taken completely by surprise by the how fast the doors snapped close behind me. I haven't steadied myself as the elevator suddenly drops. My heart jumps into my throat as I plummet to my certain doom. I have no time to consider the fact that I'm about to die in an elevator when the whole contraption comes rushing to a stop, throwing me to the floor. I hear the familiar ding and the doors gently slide open.

I clamber off the ground, and rush out of the elevator in a crawl, falling to the floor once clear of the doors which slide shut behind me. The elevator rises with all the calm you'd expect from such a thing. After spending a few breaths on the ground, I realize I'm shaking. It's just as cold here as it was on the ground floor, but I'm unbothered by it. I'm only now processing the terror I experienced in my brief but harrowing elevator ride.

I press my hands to the ground and push myself up, coming onto my knees, then climbing to my feet. I have no idea how far down I am. My guess is several floors. Sure, the trip was quick, but that thing was moving fast. I didn't notice any control panel on the inside, but then I wasn't really worried about selecting a floor; I thought I was going to die. Well, I didn't die. Which means I still have a job to do.

I look around. I'm standing on a lush, dark blue carpet running the length of a long, narrow corridor. The walls are painted to match the carpet. Cool light is emitted from sconces placed at regular intervals on the wall. The effect is both welcoming and ominous. If the lights don't flicker, I think I might be okay walking around down here.

One of the lights flickers. Fucker. It goes out, but the others remain on. It comes back on and another flickers. Maybe it's a maintenance issue. Maybe I'm supposed to change the bulbs too? Except my list of responsibilities was clear on that point: "investigate flickering lamps but make no attempts at replacement or repair." Just as well. I have no idea where the fucking bulbs are anyway. I'll just submit a request or some shit. As long as the lights don't all flicker and turn off at once, I should be okay.

I pause with bated breath. Will they ... ?

They don't. Individual lamps ominously flicker on occasion, but no transport to a nether dimension takes place. I start walking down the corridor, away from the elevator. The corridor is long, and I've shaken off the terror of the elevator ride and am once again shivering from the cold by the time I reach the end. Built into the wall facing me is a glass case displaying a shotgun and a stack of shells on a shelf below it. "IN CASE OF TRESPASSERS, BREAK GLASS" screams a sign just below the display, with an arrow pointing to the left of it, where a metal baseball bat sits suspended in a nook. Well, I've found the shotgun, though I have no intention of using it against trespassers. How fucking barbaric. That part has got to be a joke.

Another corridor crosses the one I just walked down, running in either direction. Not wanting to get lost, I opt to take only left turns and try to recall how many branches I pass before taking the next turn. In no time at all, I am completely lost. I'm freezing and unsure if I can find my way out of here. Wonderful combination. At least I had that sandwich to hold me over in case I end up stuck here the rest of the night.

I start peering into doors that pop up, opening those that are unlocked and sticking my head in to look around. There aren't many I can get into, and those that do open are nothing more than so many empty rooms. I happen across an autopsy room, which seems a little odd to me, but what do I know? I'm just the new groundskeeper fighting to stay alive in a cemetery that seems more and more bizarre the longer the night drags on.

I reach a dead end, with a locked door on either side. I don't remember my way back, but as I stuck with my left-turns-only rule on the way here, I decide to try my luck at making only right turns on my way back. I can't possibly get more lost than I already am. I turn around and I set off, and as I make my first right turn, everything seems a little off. The carpet and the walls are a lush red. I look around and the whole space is red, as if it's been this way all along. Did this change happen earlier and I just wasn't paying attention?

I take a deep breath and resolve to keep going. Either I will find a storeroom with extra coffin lids or I will find my way back to the elevator.

How dreadful! To be lost—perhaps, trapped even!—in the low-lit hallways of some labyrinthine structure deep underground. Dreadful, indeed. Will our protagonist make it out alive? Or will they slowly devolve into madness in their endless search for a way out? Only one way to learn! Read Part XIX here

Are you enjoying the story so far? Please consider sharing this with someone you think will enjoy it as well! After all, things tend to be much more enjoyable when you can experience them with acquaintances, coworkers, friends, and loved ones.