the anomalies that haunt our world

The Old Man

You were an adventurous kind of person.

What most find risky, and dangerous; you find fun, and enjoyable.

You decided to take a trip into some woods, that most say are haunted by the spirit of some war veteran. But you didn't believe all that non-sense.

How bad could it be?

As you go deeper and deeper into the forest, you notice a sort of black; tar-like substance one of the dead trees.

"What's that?" You wonder to yourself.

Curious, you grab a twig, and put it closer and closer to the substance.

The moment the twig made contact with it, it started to decay at an accelerated rate.

You jumped out of shock, and drop the now dead twig on the ground.

"What the hell!?" You exclaimed to no one in particular.

This was unlike anything you'd ever seen. Unlike anything anyone had ever seen! Let alone heard of... Yet, you were still curious on what could produce such a substance.

You decided to continue walking through the woods, despite your mind telling you to walk back to civilization.

Eventually, you stumbled upon a weird opening. Full of dead leaves, trees, and grass... What happened here?

You noticed something weird in the distance. It looked almost like a rundown shelter...

You knew you shouldn't go in there. You knew it. But, your curiosity go the better of you as you made your way to the shelter.

There was nothing but dead grass surrounding you now.

Eventually, you made it to the facility, and tried opening the doors. Not expecting them to come off completely due to rust, and decay.

"Uh- What in the world...?" You toss the door to the side, in awe at what just happened.

The shelter was nearly pitch black. Save for a couple of cracked windows on the second level shining light, and the doorway you just opened.

It was almost like no one had been here for years...

You reach into your backpack, and take out a flashlight. Lighting up the area just a little bit. The weird substance was nearly everywhere you looked.

You carefully walk around the shelter. Taking note of the rust all over the place. It was practically falling apart...

As you walk around, you notice a small control center.

You walked inside of it, noticing stairs leading downwards. A basement of sorts.

Every fiber of your being was telling you not to go down there, and to turn back. Yet; your curious nature, as well as adventurous personality got the better of you, as you made your way down.

The walls all around you were rusted, dirty, decayed, almost like a simple tap would be all it would take to have it fall apart.

The pipes along the ceiling didn't fair much better either. Covered in rust, and dirt. Just like the wall.

As you continued making your way down, you couldn't shake the feeling that you're being watched. A shiver going down your spine at the mere thought of someone else being in here with you.

The deeper you went, the more rust and decay you could see... That's when you realized that this place may not be a shelter at all, but something else entirely.

You continued moving. Your flashlight being your only guide through the unending darkness.

There were a few doors laid out across from you. Each leading to different rooms. You decided to take the left door, and...

There was nothing in it.

Nothing except dated machinery, and the smell of rust.

You felt uneasy...

You went through the door on the right side, and again. Nothing... the same smell of rust, and the same dated machinery...

The final door was at the center of the room.

You could feel anxiety creep up behind your spine. You grew terrified of what could be awaiting you in there... Yet, you continued on.

You looked inside, only to find...

Nothing.

You take a sigh of relief, and turn around to walk back.

But then...

You suddenly hear a devilish and deep laugh.

Something that sounded inhuman.

You felt a shiver go down your spine, as you turn back around to see... Something. Emerging out of the floor, secreting that same substance from earlier.

He had the appearance of a really old man, his body was covered in the tar-like substance, his eyes were completely gone, replaced with silver pupils. He had a black jacket, and black shorts on, as well as a sinister grin...

You needed to get out of there.

He started walking towards you, extending his hand outwards. You immediately bolted for the stairs in an attempt to get away. He thankfully didn't seem all that fast.

As you made your way up the stairs, you could hear him laughing. Laughing. And laughing.

You eventually made it back to the ground floor. Looking around, you realized it's pitch black, and the door out seems like it doesn't exist anymore.

You could hear him getting closer. You had to get out of there quickly!

You looked around with your flashlight, eventually spotting the door.

You rushed over, and just when you were about to reach it...

He appeared in front of you. From out of the floor.

You couldn't react, before you suddenly felt an immense amount of pain as he dragged you inside of the floor.

And from that day forward...

You were never seen again.