Thud! I punched the main door. I thought this time it would open, but seeing as it was more like a wall than an openable door, I continued to run. The red shadow was still chasing me, he's just a bit behind.

I could hear his loud footsteps echo across the hallway. He was getting close.

I dashed through the entire hallway, gasping as my breathing couldn't keep up. My energy had already been drained a while ago plus my body still hurts from falling off the stairs. It's a miracle that I can still run like this.

I stood at the base of the stairwell. All I had in mind was to go up to higher floors. Beyond that, I have no idea what to do.

I didn't climb just yet. The red shadow's footsteps could no longer be heard from here which confused me.

"Is he gone?" I muttered nervously.

Suddenly, a faint red speck appeared in the distance. I was mistaken. The man was still there but he wasn't running to me anymore, he just walked casually.

The man then turned right and seemed to have phased through the wall.

Damn these shadows. Using the door couldn't be that difficult. I know these guys can hold stuff so just use your hands.

If I remember correctly, that should be the operating room. Why would it go in there?

While waiting on what the man was up to, I proceeded to walk up the stairs a few steps, just so I have a bit of a leeway to climb up. Obviously, running now would have been the best choice, but as they say, curiosity killed the cat. I can see those words more clearly now in my grave marker.

A minute must have passed by when the red shadow finally came out. It didn't phase through the wall but instead, opened the door. Wow, he must have read my mind then. Congratulations on learning how to use the bloody door. But I was mistaken yet again. It seemed to have used the door because it carried something that he couldn't phase through the wall with. In the red shadow's hand was a blade, the same blade that the lady shadow was trying to give me.

Sensing the danger of the situation, I hurried up the stairs, the loud stomping of the shadow's feet could be heard again. I now know his full intentions. He wants to kill me.

The chase had resumed. I was now on the second floor but didn't know what to do next. As I approached the middle of the hallway something caught my attention, an open door. I quickly headed inside and locked the door.

The red shadow's rapid footsteps now rang on the second floor. It continued for a bit, growing louder as it got close to me until it stopped all of a sudden. Sweat built up on my forehead and I could feel the cold inching up my legs. The shadow was near. It's literally just outside this door.

Thud! I flinched. The man banged on the door. Fear surrounded me as I realized that it knew where I was at. How did it know?

It continued to bang on the door while I was helpless inside. Suddenly, an idea came to mind. It was risky but it's the only thing I can think of at this moment.

The banging continued. Crash! The door burst open, violently slamming the door to the wall. Its hinges were on the verge of breaking.

The red shadow entered the room only to see complete darkness. It moved closer inside, inspecting every corner of the room. It raised the blade and slammed it on the floor. It was either threatening me or furious from not finding me.

While the red shadow was doing his thing, I saw an opportunity. I got out from behind the door. Yes, it did hurt a lot when the door slammed on my face, very much so. All I could do was tank it and not make a sound. I almost felt like yelling when it slammed into me. Being as quiet as I could be, I tiptoed out of the room and ran away.

Darn! My plan failed.

I thought that I could steal the blade from him, even though it would mean confronting my fears. That weapon was the only leverage it had over me, that and his muscular build. If I had something to protect me then it would give me a burst of confidence to survive this mess, but now I'm left empty-handed. The plan failed when the man slammed the blade on the floor. It may not be much but it frightened me too much and made me ditch the plan right there and then. What a coward I am.

I looked back and luckily, the red shadow hadn't caught on yet. Only one thing came to mind at this moment, the door out. I dashed down the stairs, crossed the hallway and arrived in front of the main door. I gave it another push and a kick, but nothing still seems to faze it.

I then entered the waiting room where another exit lies. Wasting no time, I dashed to the door. I'm this close yet again. The exit is right in front of me but I knew too well that this wasn't going to go well. I took a deep breath before holding out my arm and trying to push the door open.

It was locked.

"Goddamnit!"

The door then received a flurry of my kicks and punches, even tanking multiple body slam. It still stood sturdy. Its durability was comparable to the walls around it, heck, I might have better luck in breaking down the walls.

I was slowly losing my temper. Nothing good has come my way yet. It's as if this nightmare of a reality was toying with me, treating me like a mouse that can't escape, giving me false hope of survival.

I took another jab at the door but a sharp pain piercing my fist stopped me from doing any more. Both my hands were bleeding and black on every knuckle.

My feet are tired, my legs are shivering, my body is beat up, my hands are bleeding, my forehead is also bleeding, and my mind is going crazy. Any more and I would succumb to this insanity. I need to get out of here immediately but there's just nothing here that could help me. Not even a sign of help. I'm completely alone, and looking back, I was always alone, ever since I lost everything that day.

I slapped myself repeatedly.

Fuck, I hate myself. If only I was different. If only I didn't do it. If only I didn't give in to my horrible emotions then none of this would be happening right now. I could be cozy in bed, watching late-night TV shows next to my child and wife but no, I'm stuck here dying alone.

My grievances were cut short when a footstep sounds behind me. All I could do was take a chair and prepare to use it as a weapon.

Suddenly, my jaw dropped and sweat poured from my neck. I can hear it again, that.. sound. It was the exact same sound that came from my room, from under my bed. The same sound that brought upon this mess.

The red shadow's footsteps mixed with the sound. I could hear them both approaching from the hallway.

A second later, the inevitable happened. The red shadow appeared in view, but it was doing something. With the blade in his hand, he was holding it out and it pointed to the wall, scraping it as he walked.

"What the hell?" I blurted out from nervousness.

That thing that he's doing.. It's making the same sound. It's the same exact sound. So this was the source. After all those unfruitful investigations and hours of sleep lost, I finally found out what that sound was.

But even after all this, nothing still made sense to me. I do get that the sound was coming from my fear of blades, which is indeed terrifying, but what of it? What is this whole nightmare all about? I've had enough of all these cryptic happenings, just say it straight to my face.

I guess I won't get an answer. It was almost over

The man slowly walked towards me, purposely adding weight to its steps to further agitate me, and it was definitely working.

With my shaking hands, I repeatedly bashed the chair on the door.

This is the most crucial time in my life so please just break already.

But not even a crack formed.

The man continued his approach.

I tried everything in my power, even punching the door again even when the bones in my fist already felt like they were cracked. I've never been more desperate in my life.

As I took a look back, the sight of death awaited me. The red shadow was right behind me.

In a panic, I raised the chair that I was holding and swung it at him. To my absolute horror, it caught the chair's leg. I couldn't do anything else other than to try and retrieve the chair, my only weapon, but he wouldn't let go. Instead, he forcefully pulled it from me and threw the chair across the room. I had nothing left.

The man raised the blade and was ready to split me in half. My legs finally gave in and I crumbled to the floor, desperately trying to get away from the red shadow but my back was already on the wall.

This was it. It's all over. For the first time in a while, I shed a tear, and even more followed after that. I cried as I witnessed my execution. It was the only thing I could do.

I closed my eyes, awaiting for my escape, an escape by death.

Slash!

I opened my eyes. I expected that I was now either in heaven or hell, most definitely hell. But as I took in the view around me, I was still here, right in front of my killer.

"What happened?" I muttered, confused as to how I'm still alive right now.

As I looked up, I saw not one, but many shadow people, around six or seven. All of them are black and it looks as if they were all trying to stop the red shadow. Two were grasping the hand with the blade, one was trying to pull him from behind, and the rest of the shadows were holding down the rest of the red shadow's limbs.

My confusion doubled.

I turned my head and saw the slash on the wall just a few inches above me.

"It.. missed?"

I frantically touched my head and neck. Yep, I'm still alive.

I sighed in relief.

I have no idea what's going on and why those shadows are helping me escape, but I took advantage of the situation. I slid out and ran for the hallway.

I took a quick look back. The red shadow was still struggling to break free from the black shadows' grasps. Well... guess I'm indebted to them now. I'll thank them when I get the chance later, if I survive that is.

Suddenly, just as I was about to turn the corner, I heard a loud thud from behind, followed by a few sounds of slashing.

I turned to look back again and horror morphed my expression. The man was already free and had killed a few of the black shadows in such a short time. The black shadows' corpses didn't spill any blood, but I knew they had died because they laid on the floor sliced into pieces.

The red shadow then faced my direction and started to sprint towards me.

"No, no, no!" I yelled as I ran away. "Get away from me!"

I ran frantically, looking for anything I could use. My legs didn't feel good. I was already drained a while ago, now, my will to survive was the only thing fueling me. The pharmacy caught my attention. I quickly went there and reached my hands in, grabbing everything that was in reach. I didn't even care if the thing that was in here a while ago appeared. All I had in mind was to survive, using everything at my disposal.

The red shadow had caught up from behind. It ran quickly, holding up the blade, ready to slice at any moment.

Does this guy have a grudge against me or what?

As the red shadow got a bit close, I immediately threw everything at him in a single throw. Various medical drugs and apparatus came flying at him. Some bottles flew straight into his head, the tray that I used to throw everything at him hit his arm, and some other things hit his torso. All of these did no sort of damage to him and had not slowed him down at the very least, but I wasn't aiming for that.

A second passed when it finally happened. The man accidentally stepped on a medicine bottle and came tumbling down. The bottle was quite thick so it didn't break when he stepped on it. It was quite lucky that he stepped on one, any other and it would have just shattered in his step, foiling my plan. Yes, I basically relied on luck in this one, but that's basically all I had. Not putting my gained time to waste, I dashed up the stairs.

It was silent. It was best if it continued this way. It would mean that I finally escaped that red shadow's grasp. Well... it's not entirely silent here. I can hear the faint dripping of a faucet somewhere, probably due to faulty piping like mine back home.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

I was in the bathroom. This isn't the one that I went into last time. It's still on the third floor, but on the other side of the hallway. I'm literally in the furthest possible room from where I met that red shadow.

I'm currently sitting on a toilet in the stall at the very back of the restroom. My body hasn't calmed down yet and I could still feel the fear that I felt as the blade missed me by a hair. If I survive this mess, I'll for sure get nightmares about it.

Thud! a bang sounded on the restroom door.

Shit! No, no, no! How did he know I was here?

I did lock the restroom but that wouldn't really point to me hiding in it. I mean, almost every goddamn door in this hospital is locked.

The banging continued until the inevitable happened. I could only hear the door burst open as the red shadow's footsteps stomped on the restroom floor. I tried my best to hold my breath, not making the slightest noise.

My nervousness burst out of the roof as the shadow's steps came closer to me. There were literally almost a dozen stalls here, but he didn't stop for any other one of them. It's as if he already knew where I was at the very start.

His steps grew louder and louder the closer he got to my stall until... it stopped. A minute must have passed when I finally heard the shadow's steps again, but luckily, it sounded like it was getting farther.

Another minute has passed. No sound could be heard whatsoever, even the leaky faucet somehow stopped. Just complete silence.

I was about to exhale in relief but I tried to hold it in. I'm still nervous to move even an inch.

Suddenly, a chill went up my spine as I saw something change in my peripheral vision. I turned to see what it was and was horrified when black writing appeared on the wall of the stall.

WHY DID YOU KILL ME?

As I finished reading it in my mind, the word started to multiply. It was the same thing as what happened with the shadow hands before it morphed into hands. The words expanded to every side of the stall, surrounding me.

I wanted to run. I was almost ready to stand up and leave the stall but then my fright skyrocketed. I got a quick glimpse of the bottom of the stall and I'm positive that someone is standing right outside, and seeing that its feet were red, It wouldn't be any more obvious as to who it is.

Knock! Knock! The red shadow knocked even if it already knew that I was here, he wouldn't have stood here the whole time otherwise. It's as if it's toying with me.

Its knocking evolved and turned to that of banging. It was now angrily trying to get to me.

I had no idea what to do. Was this really it? Those black shadows helped me and died because of me, but all their efforts will be in vain since I'm also going to die from the hands of this red demon. Why does it want to kill me so badly?

The banging stopped.

I looked down to see if the shadow had left. I was expecting to see two feet when I ducked down but was immediately taken back when a whole hand was reaching for me.

"Shit!"

I stood up on the toilet. What the hell can I do in this situation!? The words were bouncing and swirling around as if they were mocking me while a lunatic shadow was about to be the death of me.

I just then remembered the pens that I nabbed from the receptionist desk. I quickly pulled them out of my pocket. Due to my shaking hands, most of them fell to the floor but I did manage to grab one.

Without hesitation, I got down and slammed the pen into the shadow's hand. It twitched as the pen dug deeper into its shadow skin. Just like the dead shadows, it didn't splatter any blood.

"I'm not done yet!" I exclaimed.

I held the shadow's hand tight so it couldn't pull it out. Then, I grabbed the pens that fell and stabbed his hand some more.

"When I'm done with you, your hand will be a porcupine!" I yelled at it.

My words must have not fazed it at all. Instead, it grew angrier. The shadow lunged the blade from the bottom of the stall, trying to hit me. I had no choice but to let go of the shadow's pen-pierced hand as I barely dodged the attack, but it had still nicked my leg.

The shadow then repeatedly banged on the stall door. It's banging on it even louder now than any other time. It will only be a matter of time until the door finally succumbs to it.

From the shadow reaching inside the stall, an idea came to mind.

I got on the ground, bracing myself for what's to come. Then, I dived straight into the gap of the stall next to mine. I tried to push my head in, but it wouldn't fit. This wasn't the time to give up now. I forced my head through, even if doing so felt like my head was scraped on a cheese grater.

I successfully made it to the next stall. It didn't end here just yet. I still have a few more stalls to go.

Alright, here goes nothing.

I exited the final stall through the gap. The door was near so I didn't waste any time dashing outside. If I was bald right now, I could see how much damage it did to my head, but actually, I would probably go bald from what I did. The throbbing of my head continued as I crossed the hallway.

I got down to the second floor and was about to head down some more when something familiar caught my eye.

In the middle of the hallway was the shadow boy.

Despite having a deadly encounter with it, it wasn't red like the man, which I assume meant that it wasn't seeking for blood. I must have just angered it a while ago because I accidentally stabbed him.

I ran to the boy and immediately went down into a kneeling position.

"I'm sorry for what I did earlier! Please help me! There's this red shadow that's chasing me and I have nowhere else to run to! Please, you've got to help me, I beg you!" I pleaded to the boy.

It didn't even look at me. Instead, it just walked away.

"Please help! You're my only hope!" I reached my hand forward.

The boy continued to walk. After a few feet, it turned to the right and phased through the wall.

I got up and ran to where it went. It didn't phase through a wall, it's actually a door. Was this some sort of sign?

I nervously reached for the doorknob. It was open.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I exclaimed as I entered the room. Thanking him even when he wasn't in sight.

The split second that I got a glance of the room, both shock and confusion mixed in my face.

"Is this... real?"

Around me was the most familiar sight in my mind. A creaking floor that could collapse if I jump on it, yellowing walls with ants moving to and fro, a bed with sheets that looks as if they haven't been washed in ages, a dead spider plant at the corner, and degrading furniture that belonged to the past century.

Am I really back here? Is the nightmare finished?

I walked forward and noticed something different. Bathing in the moonlight on top of the drawer was the single most important possession I had. The photograph.

Why is this here? I thought I left this downstairs.

I grabbed it and held it to the moonlight. A sad smile formed in my face.

"Finally, I got to see you again." I muttered as I placed my fingers on the image of my son.

Suddenly, it hit me. Everything that happened up to this point. I finally understood what it all meant.

I had unconsciously let go of the photo as my thoughts spiraled around.

"No... this can't be." I said in disbelief, placing both hands on my face to assess if this was reality.

"Is this... about when I k-"

Thud! A loud bang sounded from the door.

I slowly turned around, fear reignited in my mind.

Another bang sounded, another one, and yet another, until the banging became constant. Something was outside my door, and from everything that happened, I knew who it was.

I looked around frantically, thinking of my next move. When my eyes caught sight of the window, I knew the time had come. It was time to jump. I quickly went up to it but something was wrong. It wasn't opening even an inch. The streak of unopenable exits continued even in my personal space.

The knocking worsened.

I quickly turned around in search of another solution.

I wiped the sweat off of my forehead and gulped as I realized the only thing I could do next—hide.

Without another thought, I went down low and dove straight under the bed.

The door burst open. This time, since it was my degrading rotten door, it broke off of the hinges and smashed on the floor across the room.

I placed my hand on my mouth, trying to silence my nervous breathing.

Footsteps wandered the room. They were just simple footsteps but I knew who they came from. The intruder's feet came into view. Normal shaped feet but enshrouded with the deep color of crimson. It was the same entity that massacred its kind and almost became the death of me back in the hospital. The red shadow. It must have followed me here to finish the job.

I watched in horror as its red feet wandered around the room. My shaking worsened every time it came close to the bed.

It knows that I went here but can't seem to find me.

Just please go away. Leave me alone and bring back my normal life. As horrible as I am, I still want to live. I want to enjoy the rest of my life, even if hell awaits me in the afterlife.

My life hasn't been easy and it certainly won't improve even after I survive this, but because of all the events that had transpired today, I gained a new appreciation for staying alive and enjoying my fleeting time in this realm.

I closed my eyes and awaited for my final verdict, taking up a fetal position while my hands remained blocking my mouth.

Silence enveloped the room.

A few minutes must have passed by with me motionless under the bed. I opened my eyes and looked around from underneath. No feet could be seen nor footsteps could be heard.

Did I... survive?

I let out a long sigh as I removed my hands from my mouth. After all the hardships and all the horrors, I'm finally safe. All it took was falling off the stairs, bashing my body against every door, bludgeoning my fists to try and get out, and even almost getting my head sliced off my body.

I've had a long day. A very long one.

The moonlight receded and as the light brightened from the window, dawn came.

I crawled out slowly from under the bed, forcing my head through the tiny gap. My body felt weak and it took all my strength to simply push my head through. I managed to get my head out. I could smell the fresh air again, quite different from the one back at the hospital. It was refreshing, as if it was ushering me towards a new stage in my life. A new day of change. I can now move forward.

But I was wrong. The horror didn't stop here.

As I rotated my head to see the ceiling, I saw a monstrous red figure instead. It was the red shadow.

It stood on top of the bed, the reason why I couldn't see his presence. I thought that he had already left. I was dead wrong.

The red shadow slowly raised its blade, its tip pointing downwards. It laughed as it did so, laughing at the vulnerable state of its prey before butchering it.

I couldn't do anything else but squirm. Sadly, I was unable to move any further.

The red shadow slammed down the blade.

The split second before its impact, I caught a glance of my television. Something was different. The reflection it showed was truly horrifying.

It was the scene of the red shadow before it stabbed me to death. But before everything came to an end, the vision changed. Instead of the red shadow, I was the one standing on the bed. I held the blade downwards, a mad smile was imprinted on my face while my eyes were bloodshot and flowing like fountains. It definitely looked like me.

And the one below the bed wasn't me anymore, it was never me. Below it was a child, a sweet innocent child whose name I didn't know.

In that split second, I had remembered everything. I tried to delude myself all this time, trying to not think about the events of the past, but now, everything replayed in my mind.

It all started when my son caught a deadly disease. He began to undergo treatment but all the procedures cost a fortune. We had to sell everything including the mansion, the cars, everything. We were forced to move to a much humble settlement, the one that I'm currently living in. His treatment spanned across all his childhood years, but sadly, his condition didn't improve.

My wife couldn't take it anymore. She has gone through a lot with me and couldn't bear seeing her child in such a miserable state. She left us, disappeared from our lives without saying a single word. I was left alone with my dying child in my care.

Due to all the misfortune and stress that it came with, I searched for an escape. I started to use drugs, quickly developing an addiction to it. I had no other choice. I had to find a way to escape reality for a moment. I also didn't want to see my beloved child slowly dying, but I didn't know what to do. I'm not just going to leave him like his mother. Even if I disregarded my health and turned to dangerous substances, my feelings never changed. I did it all for him.

The most unfortunate day came. I was stuck in the receptionist area of the hospital. I wasn't religious at all, but I was praying earnestly. My son is currently undergoing surgery. They said a heart transplant was necessary.

As I sat there, the world seemed to have weighed upon my mind. I had nothing left. All that remained was my beloved son. Nothing was going well for me these past few years. I was miserable, and the drugs slowly deteriorated my mind. I felt like I was going insane.

A child and her mother entered the hospital.

"Am I really healthy now, mom?" asked the child.

"Yes, and I won't allow another bad thing to happen to you ever again. Mommy will protect you from danger." The mother said as she patted the boy's head.

"Hey don't forget about me." A man came rushing from behind and held the boy's hand. It was the boy's father.

"Can we go to the mall after this, please?" asked the boy.

"Sure, just make sure to behave when you see the doctor," said the father.

"Yippee! I love you mom and dad!"

The father also patted his head.

For some reason, the sight infuriated me. They were such a perfect family. If things didn't go the way it has, then those people could have been us. I could be enjoying my life with my healthy child while my lovely wife stands by my side. But fate wouldn't let me have that. Instead, I have a wife that hasn't shown her face in months, and a son that's nearing death's door. I'm deprived of happiness.

The drugs further ruined my thoughts. I stood up and began to do the most unthinkable things a human could possibly do.

I first went into a different operating room and threatened a nurse to give me a weapon. She wept on the floor, shaking in fear.

"Take it! Just please don't hurt me!" she pleaded.

Later on, I learned that the blade was used for amputations during the 18th century. This hospital had it displayed since it had a history of performing amputations with the blade in the past.

I took the blade and ran to the waiting area. The family was still there and I approached them. My eyes were bloodshot while I pointed the blade towards them.

The father immediately knew my intentions and told his family to run away. He tried to tackle me but I was able to dodge him, running straight to the boy. I had him pinned on the wall with no way of escape. Just as I was about to seal the deal on his life, the bystanders including the father and mother had stopped me, holding on to every limb and pulling me back. The child was able to escape.

Because I was still muscular back then. I was able to get out of their grasp. Without mercy, I slashed at every single person that I saw, spilling blood on the hospital's brown floor. Most of them escaped, but I must have killed around five.

I then chased the boy in the hospital. He went inside a room, but as I got in, he managed to outplay me and ran out without me noticing him. After a few minutes of searching, I eventually found him inside a bathroom stall. I tried to reach for his feet from beneath the gap of the stall but not only did the boy escape by crawling through the other stalls, he also had the audacity to stab my hand with a pen.

I angrily searched for him in the entire hospital. I can hear the police sirens getting louder in the background. I didn't have much time left.

I searched downstairs room by room until I finally found him. Upon entering the room, I could already sense the boy's presence. It's as if I could smell his fear in the air. There was only one possible hiding spot in the room. Without wasting any more time, I hopped on the bed and pointed the blade downwards. As the boy peeked out, confused whether or not I had left, a smile spread across my face and smashed the knife into the bed, piercing the frame and stabbing the boy straight in the chests. I then escaped through the window and hid in my home.

As the drugs ran out of my system, everything that I've done finally sunk it.

"What the hell did I do..." I muttered over and over again. I must have said this line over a thousand times before I regained my sanity.

But the madness didn't end there. Just when I was almost normal again, horrible news appeared on the TV.

The son of the murderer on the run has passed away this afternoon. Investigations believe that it was a suicide.

My jaw dropped, but my spirit and sanity dropped even lower.

The details of the news stated that my son had survived all the operations and was now recovering smoothly. But as he eavesdropped on two nurses discussing my crime, he didn't believe that his beloved father would do such a thing. He jumped off the second floor window an hour later.

It's as if my world had stopped.

I had truly lost everything that was important to me.

But I did gain something from it—a phobia of blades.

I used up the rest of my money on paying corrupt cops and politicians to wipe all the records that point to where I'm living. I decided that I would live in solidarity from now on. I didn't know why I still cling to living. I did think about joining my son in the afterlife but I just couldn't bring myself to tighten the rope around my neck. I still had a grain of hope that my life will take a turn for the better.

My wife learned of the news a few days after. She shouted at me even from across the phone. Her reaction was understandable, seeing the horrible things that I had done. But suddenly, her voice took a turn. She was crying. In the middle of her angry rant at me, her voice cracked and her nose sniffled. Even after leaving us, her love for our son never left.

I ended the call abruptly. I then pulled the bed sheet over me and burst out into a cry of my own.

And the rest was history.

As the pages of my past came to an end, the blade pierced through the frame and stabbed me in the chest. I didn't feel any pain, it's just a bit... cold. I could only stay still as my vision gradually darkened. The last thing that I saw was the mad smile of the red shadow. It had copied me through and through to the very end.

The pages of my present had been ripped out, and its future forever lost. My soul was consumed by the flames of hell and the only memory left behind was me getting killed under the bed.