In the Belly of the Beast. Write a short story in an unusual interior space, one with lots of interesting appurtenances and gadgets sticking out somewhere normally avoided or only seen by certain people, add a surprise.
A few minutes ago I had been getting ready to make supper, now I’m slowly making my way into the dark basement of my apartment building in a quest to find the maintenance guy.
I was making spaghetti when I suddenly found myself with a pot in one hand and the kitchen tap in the other. Only problem was that I was standing several feet away from the sink and the rest of the faucet. The tap had just pulled right off and I have no idea how to fix it. I managed to turn the water off, although not until after I and my entire kitchen were soaked.
Apparently the building guy is somewhere in the basement so that’s why I’m now heading that way. I really wish he were anywhere else. I don’t like the basement it’s just plain creepy.
It’s an older building so there are pipes and all sorts of metal things hanging from the roof and you have to duck every few feet, it has a damp musty smell and the lighting sucks. It’s particularly bad in the winter, like right now, when the boilers are running. They make strange hissing and banging noises when you least expect. Add in all the small rooms and the little fenced in spaces which are storage for the above apartments and it becomes a dark and creepy maze.
The first time I went downstairs to put some things in my own space I nearly went running when I fell against the chain link separating my space from the neighboring one and a head went rolling across the floor. It was the head from a dummy but it took a moment for me to realize what it was. For a moment I couldn’t help but think of silence of the lambs when they find that human head in a storage locker. I really wish I hadn’t thought of that.
I can hear something or someone else down here tonight, I sure hope it’s the maintenance guy. I keep hearing a rustling noise and I swear I just heard an evil chuckle. I never realized how many little rooms are down here. Ok I’m beginning to get a little freaked out; it really is like silence of the lambs in here. Maybe I don’t need a kitchen sink, I’ll just start washing my dishes in the tub.
Can’t be too many rooms left to check, there’s that noise again I’m seriously getting spooked. Oh my god the lights just went out and someone screamed. A loud blood curdling scream, what the hell do I do now? I can’t even see my hand in front of my face, oh there are lots of sounds now I can hear someone talking and they don’t sound very happy. Should I stay here or try to find the stairs?
I came from the left I’ll go that way, the voices are coming from that way though. Oh man this is not right, I can’t just stay here forever. Ok here’s the doorway I can just make out the edge of it in the dark. Something just brushed past me and I scream just as the lights flick back on.
It’s the maintenance guy, his kids turned out the lights and it was one of them that screamed. I forgot he lets the two of them tag along. I’m such an idiot…..
