I lost my job a month ago. Last night, I signed the strangest contract of my life. | Day 1

“Mike, did the employment agency call you back yet? “ Susan asked, unloading clean dishes from the dishwasher.

I felt an unpleasant twist in my stomach.
A month ago, I lost my job. 

That subject instantly sent a wave of uncertainty and fear through me.

I had been the senior regional manager at a large security company.
Unfortunately, the company went under, and overnight, we were cut off from any way to support ourselves.

Sitting at the kitchen table, I answered “ Yeah, I’ve got a meeting at ten, I need to head out soon. Apparently they found only one position that pays weekly, but there are a lot of people going for it. They’ll give me more details once I get to the office “

Susan didn’t say anything. For the past few weeks, it had become taboo between us.

I took my last sip of coffee and placed the empty mug in the sink.
Susan shot me a dirty look “ In the dishwasher, Mike… I’ve got enough cleaning up after the kids without you adding to it “

Obediently, I did what she asked and headed toward the bedroom.

I changed into a dress shirt and a pair of slacks. I need to make a good impression – I thought, fastening my leather belt.

“ Mike, take the trash out on your way out “ – Susan shouted.

I glanced at my watch. I had about fifteen minutes to get there… I could make it.
“ alright, babe “ I said, hurriedly fixing my hair.

I walked into the kitchen, opened the cabinet under the sink, grabbed the trash bag, and it ripped open, scattering everything across the floor.

I froze, and a wave of heat spread across my face.
“ goddammit “ – I shouted, crouching down and stuffing the trash into a new bag.

“ Mike, what happened? “ Susan’s voice called from the other room.

“ Nothing, babe, the bag ripped “ I said through gritted teeth.

Susan appeared in the doorway “ Because you do everything in a rush. It’s fine, don’t worry about it. I was gonna mop the floor anyway “

I stood up and headed toward the door with the bag.

I put on my overcoat.

“ Mike, it’s the middle of winter. You’re gonna freeze and get sick “ – Susan said, looking out from the kitchen.

“ It’s just the walk to the car, I’ll be fine “ – I said flatly, grabbing the handle.

Susan walked over and kissed me on the cheek “ You got this. You’ll charm them “

I nodded and headed toward the car.
Getting in, I glanced at the digital clock. It read 9:54.

A shot of panic ripped through me.

“ no way… I’m gonna be late “
I pulled out almost squealing the tires, and ten minutes later I was already at the building.

The door was open.
I ran inside and saw a small, dark hallway with four chairs and an entrance leading to another room.

I stopped outside the office and felt sweat running down my temple.
I knocked, grabbed the handle, and stepped inside.

A woman in a turquoise turtleneck was sitting with her back to me, and on the other side of the desk sat a thin, sharply dressed man with an irritated look on his face.

“ Mike? “ – he asked, staring straight into my eyes.

I forced a smile and answered “ Yeah, that’s me “

The man glanced toward my hand “Nice watch you got there. Does that thing tell time right?”
My stomach twisted, and I felt an uncontrollable nervous twitch in the corner of my mouth.

“ I’m really sorry, I had a little accident this morning…”

The man cut me off halfway through my sentence with a mocking smile
“ If your watch works, then walk out that door and learn how to use it “

I froze.

I stood there staring at him, my voice trapped in my tightened throat.

This was my only shot. I knew I had to get this job.
“ Please, it’s only a few minutes. I’m highly qualified “ I said, nervously loosening my tie.

“ Mikey. Time is the most valuable currency in the world, you know? Tell me… If your head was underwater. Completely out of air. Would you still use the words “it’s only a few minutes”? “ he said, leaving a long, unsettling pause after every sentence.

My throat went dry.

The man stood up with his eyes locked straight onto mine.
He didn’t blink, and a thick, pulsing vein appeared on his forehead.

“ Get the fuck out of my office and wait your turn “ – he shouted, and I jumped, stumbling backward.

I lowered my eyes to the floor, and from the corner of my eye I noticed the woman in the chair hadn’t even moved.
She looked like she wasn’t even breathing.

My heart was hammering against my ribs.
The man sat back down and added cheerfully “ I’ll call you, Mikey “

This guy’s insane – I thought, quickly walking out and shutting the door behind me.

I leaned against the wall and felt my shirt sticking to my soaked back.

I took a step toward the exit, struggling to catch my breath.
Being around him filled me with strong, panicked fear. It wasn’t the yelling. There was something unsettling in his eyes.

My survival instincts were going crazy, like I was standing in front of a predator that could lunge for my throat at any second.

Suddenly I froze. I saw Susan in my mind, and the disappointment on her face.
I can’t do this to her. These past few weeks had already cost her, and our marriage, far too much.

I turned back toward the office, sat down, and waited.

I had been sitting there for a good three hours. Freezing winter air kept blowing into the hallway through the open front door, making my body shake. I wanted to close it, but I was too afraid to do it without permission.

I looked toward the entrance and realized no other applicants had shown up at all, even though there were supposed to be a whole lot of them.

I moved my toes inside my dress shoes. I couldn’t feel them.
“ I’m gonna freeze to death out here, but if I leave I might lose this opportunity.” – I thought and stood up.

I walked decisively toward the office door and was just about to knock, but I remembered his stare and froze completely, with my hand only millimeters from the door.

Suddenly, a voice came from inside
“ next! “.

I jumped away from the door like I’d been burned.

With a trembling hand, I grabbed the handle, pulled it down, and nervously stepped inside.
I stood in the doorway, blankly staring at the empty chair.

“ What’s wrong, Mike? Didn’t get tired of waiting? Sit down “ – the recruiter said, pointing at the chair.

I slowly looked around the room and scratched my head.
There was only one door in here. No other exit.
Where’s the woman who was sitting here earlier? – I wondered, slowly walking over to the chair and sitting down.

It felt surreal. I would’ve noticed if she had walked out. I’d been right outside the door the entire time – I thought, but kept it to myself. This job meant too much to me to risk it over stupid questions.

The man picked up my resume from the desk and leaned back in his chair, saying “ So, Mikey…” he paused and looked at me. “ You’ve got a lot of experience in security… a long work history, and you were even a manager… Bravo. “ he clapped his hands.

I stared at him in disbelief.
Where the hell am I? – I thought, swallowing hard.

Suddenly, the man shot upright in his chair “ This job is perfect for you. You’ll be a manager here too “

I flinched.
“ that’s fantastic news, I was afraid I’d have to start over from scratch “ – I said, genuinely excited.

“ You’ll be your own manager, because you’ll be alone on the night shift. Mikey. “ he added after a longer pause, laughing without taking his eyes off me.

Heat rushed through me. I felt like an idiot, and suddenly I was embarrassed by how excited I’d sounded.

This guy had given me hope for a split second and crushed it without mercy.

I clenched my jaw and asked “ Sir.. “ I looked at his name tag “ Affron. What are the terms of employment, what are the duties, and what’s the pay? “

The man suddenly stood up, slamming both hands on the desk.
Instinctively, I ducked and shielded my head with my arm.

The recruiter walked over to a cabinet, pulled out a document, and placed it on the desk, saying “ There’s nothing to be afraid of. Mikey. Sign the contract. You’re getting 50 bucks an hour to park your ass in a chair watching monitors. You’ll make sure no homeless people or other unwanted guests wander around the building. You start at 8:00 p.m. “

I looked at him, my eyes widening as far as they could go.

Conditions like that right from the start?
Maybe it was because I had a firearms permit and because of the nature of the night shift, but the pay was still very impressive.

I didn’t ask unnecessary questions.
In our current situation, I didn’t care.

I looked at the contract laid out in front of me “ What kind of property will I be guarding? And is the pay weekly? “

Affron’s expression turned serious, and he looked at me, leaning over the desk “ Mike. If you last 5 days, you’ll get cash in hand right after that, and if you do a good job, the owner will throw in a pretty big bonus. The property is a renovated pizzeria from the ’80s. “

I saw a flash in his eye, and chills ran through me.

I picked up the contract, checked if the numbers matched, and while signing it, I asked “ When can I start? “

The recruiter stood up, placed a small folder in front of me, and extended his hand toward me “ Inside is your keycard, the address, and your locker key. I already told you, you start at 8:00 p.m. Don’t be late. That could end badly “ he said with a mocking smile.

I instinctively shook his hand and felt a sharp pain shoot through my right hand.
I felt my knees start to buckle.

The man squeezed my hand so hard it felt like he was trying to break every finger.
“ A handshake should be firm “ he said coldly, looking down at me.

I took the folder, left the building, and went back home.

I sat down in the living room and told Susan everything.
“ that guy is some kind of lunatic “ – she said, sitting down next to me. ” but the terms really are good “ she added after a moment.

I looked deep into her eyes “ Susan, honestly, I don’t know if I want to go there. I’ve had this strange feeling ever since I signed that contract. That Affron.. Something was wrong with him. I think I’ll call, back out, and look for something else “

She wrapped her arms around my neck, saying “Baby, we really need that money. You know that… No one else is going to offer you that kind of money, especially with weekly pay.. Please, just try “.

I knew perfectly well she was right.
I nodded, and she kissed me on the cheek.

At quarter to eight, I parked in the large parking lot at the address I’d been given.
In front of me stood a one-story white building with a lot of glass and a huge, glowing neon sign that read “ BARNABY’S FAMILY PIZZA “

I walked up to the window to look inside and saw only my own reflection.
The glass was heavily tinted, and from the outside, it looked more like black mirrors than regular windows.

“ What’s the point of having all this glass if you can’t see anything from outside “ I muttered and headed for the entrance.

I held up the keycard Affron had given me and heard the door lock release.
I pulled the door toward me, stepped inside, and looked around the dining area.

The glow of colorful neon hit me, and my nostrils filled with the unmistakable smell of fresh paint, sawdust, and pizza.

Tables and chairs were set up everywhere in even rows.
At the far end of the room stood a huge stage with a red curtain.

Curious, I headed toward it.

I caught a familiar smell of motor oil.
“ Why does it smell like oil in here? “ – I thought, stepping onto the platform.

I slowly pulled the curtain aside and, shocked, quickly stumbled backward, tripping over my own feet.

My heart was hammering against my ribs.
Three huge, terrifying humanoid animals stood there.

They didn’t fit the new, fairly modern decor.
They were old, damaged, with peeling paint. That strange smell was coming from them.

My eyes moved over all of them and stopped on a huge, terrifying yellow bird holding an equally terrifying cupcake with eyes.

That wasn’t what caught my attention though. For a moment, I had the feeling that the bird’s purple, dead eyes were aimed perfectly at me.

Now, though, it was staring straight ahead.
I slowly got up from the floor “ must’ve been my imagination “

I stepped closer and looked up.
That thing was taller than me by a good two heads.

I knocked on the mascot’s hard body, and a metallic echo carried through the room.
“ what a piece of shit “ I muttered.

I closed the curtain and headed toward the break room.
On the left side of the hallway, I noticed a door. I opened it and stepped inside.
It was a small room with a bunch of old monitors, a desk, a metal cabinet, and a chair.
“ So this is my station. Not that bad “ I thought, settling comfortably into the chair and turning on the monitors.

I looked at the wall, where posters of the restaurant mascots were hanging.
“ tacky as hell “ I thought, clicking through the camera feeds on the keyboard and setting the view my way.

On one of the screens, I noticed another smaller, unlit stage standing in the corner of the dining room.

“ I’ll check that later, I’m in no rush after what I saw on the big one “ – I thought.

I sat in front of the screen, staring at the softly flickering old monitors.

A while passed, and I started feeling drowsy.
I looked at my watch. It read 10:37 p.m. I’ll call Susan to say good night and tell her I love her.

It’s obvious to me, but I often forget those little gestures that really matter to her.

I reached into my pants pocket and froze.
“Damn it, I left my phone in the car “ – I said, standing up and walking over to the metal cabinet.

I took out a vest with “security” written on it and put it on.
“ in case there’s any kind of inspection, I’d rather have this on. It would be a shame if they fired me over something that stupid, and judging by Affron… I think they’re capable of it”

I walked through the dining area, reached the door, and pulled the handle.
“ oh right, I need to scan the card “ – I thought, reaching into my pocket.

I held the piece of plastic up to the reader, and the light turned red.
I did it again and again, and again, flipping the card over and wiping it off.
Every time, it was the same. A red light and a short beep.

I felt an unpleasant twist in my stomach “damn it, did it break?”

Suddenly, behind me, I heard a heavy, powerful step, its vibration reaching all the way to my feet, and right after it, a strange, familiar melody.

I jumped and spun around violently.
I felt a tight pressure in my chest.

I stood there frozen, feeling a bead of sweat roll down my forehead.
An unnatural silence settled in, broken only by my short, panicked breathing.

I felt tension spread through my entire body.
“What the hell was that? “ – I thought, walking very slowly toward the stage.

Halfway there, I heard the deep thud again.
I started running toward the security office, while single, broken notes of that melody echoed behind me.

More footsteps hit the ground, this time muffled, without the resonating sound of wood.
I sped up, reached the office, and shut the door behind me.

I could feel my legs shaking, and fear tightened around my throat, limiting every breath I took.

I locked the door and stumbled over to the monitor showing the stage area.
There was nothing there. I moved my head closer to the screen, blinked and…

jumped backward, falling to the floor.

In the middle of the camera feed, I saw the huge, terrifying silhouette of the Bear, staring straight into the camera, its eyes glowing with pale blue light to the accompaniment of a broken, operatic song.

I felt pressure in the back of my head, and thousands of tiny black spots danced in front of my eyes.

I fell backward, and everything went black.

I woke up, gasping for air, my eyes snapping open as I sat upright.
As I breathed out, I saw thick vapor pouring from my mouth.
The room was filled with freezing, bitter cold.

It was the middle of winter, but why the hell did it feel like I was standing outside in the parking lot?

A shiver ran through me, and I grabbed the back of my head, where a deep, throbbing pain kept pulsing.

“ What the hell is going on here?! “ I shouted, tears filling my eyes.

I slowly lifted my head and looked toward the monitor.
There was nothing there.

I glanced at my watch, and another chill ran through me. The freezing metal almost burned my wrist.
11:59 p.m. I had been unconscious for over an hour.

I started shaking.

I quickly grabbed the cabinet door and froze.
My damp, sweaty hands stuck to the frozen metal.

I yanked them away, feeling a burning pain in my fingertips, and pulled out a winter jacket.

Am I having stress induced hallucinations?
This is impossible. – I thought, pulling it on.

Suddenly, all the monitors switched to one single image and blared together in a cheerful female announcer’s voice.

“ Welcome, Mike. Congratulations on taking part in our wonderful game, but now focus, because this instructional video will only play once.

In the bottom drawer of the desk, there is a list of rules. Please read it carefully, because whether you return to your family safe and sound… or whether they take your place after your loss… depends entirely on you.

Next to the list, there is a special wristband with a display that will show you how much power you have used.

At the moment, your battery level is 75%.

The rules of the game are simple.

You must survive inside this building for 5 full days.

After that time, the keycard to the main entrance will be unlocked, and you will be able to use it to leave.

I strongly advise you to monitor your power usage carefully, because every use of your keycard costs you at least 5%.

Good luck, Mike. “

The monitors went black, and the room fell silent.

I stood there frozen, trying to process what the hell had just happened.

“ What game, for fuck’s sake? I’m a security guard. I’m supposed to be watching this stupid pizzeria. “

Is this some kind of reality show?

That would explain the insane pay… and the recruiter’s weird behavior.

He was probably a planted actor.

Why the hell didn’t I read that damn contract properly? – I thought, walking over to the desk and pulling out the wristband along with a crumpled sheet stained red.

Then I noticed there was another one underneath. A little newer.

I grabbed the newer one and started reading.

“If you’re reading this, I hope you accept what’s happening here faster than I did.
Tonight is the fifth… and final night of this demonic game.

I could’ve been on my way home two hours ago, but unfortunately… my battery level is at 3%. I can’t open the door. I tried…Many times… I want to use whatever time I have left to improve your chances, so appreciate it… and read every word below carefully.

The entire building uses 10% power over a full 24 hour period. That means you only have 45% at your disposal.

You’ve probably already noticed they shut off the heat and started pumping freezing air in from outside. Cover the vents in this room immediately… or you’ll freeze to death.

In the metal cabinet, there is a small space heater. If you’ve found a way to cut off the freezing air coming in from outside… the heater should warm this room within 2 hours, and the temperature should stay above freezing for about 20 minutes.
Use it only as a last resort, because it uses… “

The text suddenly cut off.

If this whole thing is a joke… it sure as hell isn’t funny.

I walked over to the metal cabinet. At the bottom, there really was a small space heater.

I hadn’t noticed it earlier.

I plugged it in, heard the fan kick on, and dry, warm air started pouring out.
I held my frozen hands in front of it and started reading the second sheet.

“ Game Rules:

1. Never let your battery level drop below 5%.
2. There are 4 friends inside this restaurant: Barnaby the Bear, Hopper the Rabbit, Molly the Bird, and Rusty the Fox. Keep your eyes on them. When nobody’s watching… they love causing trouble.
3. Never ignore Rusty for longer than 10 minutes. He doesn’t like that… and he gets nervous.
4. Never keep the security office doors closed longer than necessary.
5. At midnight, your friends serve pizza beneath the stage. Be polite… and between 12:05 and 12:07, there’s a chance Molly might offer you a slice. “

I slowly lowered my hand and stared hopelessly at the floor.
I felt a wave of anger building inside me.

I crumpled both pages and hurled them across the room.

Then I froze.
Fear turned my blood to ice.

From the hallway… I heard a muffled sprint.

Growing louder.

Fast.

The air in the room trembled with every pounding footstep hitting the floor.

Something is running toward me…