In the heart of a towering office building in downtown London, Emily worked late every night as a cleaner. The building was always empty after hours, except for the hum of fluorescent lights and the distant echo of her footsteps. One rainy evening, as she finished mopping the lobby, the elevator dinged unexpectedly. The doors slid open, revealing a man in a drenched coat, his face pale and eyes wide with terror.

“Help me,” he gasped, stumbling out. Blood trickled from his mouth, and he collapsed onto the floor. Emily rushed to him, but before she could call for an ambulance, he whispered, “Don’t take the elevator… it’s alive.” His body convulsed, skin ripping open as if invisible claws tore him apart from inside. Guts spilled out in a steaming pile, the smell of iron and decay filling the air. Emily screamed, backing away, her hands slick with his blood.

Shaking, she grabbed her phone to dial emergency services, but the signal was dead. The elevator doors opened again, invitingly. No choice – the stairs were locked for security. She stepped inside, pressing the button for the ground floor exit. The doors closed with a soft thud, and the elevator began to descend smoothly at first.

Then, it jerked to a stop between floors. The lights flickered, turning a sickly red. Emily pounded on the buttons, but nothing happened. A low growl echoed from the walls, like a starving beast. She looked up and saw the ceiling panels bulging, as if something was pressing down. Droplets of blood seeped through the cracks, splattering her uniform.

Panic rose in her throat. She clawed at the doors, nails breaking, fingers bleeding. Suddenly, the floor shifted, and she felt it – the elevator was breathing. Warm, foul air puffed from vents, carrying the stench of rotting flesh. Visions flashed in her mind: previous victims trapped here, their bodies crushed, bones splintering like dry twigs, organs liquefied into crimson sludge that painted the walls.

The walls closed in, metal groaning. Emily’s arm snapped first, the bone protruding through skin in a jagged white spike. She howled in agony as ribs cracked, puncturing lungs. Blood filled her mouth, bubbling with each desperate breath. In her final moments, she realized the elevator was a creature, disguised in steel, feeding on fear and flesh of those who rode alone at night.

The doors opened at the lobby, empty and clean once more. Emily’s mangled corpse lay in a pool of gore, eyes staring blankly. The building stood silent, waiting for the next late worker.

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Vocabulary Notes by Gemini Pro AI

Fluorescent (adjective)
Meaning: Describes a type of light that is bright, sometimes with a slightly harsh or buzzing quality, typically found in offices or public buildings.
Example: The building was always empty after hours, except for the hum of fluorescent lights and the distant echo of her footsteps.
Similar words: glowing, luminous, radiant, phosphorescent.

Convulsed (verb)
Meaning: To make sudden, violent, and uncontrollable movements. This often suggests a body in a state of extreme distress or pain.
Example: His body convulsed, skin ripping open as if invisible claws tore him apart from inside.
Similar words: twitched, shuddered, shook, spasmed.

Sludge (noun)
Meaning: A thick, soft, wet mud or a similar substance. In this context, it refers to a gruesome, semi-liquid mixture of body matter.
Example: Organs liquefied into crimson sludge that painted the walls.
Similar words: ooze, mire, muck, grime.

Groaning (verb)
Meaning: Making a low, mournful sound, often indicating pain, distress, or a heavy strain. Here, it personifies the sound of the metal walls as they deform.
Example: The walls closed in, metal groaning.
Similar words: moaning, creaking, rumbling, grinding.

Protruding (verb)
Meaning: Sticking out from a surface. This word is used to vividly describe the sharp, visible appearance of a bone breaking through the skin.
Example: Emily’s arm snapped first, the bone protruding through skin in a jagged white spike.
Similar words: jutting, projecting, sticking out, extending.

Mangled (adjective)
Meaning: Severely disfigured or damaged by crushing, tearing, or twisting. It implies a state of extreme and horrific injury.
Example: Emily’s mangled corpse lay in a pool of gore, eyes staring blankly.
Similar words: mutilated, shredded, butchered, deformed.

Story written by Grok 4 AI

Image created by Imagiyo AI

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads

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