Chapter 1: Bathmophobia
“Hey Alban, can you run downstairs and grab more ice for me? We’re running low for drinks and I am busy with a customer.”
“Sure, wait…go where?”
“Downstairs, that’s where the coolers are. Hey, are you feeling okay? You look pretty pale.”
“Uh yeah…I’m fine. I’ll be back soon.”
Alban stood in the doorway to the basement as he recalled the conversation with his coworker a few moments ago, his hands visibly shaking at his sides.
Fear rolled off of him like waves, anxiety bubbling up into his chest at the thought of what laid behind the door.
In all of his time here at the convenience store, he has never once stepped foot below the building. He has been asked numerous times to go get supplies from there before, but each time he had an excuse or someone beat him to it.
He knew one day he would have to be brave and go alone, but he was never fully prepared for it.
He reached for the doorknob, the metal cold against his skin and a shiver ran down his spine. His eyes closed and he took a deep breath, opening the wooden door that separated reality and his deepest fear.
Alban moved toward the top step, staring down into the darkness ahead of him. There were no lights in the stairway, nothing to guide him down into the dark. He ran a hand against the wall, hoping for a railing or something he could grab for balance, but there was nothing.
He only had himself for support.
The air was cool coming up from the basement, and as Alban’s eyes got used to the darkness, he thought he saw a shadow on one of the lower steps. Laughter soon followed, a deep, guttural sound that made his knees lock. It moved closer, almost seeming to circle around him.
“Hello? Is someone there?” Alban asked, his voice shaking slightly from nerves. As soon as he spoke, the laughter stopped and silence filled the stairwell again.
He shook his head slightly, trying to convince himself that it was just his brain playing tricks on him.
Deciding to bite the bullet and get it all over with, he began making his way down the stairs. Everything was fine, until a light began to shine from the basement, illuminating what was in front of him.
The staircase went on and on, the end nowhere in sight. The laughter from before came back, but this time he could feel the person - or thing’s - breath graze the back of his neck.
This is some sick joke, it has to be.
“Whoever, or whatever you are, leave me alone!” Alban yelled, his voice echoing throughout the stairwell.
He steadied his breathing and continued on, his senses on high alert for the apparition that appeared to have taken an interest in him.
The stairs were never-ending, and by the time he thought he was close to the bottom, more appeared out of thin air.
To him, he had only made it a third of the way down, but in reality, he was only on the second step.
When will this end?
Continuing on, everything was silent until a loud creaking noise rang throughout the stairwell. The hairs on the back of Alban’s neck stood straight up, and he turned his body slowly to face whatever had come.
He watched as the wooden door swung open, revealing a black shadow that almost looked like a human. Its eyes were a deep, blood red color and appeared to glisten even though light was not around.
It opened its mouth to speak - or screech - Alban was not sure, and long, pointed teeth peaked over the creature’s mouth. The boy’s blood ran cold and he made to take off further down the stairs, hoping to stay alive long enough to lock himself in the storage room in the basement. The creature screeched, a loud and ear-rattling sound and Alban yelled back.
“LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!”
As he ran, the creature screeched again and he could hear its loud footsteps following him. He could hear his own pulse beating loudly in his ears, and his breathing was becoming erratic.
He was so caught up in staying as far away as possible that he did not realize that the creature itself was actually his coworker, coming to check on him.
“Alban, what’s taking so long?” The thing asked, reaching to place its hand on his shoulder before the brunette took off down the staircase.
“Alban?! What’s wrong? It’s just me!”
“GO AWAY! STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!”
His coworker watched in stunned silence as Alban screamed and finally made his way into the basement. He landed on his hands and knees and crawled to the ice cooler, resting his back against it and covering his face with his arms.
His coworker sprinted down the stairs as well, hoping to get an answer from the man as to what happened while he was down here.
As far as he knew, there was nothing that could cause such a reaction from anyone in the store.
He inched closer to Alban, watching his body shake from fear and adrenaline.
“Alban…is it okay if I come closer to you?”
He curled further into himself, his knees getting closer to his chest.
“Please leave me alone…I don’t know who or what you are but…I just want to be done with this.” Alban said in an almost whisper, his voice cracking and tears quietly rolling down his cheeks.
“I just want to help, buddy. Can you tell me what you see? Do I…look different to you?”
“I…don’t know…if you’re my coworker or a demon…but you look like one…”
“What?! I’m not a demon! What do you mean I look like one?”
“I don’t fucking know! You have red eyes and no actual body and nasty looking teeth, that’s pretty demon-like to me!” Alban exclaimed, his yellow eye peeking over one of his hands. Fear was evident in his hidden expression and his coworker leaned down to rest a hand on him.
“Alban…I don’t know what is going on, but how about we go back upstairs and take a break?”
He felt a sigh come from the other and moved so Alban could sit up. He faced the demon and held out a hand, wanting it to pull him onto his feet.
“I really hope you aren’t lying to me…but sure. Let’s go.”
The couple made their way back to the stairwell and made the trek back to the store and the customers that awaited them.
If Alban heard the laughter from before, he kept it to himself and made sure the door was locked at the end of his shift.
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