It’s been almost two years since the incident, so I’ll try to recount the events the best I can, though I’ve tried to forget about it since.
Just a heads-up! For anyone who doesn’t cope well in long, narrow spaces, I wouldn’t recommend working at the kind of establishment in which this story takes place.
After graduating university I’d spent nearly a whole year applying for jobs in the media industry, specifically film and television based. I’d almost given up hope after a lengthy stream of rejection letters and emails, until one day, my mum informed me that there would be field engineers required to work evening shifts for a period of two-to-three months at the firm she worked at, and that they needed applicants.
I was slightly sceptical about it at first, seeing as I had no previous experience in IT and Computer Science, and it wasn’t exactly my desired industry field. But, she assured me that it would be manual handling such as removing and replacing cables, and that I should send in my CV. It sounded simple enough, plus the hourly pay rate was too good to be true. As well as that, I could keep applying for media jobs whilst earning some cash. It seemed logical at this stage. So, without further hesitation, I applied. Three weeks later I was fortunate enough to be accepted and commence my two 8 hour-day shifts a week.
It started out pretty well, accessing the data hall to check wiring frames and handling cables – very easy-going work. The data hall itself could be slightly unsettling at times though. The overhead lights in each aisle were motion-censored, and would go out every five minutes or so depending on your proximity, leaving nothing but patches of pure blackness. You could also become so accustomed to the sound of the AC fans that you’d eventually drown them out, making noises from elsewhere more apparent. Plus, you’d get the occasional jolt from walking into someone at the hall corners. This didn’t bother me so much in the beginning, being a horror movie enthusiast, it takes some doing to scare me. However, about a month into the job, things began to get really eerie.
I was working one of the night shifts with Mick, a fellow colleague. Mick was a pretty decent guy, a family man in his late 40s / early 50s, tall, and easy to get along with. It’d be fair to say that when we were working together, I felt very safe.
He had to shoot off early as he had kids to look after. I assured him that I’d be fine going about it solo, and that I had enough to keep myself occupied for the remaining time.
About fifteen minutes after Mick left the data hall, I was plucking away at one of the wiring frames when I began to hear a strange noise coming from the dark, far end of the hall. I could make it out to be …something between a …a trot, and the sound of thumping steel, awkwardly paced. I turned my head in the direction of the noise before calling out “Mick?! …Mick, is that you?! There was no response. By this time the sound had ceased. I put down the cables I was holding, got out my pocket torch and made my way over to the far corner, with the lights above illuminating the path behind me. When I got to the far end I found nothing – no sign of anybody having been there. Despite the baffling nature of the situation, I shrugged it off and called it a night.
The following week came and I was back into work. I was informed by Carl, the security guard, that Mick wouldn’t be in this week due to ‘family matters’, and that I’d be working solo as a result. It came across as ‘sketchy’ at first, but I trusted his word and went ahead with the shift.
I’d say I spent a solid four hours down in the data hall. It was during that four hours that I heard a familiar sound coming from the far end of a nearby aisle. It was the ‘steely-trotting’ noise. What followed it next was even more unsettling. I could only describe it as a low, almost demonic, baritone purr. “What the fuck?!”, I thought to myself. I slowly and quietly crept over to the aisle, with my torch in hand, and a shiver creeping down my spine. Once I got to the aisle, I peaked round to see what was down the other end. There was only blackness, until I turned-on the torch and raised it up to reveal something shocking.
What I saw, if only for half a second, was a pair of thin hind legs. The shiver in my spine suddenly intensified, before the legs walked off to the side and out of sight. There wasn’t time for me to make out more than that. I proceeded to power-walk, then to jog, down the aisle with the lights above illuminating behind me. I got to the end of the aisle, but I found nothing.
In a state of overwhelming perplexity, I made my way to the security office and knocked on the door. Carl opened up and, with a slight look of concern, asked me “…Everything alright, Lewie? Is something wrong?”. “Carl, has anybody else been in the data hall apart from me? ‘Because I’m sure I saw something, or someone, in there with me”, I replied nervously. “Err… no”, he answered. “I’ve been manning the monitors all this time, and nobody else has gone in or come out of there”.
I spent the rest of the day up in the main offices to calm my nerves. On the drive home I had many questions racing through my mind. What exactly was it I saw? Was it my imagination? Was it real?! If so, then …why would such a creature be roaming such a technological environment? And why, if it was real, were the lights above it not illuminating wherever it went?! It just didn’t make any sense! I wish I could tell you “it ended there”, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case.
Against my better judgement, I decided to work the next shift. It may have seemed unwise at the time to do so, but I needed every penny I could earn. Plus, it was the last shift of the working week, and I could have several days to break and relax afterwards. I wish I hadn’t gone in that evening as, despite what I’d seen prior, I really wasn’t prepared for what was to come.
I’d be working solo again as Mick was still away on ‘family matters’. Upon entering the data hall I had a thought. If I was going to be working alone, I wanted as much light as possible. I started roaming each aisle from my end, figuring that I’d get enough light to last me fifteen-to-twenty minutes until the next lap. But then, after getting not even a quarter of the way round, a sudden realisation set in.
From that point on, none of the lights would come on. I was both shocked and confused now. After a couple of minutes of pondering, I foolishly brushed it off and went about untangling cables on one of the corner frames, as there was just enough light there in order for me to work.
A solid hour had gone by at this stage, and things seemed to be going swimmingly despite the lack of light. However, only a few moments later, my ears picked up a most disturbing sound – an all-too-familiar one! It felt like a punch to the gut. It was the demonic purring and steel trot, coming from the far end of the hall, only louder this time. I hugged the wiring frame whilst shaking with fear. What I saw next though, will haunt me ’til the day I’m dead and buried.
Stupidly, out of morbid curiosity, I stuck my head out the side of the frame, and saw something standing at the far corner of the outer aisle. Standing there, in the near darkness, was the silhouette of a figure with those thin hind legs, a broad, muscular upper body, and a pair of glowing red eyes; staring directly at me!
It felt like an anvil had dropped and crushed my ribcage, as I just stood, frozen stiff. Then, after a few seconds, the creature began to approach me with trembling steps. I was unable to move immediately as I was still frozen with fear. The creature could only make it halfway before I finally snapped out of it, bolted through the hall, down the corridor, passed the security office, and out the front doors. I hopped furiously into my car, started up the engine, and drove home like a man with nothing to lose.
My mum was still up by the time I arrived home, and she immediately noticed the look of trepidation on my face as I staggered my way inside. I told her everything and they gradually calmed me down as well as themselves, telling me that they’d look into it come morning.
The following day came after seemingly endless hours without sleep, and we were once again informed by Carl that I was the only person working the data hall that night. Still feeling uneasy over the whole ordeal, I decided that day to throw in the towel and quit my job at the firm. There was no way in hell I was going to go back there again.
I have since been fortunate enough to get a job as a sound engineer for a local production company, and have undergone some counselling at the request of my mum. We’ve also stayed in contact with Mick, catching up every now and then over pub drinks. I enjoy the work I do now, and the atmosphere is refreshingly pleasant. The supposed hallucinations have ceased for some time now. To this day though, the meaning behind the incident has remained unclear, with nothing more to be discovered. Then again, I guess some things are best left that way.
Wouldn’t you agree??
Author: Lewie Carlo