uberreiniger | Part Six: Cerebus

Continuing the story of the haunting last updated Here

Our expidition into the abandoned Melt Shop had been nothing but one bizarre occurence after another. Now I, like my companion Termez, wanted to find out the cause. My skepticism had long since given way, but that didn't mean I was ready to dismiss every happening as a cry from beyond the grave. We had found, at last, what seemed to be a way to reach the Doorway In The Sky, but I just wasn't sure that the answers we sought were to be found inside that empty steel chamber. Nevertheless, we had come this far and there was no reason to stop now.

Or so we thought.

As I have said before, the most direct path up to the room in the rafters was a series of rusting stairways and platforms which connected all the various levels of the plant to one another. We had disregarded them at first, the rickety pathways simply appearing too unsafe. But everything we had seen and heard had made Termez reckless to the danger. He led and reluctantly, I followed. In order to make sure that our combined weight was never on a staircase at the same time, I would progress after him once he reached the landing.

The sound of human footsteps on steel grating is very distinctive. There is absolutely no mistaking it for anything other than what it is. Nevertheless, when rhythmic footfalls slowly passed on the catwalk directly over my head, yet there was no one there to make them, I chose to dismiss it as more sounds from an aging metal structure.

Even in spite of the incident in the Rod Mill, I still chose to dismiss the sound.

And when Termez set out upon a catwalk two stories up in order to reach the next stairway, I chose to ignore his sudden retreat as well. Again, even in spite of what I had seen.

As I reached the landing, Termez froze, his hands on the railings of the catwalk as though he had been struck ill. He came retreating back, muttering the word "no" just as he had beside the ruptured pipe on the outside of the building. I asked what was wrong and I have forgotten his reply. Nevertheless, I did not follow him. Not yet.

Only too late did I realize that this was the same catwalk where I had heard footsteps.

The dizziness, the sickliness I had felt beside the pipe outside the building returned to me. Five times worse. Practically in the middle of open air, there was no stray chemical trace to blame the ordeal on this time. An invisible presence barred my path, physically restraining me, forbidding me to go forward any further. I could not breathe. Fingers reached inside my chest, clutching my heart, sending electrical ripples through my entire body and rippling across my skin.

It released me only long enough for me to run away. I rejoined Termez on the main concrete floor of the smelting area. It was time to leave and we knew it. We had been sent a message that we were not welcome there. And yet the last thing I remember seeing before we left was a long last look at the Doorway In The Sky, bulkhead hanging ajar, black portal silently daring us and beckoning us just the same.