I am not superstitious and if something happens to me on Friday the 13th, then it’s just a coincidence. Recently I was looking through an old box found in the loft, and inside was a story I had typed on a typewriter. It was called Terror in the Office, and how the date had terrible consequences for all those working in there.
I would have completely forgotten about it had I not found the box. Reading the story with fresh eyes. It’s clear that I based it on the people I worked with at the time, as well as the actual suite of offices. I do recall being a bit of a practical joker, and one day I decided to pretend the office was haunted. I had everyone feeling jumpy and scared. It was very funny, and I can see now that’s where the story originated from.
Another interesting fact that came from the story that I hadn’t anticipated, was the workings of an office in the 1980s. There were no computers or mobile phones back then, so it was interesting to see what it was like. We could even smoke at our desks. Fancy that! It’s hard to imagine now.
Here is a small excerpt:
As if a bright light had been turned on, Mavis’s eyes snapped open. Mr. James and Sharon gasped in horror. They were as black as a bottomless pit. Her beautiful features distorted with the ugliness of her eyes. This was no longer Mavis Purvis, it was something evil and menacing.
The thing raised up its arms and shook its hand. The entire room shook and swayed. Sharon found her voice and screeched, “No!” It threw back its head and emitted a burst of chilling laughter.
Doreen tried to pull open the door leading to the corridor, but it was jammed shut. The only form of escape was to drink herself into oblivion. She couldn’t believe it was happening, and the laughter was wicked, terrifying, and crazy. It was like one hundred laughs, all being an echo of each other. It was both high and low, hoarse and loud. The most unearthly sound Doreen had ever heard. She thought she must still be sober and the sensation of thousand icy fingers ran over her body.
The thing stepped down and moved to Mr. James. He could only watch horrified, as it placed its icy fingers on his cheek, kissing him full on the mouth. It sucked him in, taking his mind and soul together. When it pulled away, he fell into a heap on the floor. Turning its attention to Sharon, it did the same thing. Throwing its head back, it shrieked with its hands raised high to the ceiling. Bolts of electricity hit the roof. The noise rose, joined by howls, screams, and laughter, as strange voices filled the room.
Terror in the Office is just one of the creepy stories in the Ghostly Rites anthology.
