WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>I've been working the night shift at this warehouse for

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<v Speaker 1>about six months. Honestly, it's not a bad job. Boring, yes,

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<v Speaker 1>but not bad. I come in around ten pm clock

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<v Speaker 1>in and spend the next eight hours restocking shelves, organizing inventory,

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<v Speaker 1>and preparing shipments. The warehouse is massive, filled with rows

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<v Speaker 1>upon rows of towering shelves that stretch far into the distance,

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<v Speaker 1>and at night, it's just me and the quiet. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>not sure when it started. At first, I figured I

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<v Speaker 1>was just tired working night shifts. Does that to you?

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<v Speaker 1>Your mind plays tricks on you in the dark, especially

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<v Speaker 1>in a place as big and empty as this. But

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<v Speaker 1>lately I've been hearing things little noises, footsteps, the soft

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<v Speaker 1>creak of metal, and a faint scratching sound like something

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<v Speaker 1>being dragged across the floor. I tried to brush it off,

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<v Speaker 1>thinking it must be rats or pigeons, But something about

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<v Speaker 1>the those sounds echoed through the warehouse, bouncing off the

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<v Speaker 1>concrete floors and the towering shelves, felt off like someone

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<v Speaker 1>was in here with me. But that's impossible. I'm the

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<v Speaker 1>only one working the night shift. At least that's what

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<v Speaker 1>I thought the first time I really noticed something strange.

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<v Speaker 1>It was a Thursday night a few weeks ago. I

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<v Speaker 1>was restocking one of the back aisles, the kind that

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't get much foot traffic even during the day. I

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<v Speaker 1>had a palette of boxes to unload and was deep

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<v Speaker 1>into the task when I heard it, a faint clatter,

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<v Speaker 1>like something had fallen over. I paused, the sound echoing

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<v Speaker 1>through the aisles, and for a moment I stood there,

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<v Speaker 1>listening nothing. I shook my head, figuring it was just

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<v Speaker 1>something that had shifted on the shelves. But then I

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<v Speaker 1>heard it again, this time closer. I grabbed my flashlight

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<v Speaker 1>and peered down the aisle. Everything seemed normal. The shelves

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<v Speaker 1>were in place, the boxes stacked where I'd left them.

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<v Speaker 1>I stood there for a moment, straining to hear anything else,

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<v Speaker 1>but there was only silence. I shrugged it off, trying

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<v Speaker 1>to convince myself that I was being paranoid. It was

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<v Speaker 1>just the building settling. That's what I told myself until

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<v Speaker 1>the following night. I was organizing inventory near the back

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<v Speaker 1>of the warehouse, the farthest point from the loading dock.

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<v Speaker 1>The lights were always dimmer back there, and the air

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<v Speaker 1>felt cooler, almost like the temperature dropped a few degrees

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<v Speaker 1>the further back you went. It was probably just a

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<v Speaker 1>quirk of the building, but it always made me feel uneasy.

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<v Speaker 1>I was about halfway through my shift when I saw it,

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<v Speaker 1>a shadow. It darted between the rows of shelves. My

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<v Speaker 1>hand gripped the box cutter a little tighter as my

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<v Speaker 1>eyes scanned the aisles. Hello, I called out, my voice,

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<v Speaker 1>echoing in the silence. No response. I stood there, waiting

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<v Speaker 1>for the shadow to reappear, but nothing happened. I took

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<v Speaker 1>a deep breath and moved closer to where I'd seen it,

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<v Speaker 1>shining my flashlight down the aisle, but there was nothing,

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<v Speaker 1>just row of boxes and shelves, all neatly organized. I

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<v Speaker 1>tried to laugh it off. Maybe I was just tired.

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<v Speaker 1>It wouldn't be the first time my mind played tricks

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<v Speaker 1>on me during a long shift. But something about the

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<v Speaker 1>way that shadow moved it didn't feel like a trick. Still.

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<v Speaker 1>I pushed the thought aside and kept working, but I

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<v Speaker 1>couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't alone. The following week,

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<v Speaker 1>the noises started getting worse. It wasn't just random clattering

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<v Speaker 1>or the hum of the building anymore. I started hearing footsteps, clear,

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<v Speaker 1>unmistakable footsteps. It always happened around the same time, sometime

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<v Speaker 1>after midnight. I'd be working, minding my own business when

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<v Speaker 1>I'd hear them, footsteps echoing through the warehouse. Sometimes they

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<v Speaker 1>seemed far away, but other times they sounded like they

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<v Speaker 1>were coming from the next aisle over. I'd drop whatever

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<v Speaker 1>i was doing and rushover, but no one was ever there.

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<v Speaker 1>It didn't make sense. There were security cameras all over

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<v Speaker 1>the warehouse, and I'd checked them whenever I heard something strange.

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<v Speaker 1>Nothing I was alone. But those footsteps, they were real.

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<v Speaker 1>I know they were. One night, after hearing the footsteps

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<v Speaker 1>yet again, I decided to check the security footage more carefully.

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<v Speaker 1>I went to the management office and started scrolling through

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<v Speaker 1>the feed. Everything seemed normal until I got to the

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<v Speaker 1>footage from the back of the warehouse. There on the screen,

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<v Speaker 1>I saw it. A figure. It was faint, almost like

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<v Speaker 1>a blur, but it was there, moving between the rows

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<v Speaker 1>of shelves, just like I'd seen in the corner of

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<v Speaker 1>my eye. I paused the footage and stared at the screen.

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<v Speaker 1>My heart was racing. I couldn't make out any details,

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<v Speaker 1>just the shape of a person moving too quickly for

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<v Speaker 1>the camera to focus. That's when I realized I wasn't

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<v Speaker 1>imagining things. Something or someone was in the warehouse with me.

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<v Speaker 1>The next night, I almost didn't come to work. I'd

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<v Speaker 1>been feeling on edge for weeks, but I couldn't afford

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<v Speaker 1>to miss a shift. Rent was due and I needed

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<v Speaker 1>the paycheck. So I clocked in, grabbed my clipboard, and

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<v Speaker 1>got to work, trying to ignore the pit of dread

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<v Speaker 1>in my stomach. Everything was fine for the first couple

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<v Speaker 1>of hours, quiet just like it always was. But around

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<v Speaker 1>midnight things started to go wrong. I was stacking boxes

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<v Speaker 1>in one of the far aisles when I heard a

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<v Speaker 1>crash from the front of the warehouse. My heart jumped

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<v Speaker 1>into my throat as I grabbed my flashlight and hurried

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<v Speaker 1>toward the sound. When I got there, I found a

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<v Speaker 1>palette of boxes scattered across the floor. It looked like

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<v Speaker 1>someone had shoved them over. I checked the security feed again,

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<v Speaker 1>but the footage was useless, just static that had never

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<v Speaker 1>happened before. I felt my stomach twist with unease as

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<v Speaker 1>I tried to figure out what to do. Was someone

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<v Speaker 1>messing with me or was it something else? Before I

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<v Speaker 1>could make a decision. The lights flickered once twice, then

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<v Speaker 1>went out completely. I was plunged into darkness, the only

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<v Speaker 1>light coming from the faint beam of my flashlight. That's

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<v Speaker 1>when I heard it, the footsteps, but this time they

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<v Speaker 1>weren't far away. They were close, too close. I stood there, frozen,

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<v Speaker 1>listening as the footsteps grew louder, closer. My flashlight shook

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<v Speaker 1>in my hand as I slowly turned around, shining the

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<v Speaker 1>beam down the aisle, and that's when I saw it,

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<v Speaker 1>a figure standing at the far end of the aisle.

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<v Speaker 1>It was tall, its face obscured by shadows, but I

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<v Speaker 1>could see the faint outline of a person. They were

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<v Speaker 1>just standing there, staring at me. I could feel my

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<v Speaker 1>heart thudding against my ribs as I tried to process

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<v Speaker 1>what I was seeing. Who are you? I called out,

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<v Speaker 1>my voice trembling, what do you want? The figure didn't respond.

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<v Speaker 1>I took a step back, my hands shaking as I

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<v Speaker 1>tried to keep the flashlight steady. The figure didn't move,

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<v Speaker 1>but I could feel its gaze on me, cold and unrelenting,

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<v Speaker 1>and then, without warning, it started moving toward me. I

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<v Speaker 1>didn't wait to see what would happen next. I turned

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<v Speaker 1>and ran, sprinting down the aisle as fast as I could.

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<v Speaker 1>I could hear the footsteps behind me echoing off the walls.

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<v Speaker 1>I darted through the maze of shelves, trying to find

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<v Speaker 1>a way out. The warehouse felt like a labyrinth, the

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<v Speaker 1>rows of boxes stretching out endlessly in every direction. I

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<v Speaker 1>could hear the figure gaining on me, It's footsteps growing

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<v Speaker 1>louder with each passing second. Finally I reached the loading dock.

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<v Speaker 1>I slammed my hand against the emergency door release, and

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<v Speaker 1>with a loud beep, the door swung open. I stumbled outside,

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<v Speaker 1>gasping for breath, and turned to look behind me. The

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<v Speaker 1>figure was gone. The warehouse was silent once more, as

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<v Speaker 1>if nothing had happened. I stood there, trembling, trying to

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<v Speaker 1>catch my breath. My mind raced with questions, but I

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<v Speaker 1>didn't have any answers. I didn't know who or what

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<v Speaker 1>that figure was, but I knew one thing for sure.

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<v Speaker 1>I was never going back in there again. I quit

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<v Speaker 1>the next day. The warehouse was haunted or cursed or something.

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<v Speaker 1>I didn't care. All I knew was that whatever had

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<v Speaker 1>been in there with me that night wasn't human. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know what I saw that night, and I don't

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<v Speaker 1>want to know. Driving deliveries for a small courier firm

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<v Speaker 1>isn't my dream job, but it gets the bills covered

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<v Speaker 1>most of the time. The work is straightforward, pick up

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<v Speaker 1>the package, drop it off, repeat. I usually do day shifts,

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<v Speaker 1>but with the holiday rush, I was asked to cover

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<v Speaker 1>some night deliveries. At first, I was fine with it,

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<v Speaker 1>driving through quiet streets with no traffic, listening to my

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<v Speaker 1>favorite podcasts. On my first night, I was scheduled to

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<v Speaker 1>deliver a few packages to a business district about an

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<v Speaker 1>hour outside of town. It was already dark by the

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<v Speaker 1>time I left the warehouse, the kind of cold, moonless

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<v Speaker 1>night that made everything seem a little more sinister. Still,

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<v Speaker 1>I wasn't too worried. I'd done late night runs before

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<v Speaker 1>and never had any issues. The business district I was

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<v Speaker 1>heading to was a weird spot. Though it was part

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<v Speaker 1>of an industrial park with rows of warehouses and offices

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<v Speaker 1>tucked away in a remote area just off the main highway.

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<v Speaker 1>The place was pretty much deserted after dark. No one

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<v Speaker 1>worked there at night, which meant it was usually quiet,

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<v Speaker 1>almost too quiet. As I drove down the long stretch

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<v Speaker 1>of road leading to the industrial Park. I kept telling

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<v Speaker 1>myself it was just another delivery in and out, but

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<v Speaker 1>something felt different that night. The air felt heavier, and

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<v Speaker 1>there was a sense of unease I couldn't shake. I

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<v Speaker 1>arrived at the industrial park just before midnight. The whole

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<v Speaker 1>area was eerily silent, with only a few dim street

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<v Speaker 1>lights casting long shadows across the pavement. The warehouses and

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<v Speaker 1>office buildings loomed like silent giants, their windows dark and uninviting.

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<v Speaker 1>I parked my van in front of the first building

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<v Speaker 1>on my route, a large, nondescript office with a plain

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<v Speaker 1>concrete exterior. I grabbed the package from the back of

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<v Speaker 1>the van and walked toward the entrance. It was supposed

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<v Speaker 1>to be a simple drop off, scan the package, leave

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<v Speaker 1>it in the designated dropbox, and go. But as I

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<v Speaker 1>approached the door, I noticed something strange. The front door

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<v Speaker 1>was slightly ajar, just enough for me to see the

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<v Speaker 1>dim glow of a flickering light inside. That wasn't normal.

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<v Speaker 1>The place should have been locked up for the night

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<v Speaker 1>with no one around. I hesitated for a moment, wondering

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<v Speaker 1>if I should go inside and see if anyone was there,

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<v Speaker 1>but my instincts told me to just drop the package

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<v Speaker 1>and leave. I decided to leave it in the dropbox

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<v Speaker 1>and get out of there. As I scanned the package,

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<v Speaker 1>I felt like someone was watching me. I couldn't explain it.

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<v Speaker 1>It was just this creeping sensation that made the hairs

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<v Speaker 1>on the back of my neck stand on end. I

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<v Speaker 1>finished the delivery and quickly walked back to my van,

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<v Speaker 1>trying to shake off the feeling. But as I climbed

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<v Speaker 1>into the driver's seat, I glanced back at the building.

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<v Speaker 1>The door was now closed. I told myself it was nothing.

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<v Speaker 1>Maybe the wind had blown the door shut. Even though

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<v Speaker 1>I didn't hear any noise, Still, I couldn't shake the

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<v Speaker 1>unease as I headed to my next delivery. This one

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<v Speaker 1>was at a warehouse on the far edge of the

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<v Speaker 1>industrial park, even more isolated than the first location. I

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<v Speaker 1>followed the narrow, winding road that led to the building,

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<v Speaker 1>my head lights the only light. The warehouse loomed ahead,

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<v Speaker 1>its metal siding glinting faintly in the dim light. I

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<v Speaker 1>parked the van near the entrance and grabbed the package.

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<v Speaker 1>As I approached the door, I saw something, or rather someone,

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<v Speaker 1>standing near the back of the building. At first I

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<v Speaker 1>thought it was just a trick of the light, but

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<v Speaker 1>as I got closer, I could make out the figure

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<v Speaker 1>of a man standing perfectly still near the loading dock.

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<v Speaker 1>He wasn't moving, just standing there, facing away from me.

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<v Speaker 1>His posture was unnaturally stiff, like he was waiting for something. Hey,

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<v Speaker 1>I called out, my voice, echoing through the quiet night,

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<v Speaker 1>you work here. The figure didn't respond, he didn't move

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<v Speaker 1>at all. I felt my heart rate quicken as I

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<v Speaker 1>took a step closer, my hand tightening around the package.

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<v Speaker 1>Something about the way he was standing, the stillness of it,

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<v Speaker 1>sent a chill down my spine. I took another step forward,

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<v Speaker 1>but just as I did, the figure vanished. I blinked,

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<v Speaker 1>my mind racing to make sense of what I'd just seen.

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<v Speaker 1>One second he was there, and the next he was gone,

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<v Speaker 1>like he just disappeared into thin air. I felt a

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<v Speaker 1>wave of nausea wash over me as I quickly dropped

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<v Speaker 1>the package off and rushed back to my van. I

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<v Speaker 1>started the engine, my hands shaking, and sped out of

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<v Speaker 1>there without looking back. The rest of my deliveries were

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<v Speaker 1>supposed to be routine, but after the encounter at the warehouse,

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<v Speaker 1>I couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

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<v Speaker 1>Every time I turned a corner or parked outside another building,

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<v Speaker 1>a part of me thought I might see that figure

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<v Speaker 1>standing there watching me. It wasn't until my final delivery

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<v Speaker 1>of the night that things really took a turn for

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<v Speaker 1>the worse. My last stop was at a small office

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<v Speaker 1>building at the very edge of the industrial park. The

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<v Speaker 1>place looked abandoned, no lights, no cars in the lot,

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<v Speaker 1>and the windows were covered in grime, like no one

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<v Speaker 1>had been there for years. But the address matched the

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<v Speaker 1>one on the package, so I figured it was just

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<v Speaker 1>an old building that hadn't been updated in the system.

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<v Speaker 1>I parked the van and got out, the cold air

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<v Speaker 1>biting at my skin. The silence was deafening, broken only

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<v Speaker 1>by the soft crunch of gravel under my boots as

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<v Speaker 1>I walked toward the building. As I approached the front door,

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<v Speaker 1>I noticed something strange, a piece of paper taped to

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<v Speaker 1>the glass. It looked like some kind of note, hastily

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<v Speaker 1>written in red marker. I squinted in the dim light,

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<v Speaker 1>trying to make out the words leave now you're being watched.

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<v Speaker 1>My heart skipped a beat. I stared at the note,

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<v Speaker 1>My mind racing. Was this some kind of prank, a

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<v Speaker 1>joke left by a board employee? But then I remembered

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<v Speaker 1>the f I'd seen earlier, and my stomach churned with dread. Suddenly,

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<v Speaker 1>the air felt heavier, suffocating. I glanced around, but the

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<v Speaker 1>lot was empty. I was alone, or at least I

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<v Speaker 1>thought I was. I dropped the package at the door,

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<v Speaker 1>my hands trembling, and turned to head back to the van.

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<v Speaker 1>But as I started walking, I heard it, a soft,

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<v Speaker 1>rustling sound coming from behind me. I froze, my breath

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<v Speaker 1>catching in my throat. Slowly I turned around. The figure

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<v Speaker 1>was back. He was standing in the shadows near the

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<v Speaker 1>corner of the building, just far enough away that I

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<v Speaker 1>couldn't make out his features, but I knew it was him,

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<v Speaker 1>the same figure I'd seen at the warehouse, the same

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<v Speaker 1>unnerving stillness, the same eerie presence. He didn't move, didn't

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<v Speaker 1>make a sound, he just stood there. Pannocks surged through

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<v Speaker 1>me as I turned and ran to the van, my

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<v Speaker 1>heart pounding in my ears. I fumbled with the keys,

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<v Speaker 1>my hands shaking so badly I could barely get the

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<v Speaker 1>door open. I threw myself into the driver's seat, slammed

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<v Speaker 1>the door and locked it. But as I started the engine,

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<v Speaker 1>I saw him again. He was standing in the middle

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<v Speaker 1>of the road, directly in front of the van. His

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<v Speaker 1>face was still obscured by shadows, but I could feel

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<v Speaker 1>his eyes on me, burning through the darkness. I didn't wait.

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<v Speaker 1>I floored the gas pedal, swerving around him. My headlights

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<v Speaker 1>caught a brief glimpse of his figure as I sped

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<v Speaker 1>past him, but when I looked in the rear view mirror,

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<v Speaker 1>he was gone. I drove out of that industrial park

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<v Speaker 1>as fast as I could, my hands gripping the steering

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<v Speaker 1>wheel so tightly my knuckles were white. I kept looking

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<v Speaker 1>in the mirrors, but the road behind me was empty.

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<v Speaker 1>I didn't stop driving until I was back on the highway,

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<v Speaker 1>miles away from the industrial park. My heart was still

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<v Speaker 1>racing and my mind was spinning with questions. Who was

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<v Speaker 1>that figure, why was he following me? And what the

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<v Speaker 1>hell did that note mean. I tried to calm myself down,

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<v Speaker 1>telling myself it was just some kind of prank or coincidence,

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<v Speaker 1>but deep down I knew it was something about that

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<v Speaker 1>night felt different, like I had crossed some invisible line

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<v Speaker 1>into a place I wasn't supposed to be. I finished

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<v Speaker 1>my route and returned to the warehouse to drop off

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<v Speaker 1>the van, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I

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<v Speaker 1>was still being watched. As I handed in my keys

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<v Speaker 1>and clocked out, I saw the dispatcher looking at me

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<v Speaker 1>with a strange expression. He opened his mouth like he

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<v Speaker 1>was going to say something, but then he shook his

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<v Speaker 1>head and handed me my receipt. Everything okay, I asked,

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<v Speaker 1>my voice sounding more casual than I felt. He hesitated

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<v Speaker 1>than nodded, Yeah, it's just strange. Another driver reported seeing

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<v Speaker 1>someone hanging around the industrial park last week, said it

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<v Speaker 1>creeped him out. My stomach dropped. Did they say what

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<v Speaker 1>he looked like? I asked. He shook his head no,

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<v Speaker 1>just said he felt like he was being followed. I

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<v Speaker 1>didn't say anything after that. I just left. It's been

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<v Speaker 1>a few days since that night, and I haven't gone

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<v Speaker 1>back to work. I told him I was sick, but

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<v Speaker 1>the truth is I'm scared, scared that if I go back,

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<v Speaker 1>I'll see him again.