Razzle dazzle: party time!

I'm standing outside a gloomy, unsettling structure and I find hard to believe that anyone can live or even work at this place.

It is situated in a quiet but filthy lane and the building is tall and crumbling. The poorest of a long line of slum edifices used as trading quarters, as is this one.

Possibly there are also squatters living in this area or something worse. The locale appears unclean and dead.

So, I'm not sure if I'm at the right spot.

My company's client recently called and invited me to a work party that they are hosting in this building.

I choose to attend even though the short notice because it is now after business hours and I work not so far from here.

I was unable to send my junior partner's brother Alan because he unexpectedly went away on a trip. As he is not available, I must go myself and small talk with this client.

And I didn't have time to look through the office documents, so I don't know how much business this customer brings in to us.

My secretary went home early so even she does not know where I am.

I only have the address for the party that was provided to me over the phone.

I call my wife Macy's cell phone as I wait outside this monstress building, and she responds right away.

"Hello, sweetheart Are you currently at home?" I say and she answers in the affirmative.

I said, "I have a client's party to attend tonight, so it's likely I'll be late. Be back at maybe between 9 and 10 o'clock, "

I expected Macy to complain about my late return home, but instead she shows patience and understanding.

She has never done anything like that before.

Macy typically anticipates promptness.

The building's front entrance is ancient and dilapidated, but a sign taped to the door reads "party in room A 71...come straight up the stairs" . At the bottom of the note is put my client's name.

At the very least,  I am in the correct place!

I push open the unlocked door and there is a stairwell.

No security guards seem to be present.

That's really uncommon.

I climb the stairs slowly as my doctor has advised me to use utmost caution in my life due to high levels of blood pressure.

I come upon a lengthy corridor. Despite the poor lighting, I can see almost all the way to the end. One side has bare, gloomy walls next to a row of similarly dull, isolated workplaces covered behind opaque glass.

If nothing else, they are labelled with sequential letters and numbers, like A1, A2, and so on.

With anticipation and foreboding I walk along to the final room along on this corridor: room A 35.

Wow, this is eerie. Holy crap ! I speak out loud, but only to myself.

Moisture is pervasive in the air. The location is foul. Nobody is here or so it seems. Each office has a company sign outside it, but I can't read many of the names due to the dim lighting and my poor vision.

I have a constant question in my head:

Do I think this is a wise move coming here?

Why is my customer having a party if the building is so empty?

A sign reading "A36 onwards" is located next to room A 35 with another staircase, so I wearily climb to the top but feel worn out and spent.

I advise myself to 'to relax'.

But even worse lighting on this level. And an even more sinister corridor that is bleak and smells of evil.

Then something brushes past my legs.

It appears to be a little animal!

I freeze up completely out of fear.

What in God's name was that?

Was it a rat??!!!

Even worse, I can't get rid of the impression that someone is watching me.

Can I see an individual in front of me?

Is there a person suddenly standing behind me?

Atop of me!... atop of me!... Is there something?

Is that water from above me or perspiration running down my face?

Seriously, this is ridiculous yet terrifying.

I have to develop self-control!

I am hearing voices at this moment.

Is this true, or is my brain just making things up?

Then I start to see, or at least imagine I see , the faces from my past as I stare into the desolate nothingness. That's my family, then high school students and alumni from my past. Girlfriends I had known.

All giving me strange looks. A singular concentration only on me.

But no!

I must be having a hallucination. This place is weird, and my condition in the silence is giving my mind and body a terrible feeling.

I'm breathing heavily. I now realize it's perspiration on my face that is also dripping onto my suit.

What the heck is going on?

Then I become upset with my brother:

What caused his most recent unforeseen trip? He is younger and physically fitter than I am, and he consistently does better at these types of PR events.

I should never have come!

I can't seem to find my heart medications from my suit.

It's odd that Macy didn't check to make sure I was carrying my medicine this morning, which are vital to me.

She usually has amazing recollection, except today.

My wife loves me and often worries about me, according to my brother Alan.

I am sure she does.

Alan has been nothing but supportive of me and my wife despite the huge age gap between us.  

At least my brother knew Macy  before I did. Our first anniversary is next month.

At room A 70, where I am right now, there is one more flight of upwards stairs.

"A71 onwards," reads the sign.

Now that I've put in the effort to keep at it, I'm going up.

I have to work hard to climb the final few flights of stairs and reach my objective. Then in all the darkness:

 A 71 is now visible in front of me.

But suddenly:

The door of that room opens unexpectedly:

There is a rapid exposure on me of dazzling light, deafening sound, and horrifying sights and sounds, all of which may or may not be genuine, which causes my chest to constrict with pain.

I'm feeling so unwell and worn out... I'm exhausted and traumatized beyond belief.

Alas:

My heart has yielded.

The funeral for me happens a week later. To console Macy, my brother Alan returned from his trip early.

According to the local media, it is unknown why I was discovered dead in that abandoned structure.

My party invitation was unknown to anyone but me and the direction pasted on the front entrance was never found.

Thanks to the insurance and my successful business, my wife and brother will be in a good financial situation.

And who knows :

Maybe they will end up together?