Abnormal Shift

Haney sat in the dim glow of the CCTV screens, the soft buzz of electronics filling the otherwise silent room. As the security guard for a remote government research facility, his nights were typically uneventful. But Haney didn’t mind the solitude. After serving as a Cav Scout at Fort Bragg and being accustomed to high-pressure situations, the quiet monotony was almost therapeutic.

His eyes, sharp and observant, moved from screen to screen, ensuring that all was well within the facility's sprawling compound. It was said to be focused on minerals and energy research, but Haney's Top Secret clearance from his military days told him there was likely more to the story. He often wondered what lay beneath the ground level labs, however he wasn’t paid to ask questions. 

As the hours crept by, a flicker on camera twelve caught his attention. He leaned in closer. It displayed one of the deep underground tunnels where minerals were extracted for testing. Haney could see a shadowy figure, standing still, almost as if it was staring directly at the camera. The figure had no discernible features, just an amorphous, ghostly silhouette.

Chills ran down his spine and his heart rate picked up. The underground sections were off-limits during night hours and there weren't any other cars in the parking lot. . As protocol dictated, Haney reached for the phone to report the sighting to his supervisor. But the line was dead. He tried other lines, but they too were silent. A sense of unease settled in.

After a few deep breaths, Haney decided he had to investigate. Ensuring his firearm was secure and ready, he left the comfort of the control room and ventured into the belly of the facility.

The halls echoed with his footsteps, the sounds unnaturally loud in the stifling silence. Making his way to the entrance of the underground tunnels, he swiped his clearance card. The heavy metal door hissed and slowly slid open.

Cold air met him as he began his descent, the temperature dropping with each step. The walls were lined with embedded lights, their pale blue glow casting eerie shadows. As Haney went deeper, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was not alone.

Finally reaching the spot from the CCTV feed, he found nothing. The tunnel was empty. But the ground was marked, as if someone—or something—had been dragged. Haney's instincts told him to be on high alert.

Suddenly, a sound echoed through the tunnel—a faint whisper, unintelligible, but undeniably human. It seemed to come from further down the tunnel. Haney followed, every sense heightened.

The tunnel opened up into a cavernous chamber, filled with large, crystalline structures. They pulsed with a soft light, and in the center of the room stood the shadowy figure, its form more defined now. It seemed to be absorbing energy from one of the crystals.

Haney, gripping his firearm, stepped closer. The figure turned, and its face—though still indistinct—seemed to be twisted in pain or maybe sorrow. It spoke, its voice echoing through the chamber. "Help me..."

The plea took Haney aback. This wasn’t a threat; it was a lost soul. But how? Why? His training had prepared him for combat, for threats, but not for this.

The figure moved closer, its form becoming clearer. It was a man, or at least had been at some point. "The energy... it trapped me... I am neither here nor there..."

Haney, realizing that the crystals might hold some power, approached one and touched it. The room pulsed, and the figure let out a cry, beginning to dissipate before Haney's eyes. With one last look of gratitude, it vanished completely.

Breathing heavily, Haney backed out of the chamber. The reality of what he had just witnessed weighing heavily on him. He needed to get out, to report this, to make sure no one else would suffer the same fate.

Racing back through the tunnels, every shadow made Haney's heart leap into his throat. He tried to shake off the eerie sensation that clung to him, but the image of the tormented figure was etched into his mind. The corridor lights, which previously provided a comforting guide, now seemed to flicker and dim as if the energy from the chamber was influencing the entire facility.

Upon reaching the security room, Haney instinctively reached for the communications console, desperate to report the night's events. As he was about to dial out, a sudden, blinding burst of energy emanated from the CCTV monitors, forcing him to shield his eyes. The room's electronics buzzed angrily, and then all the screens went black.

When the surge subsided, Haney hesitantly approached the console. He attempted to pull up the footage from camera twelve, but the system resisted. After several failed attempts, a chilling realization set in: the energy blast had wiped all recordings from the night. Every trace of the shadowy figure, the mysterious chamber, the pulsating crystals, all gone.

Feeling a mix of frustration and disbelief, he tried to restart the system. The screens flickered to life one by one, but they now only displayed the mundane visuals of an ordinary research facility. The underground tunnel, once a source of eerie mystery, appeared undisturbed.

Haney sank into his chair, his thoughts a whirlwind. He knew what he had witnessed, but without evidence, who would believe him? The line between his military past and present reality blurred, leaving him questioning his own sanity.

Hours passed, and dawn's first light began to creep into the room. The events of the night felt like a distant dream, yet the weight in Haney's chest told him it was all too real. He considered documenting everything, but without the footage, it would be his word against the vast bureaucracy of the government.

The phone finally rang, piercing the room's silence. It was his supervisor, checking in as he did every morning. "Everything alright, Haney?" came the voice over the line.

Haney paused, hesitating, then replied, "Just another quiet night, sir." He knew it was far from the truth, but with no evidence to back up his claims, what could he say?

As the day's shift began, the facility buzzed with activity, oblivious to the night's events. Haney, however, couldn't shake off the memories. He sat there, surrounded by the hum of the restarted electronics, staring at the screens as he always did, but with a newfound sense of bewilderment and wonder about the mysteries that might still lie hidden deep within the facility's walls.