I took up a job as a night guard. Where's the exit? [Part 4]

Originally Posted by: rikndikndakn123

Originally Posted on: https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/ddq2sn/i_took_up_a_job_as_a_night_guard_wheres_the_exit/

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WELCOME, NEW RECRUITS.

The message on the monitor displayed before disappearing. A new message replaced it and the guard and I had to get closer to read what the wall of text said.

You've done well so far. You're not far from reaching your goal, but know that your tasks will get harder from here on out and you will have to work as a team to survive.

The door will open in 1 minute. You will see a guardhouse to your left. Enter it and read the note.

As soon as we were done reading, the monitor turned off and the electronic door opened with a loud hum. A cold gust of air hit me in the face instantly and as we stepped through the door, I realized we were outside in some sort of park.

"What the fuck?" – the other guard said – "Hey maybe we can just run for it. I mean, fuck their rules, right?"

I shook my head:

"Gotta be a catch. They wouldn't just let us leave. This probably isn't even real. Let's check the guardhouse, first."

We went inside the guardhouse, which had a desk and chair inside. The note was on top of the desk next to a clock which read 00:05. The note said:

​

Out of all the rules there are three main rules you need to strictly follow at all times. The first rule is never, NEVER go off trail. If you do, getting lost will be the least of your troubles.

Never stay together for too long, because it attracts them more easily to you. That is the second rule.

Ending with the first two rules, the third rule is, whenever the guards reunite, they should use code phrases (example: guard 1 asks 'where does the cat go?' and guard 2 answers 'to the alley'. Note that the code must be recited exactly how the code is agreed upon, word by word.)

Moving on to the rest of the rules, one guard should stay in the guardhouse, while the other patrols around the park (patrols take about 10 minutes). For the guard patrolling:

Under no circumstances is the guard allowed to leave the trail when patrolling (see rule 1). Turn left at the crossroads and you will come back full circle back at the guardhouse. If you happen to hear the other guard's voice coming from the trees, calling for help, ignore it. You will hear his voice on a loop, usually repeating the same phrase with the same intonation over and over. Pay attention to the sounds of animal life, too. If the park suddenly gets quiet, finish your patrol normally, but do not look behind or glance at the trees. During your patrol, every 5 minutes or so, loudly shout a simple word like 'hello' into the air. If your voice doesn't echo, run back to the guardhouse immediately. 

Should you, see a hiker in the middle of the trail, keep the flashlight pointed at his face at all times. He will ask you to move it away, stating it's too bright, but don't listen to him. He will also tell you he understands your situation and will tell you to follow him since he knows a way out. Decline his offer. After this, he should leave. Do not take the light off him until he steps off the trail. For the guard in the guardhouse:

To stay safe, keep the door and window firmly shut at all times, save for when the patrolling guard comes back. It may get annoyingly hot inside, but do not open anything. You may take off your jacket or shirt to alleviate the discomfort.

Do not pay attention to any tapping on the windows. If you hear or see droplets falling on the desk in front of you, slowly stand up and leave the guardhouse. Stay outside for 2-3 minutes and the droplets should be gone when you go back inside. If they are still there, exit again and wait for another 2-3 minutes. When the patrolling guard returns, ask him the code question while avoiding eye contact. If he doesn't respond or responds incorrectly, exit the guardhouse while avoiding eye contact and then return inside. The fake guard will be gone.

If you survive until 1:00 am, both guards should proceed together to the end of the trail and turn right at the crossroads (do not do this before 1:00 am). At this point, the forest life will be completely quiet and the only sound surrounding you will be occasional hurried footsteps coming off the trail. They can only approach you in the dark, so do your best to train your flashlights on them, even if you can't see them clearly. Guards should divide to cover both sides with light.

End your task by reaching the end of the trail with a gate. That is your exit point (make sure to take this note with you, you will need it).

​

"Dammit." – the other guard said and we sat in silence for a moment.

I scratched my cheek and said:

"Alright, I'll take the first patrol. What should be our code?"

He thought for a moment and then said:

"Shit man, I dunno. How about this? I'll ask 'What should these fuckers do?' And you can say 'let us go'."

"You got it. What's your name, by the way?" – I asked.

The guard said his name was Sam and I introduced myself, as well. I left for the patrol with the flashlight and stuck strictly to the trail. Nothing major happened, no sounds off the trail, etc, but I did run into the hiker mentioned in the note. He seemed friendly and all, but I followed the rules and kept the beam pointed in his face, declining everything he asked.

Eventually he left and I finished my patrol and returned to the guardhouse. After we confirmed the codes, Sam left for his own patrol. I followed the set of rules until he came back, confirming the code with him. By the time I finished my third patrol, it was 01:03 am and it was time to go.

We quietly walked the trail, focusing on our footsteps and the deafening silence around us. And then the footsteps off the trails started.

It sounded like someone was frantically running from one tree to another, stopping for a few seconds in between. This recurred over and over as Sam and I did our best to focus our beams on the source of the sound, but no matter how quick our reactions were, we never seemed to be able to catch whoever ran there. I caught a glimpse of a nude, emaciated man or woman here and there, but they always seemed to be just out of reach, either hiding behind a tree the moment I shone my light or disappearing into the dark altogether.

Finally, Sam and I reached the end of the trail and entered a fenced area with a gate on the other side. There was a pedestal in the middle and an object on top of it. When we approached it, it became clear it was a gun, with a note under it.

Sam took the note and read it aloud:

"Read the first letter of each paragraph of the previous note."

We both looked at the note and read the letters silently together. And then as the realization hit us, we scrambled for the gun. After a moment of wrestling, the gun was in my hand and I held it pointed at Sam.

"Don't do this, man. I have a wife and young daughter, please." – he begged.

I held my finger on the trigger, intermittently looking at him and the gate. I had to get out of here. I've had enough of this bullshit. I looked at Sam's pleading face one more time. A moment later I lowered and then dropped the gun on the ground and said:

"I'm not gonna play their game. I won't become a killer for their entertainment. We can find a different way out, I'm sure."

I went towards the gate to inspect it and then heard Sam's voice behind me:

"I'm sorry, man."

I turned around and saw him pointing the gun at me.

"What are you doing, Sam?"

"You read the note, man. One must die. There's no other way."

"Put the gun down, dammit. We can both make it out of here alive. We just gotta work together." - I didn't believe my own words, but I'd be damned if I'd murder another human being for these sick bastards' entertainment.

"I'm sorry. I have to get back to my family." - Sam said.

"Sam, no!"

He pulled the trigger, but the bang never came. Instead, there was a click and Sam dropped the gun, holding his hand in pain.

"What the fuck, something just pricked me!" – Sam shouted.

He and I stared at each other and then all of a sudden, Sam's eyes rolled behind his eyelids and he fell to the ground, convulsing and frothing at the mouth. I ran over to help him, but I didn't know what to do. He stopped moving completely a moment later and his eyes closed, as his breathing stopped along with the movement. I shook him and called his name, but it was too late. He was already dead.

Just then, the gate started to open.