I had always heard the rumors about the old building the way people said it was cursed haunted by the suicides from years back when it was an office complex and it's 2024 and I was working at McDonald's not some horror movie set yet that night changed everything it was a Tuesday dead slow as usual I texted my boyfriend Ryan to come by we were both making end's meet and on some nights I'd just stay back late and have our dinner date there in the McDonald's it was getting late and there was no sign of him
I stood behind the counter scrolling through my phone when I saw a shadow moving toward the door finally Ryan I decided to mess with him and Crouch behind the counter ready to jump out and scare him as soon as he walked in the Bell above the door chimed softly as it opened I held my breath but nothing no footsteps no sounds I waited counting the seconds in my head 5 10 15 still nothing Ryan I whispered peeking over the counter the dining area was empty the door had closed but no one had come in my
heart fluttered with a sudden unease I stood up slowly scanning the room maybe he was messing with me too that had to be it I walked around the counter checking the tables even the bathroom door Ryan seriously this isn't funny no answer just the low hum of the machines and the weight of the empty restaurant pressing in on me then out of nowhere there was a loud crash outside my heart jumped and I rushed out to see what had happened fearing the worst what if Ryan was hurt the parking lot was empty but there was
a trash can lying on its side the metal bent like something had fallen on it from above I stood Frozen staring at it there was no one around no cars no wind no reason for it to be knocked over like that I hadn't even heard any footsteps just as I was about to head back inside I heard someone call my name Stacy I spun around to see Ryan sprinting towards me out of breath and pale as a ghost he grabbed my arms his eyes wide with fear and he looked around desperately did you see that
see what I saw someone jump Stacy from the roof right here he pointed to the top of the building his voice shaking I followed his gaze to the roof but there was no one there there's no one up there Ryan you're freaking me out I'm serious someone jumped from the roof they should have fallen right here the look in his eyes told me he wasn't joking I glanced back at the trash can the dent and the metal I had heard the loud sound of as well but I didn't want to believe it nor tell about
it to Ryan come on let's go inside I said pulling him toward the door it's probably just suddenly a figure moved in the window reflection behind us I froze we spun around but the parking lot was still empty nothing I locked the door behind us in a hurry I tried telling myself it was Just My Imagination Running Wild but then Ryan glanced toward the kitchen is Ramone still here his voice was tight like he was trying to stay calm no he left an hour ago why then who else is doing the graveyard shift Solon no
one it's just me I swear I just saw someone walk into the kitchen I turned to look my stomach dropping the door to the kitchen was swinging ever so slightly like someone had just passed through could be one of those kids they get high and steal burgers in the night but something didn't feel right the air felt off thick I went inside the kitchen but there was no one Ryan followed puzzled himself that is when suddenly the fryer turned on by itself the oil bubbling violently I jumped back my heart slamming in my chest what
the hell is happening I didn't answer too busy watching the fryer as the heat climbed higher smoke beginning to curl from the oil and just then a loud bang echoed through the kitchen the metal spatulas and pans started falling crashing onto the floor Stacy we need to get out of here Ryan was already backing away his voice shaking I ran to the fryer trying to shut it off but the buttons wouldn't work as I pulled away the lights flickered my breath caught in my throat in one of those flashes I saw something someone standing in
the doorway to the kitchen a figure tall and shadowed watching us the lights came back on it was gone Ryan pulled me toward the door let's go we sprinted outside my hands were shaking so badly I dropped the keys twice we got into Ryan's car and drove away that is when I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw a figure standing in the window of the McDonald's dark with glowing white eyes it had been a brutal month ever since James lost his job we were barely holding it together his new gig at the garage didn't
cover the bills and my late shifts at McDonald's left me running on fumes but none of that could have prepared me for that it had just been a week since I started bringing my 7-year-old to work Isabella didn't mind though she loved it especially when he was there Kevin the guy who who played Ronald McDonald every time he came in dressed in that ridiculous costume Isabella's eyes would light up and she'd rush over to him he'd let her sit on his lap play games with her and even give her little Happy Meal toys the lost
and found box but there was something about him that made my skin crawl it wasn't just his costume it was him his crooked teeth and pale blue eyes never seemed to Blink enough none of his Smiles reached his eyes I told Isabella to stay away from him but she was whipped the night was no different the dinner rush hit hard I could barely hear myself think over the noise Isabella as always was with Kevin who was entertaining the kids he cracked some joke and the kids erupted into Giggles it had to be just a second
I turned away just long enough to hand over a tray but when I looked back Isabella was gone and so was Heaven Panic surged through me like ice waterer I scanned the room frantically looking for her in the crowd of customers nothing I saw him heading out back one of my co-workers muttered my heart slammed against my chest as I shoved open the back door the alley yawned before me dim and cold Bella I yelled running like a woman gone mad silence she wasn't in sight Bella I cried again then I heard it a quiet
sobbing mingled with the soft cooing of another voice from behind the dumpster it's all right dear you're all right we don't have to tell Mommy okay she just worry unnecessarily Kevin I froze my heart pounded against my ribs as I got closer his words made my blood run cold and all the fears I'd ever had about this man came to the surface Isabella sniffled but what about all the blood it's all over my dress hom is going to be mad I rushed toward the dumpster my mind filled with images of the worst nightmares imaginable I
rounded the corner and there they were Isabella sitting on Kevin's lap her dress smeared with dark red stains she was crying and Kevin was holding her his hands covered in blood I saw red I didn't even think I grabbed a nearby Rock and threw it at him the force of my fear and anger drove me forward you sick monster I screamed lunging at him trying to pull Isabella away from him I knew it you pedophile Kevin barely flinched as the rock hit him his pale blue eyes looked up at me wide and shocked but still
that same unnerving calm Michelle wait he started but but I wasn't listening how could you to a 7-year-old I screamed my hand shaking get away from her at that moment some of the employees came rushing out drawn by the commotion they froze looking at the scene the blood Isabella crying Kevin sitting there with the strange unreadable expression slowly getting angry follow me Kevin snarled as he dragged me behind behind the dumpster there was something small and furry lying on the ground in a pool of blood a raccoon he attacked me mommy Kevin he he saved
me I felt the world tilt beneath me my breath caught in my throat as the reality of the situation hit me with a tidal wave of guilt Kevin had saved my daughter I stumbled back my hands trembling the Rocks slipping from my grasp my mind reeled trying to process what I had done what I had thought I I didn't know I stammered my voice breaking I thought Kevin's eyes softened and he gave me that same Crooked Smile the one that I had always hated but now it looks different Kinder somehow it's okay Michelle he said
quietly I get it I know how I look hideous people think things I felt like a fool an absolute fool I had judged him I had hated him because of the way he looked because he made me feel uneasy and in the end he had been the one to protect my daughter when I wasn't paying attention I'm sorry I whispered my voice barely audible Kevin just smiled again no need to apologize I'd judge me too if it were my kid that night as I held Isabella close I realized how deceiving appearances could be sometimes the
people who look the scariest can be the ones who save you and sometimes the ugliest things are just the shadows of our own [Music] fear working the night shift at McDonald's always had an eerie quiet to it there wasn't much action past midnight just the occasional car pulling into the drive-thru and the l l sounds of the highway a mile away the McDonald's was at the edge of a small town surrounded by a thick forest we didn't belong there it was like the forest wanted to swallow us up I was the closer that night cleaning
tables while Louise handled the kitchen since it was a boring job I had my earphones on listening to some Lincoln Park bangers while cleaning the tables but soon I heard some disturbance from outside I took out my earphones when I heard it faint at first like a soft shuffling just outside the window like someone or something was moving outside I turned toward the big window that faced the woods but all I could see was the reflection of the empty dining area and myself curious I stepped outside the night air biting at my skin I stared
into the thick trees the forest was still not even a breeze moving through the branches no animals no wind just dead silence but as I turned to go back inside I had the daylight shaken out of me I saw it a dark figure perched on one of the branches of the old oak tree my breath hitched it was hunched over completely still watching me from its spot high in the tree I could barely make it out but it was there unmoving I felt my chest tighten and before I could think I backed away toward the
door then came a sudden violent rustling from the tree like something big was shifting I stumbled backward my heart pounding in my throat I ran inside slamming the door behind me screaming Lise you got to come out here man something is outside Louise was scrubbing down the fryer barely lifting his head what now just come there's something strange in the tree I swear he rolled his eyes but followed me to the front I pointed to the oak tree outside the window but the figure was gone nothing but empty branches swaying ever so slightly dude you're
seeing things it's probably an animal it wasn't a damn animal it was some other thing like one of those Skin Walkers Jeremy used to talk about I said my voice shaking but I couldn't explain it not really he Shrugged and went back to cleaning leaving me staring at the tree the rest of the shift was tense for me every Creek every little noise made me jump but I tried to push it down convincing myself that I was just tired by the time we finished I just wanted to get the hell out of there Louise walked
ahead and I fumbled with my keys as we reached my car just as I slid into the driver's seat Louise stopped dead in his tracks hold up who's that I froze looking up he was staring off into the forest past the dim glow of the lights toward the edge where the trees loomed what do you mean there's no one there he's right there man standing by the trees he's waving I felt a cold sweat break out on the back of my neck there was nobody there I strained my eyes but all I saw were the
trees thick and unmoving in the darkness Louise there's no one there he just wait where did he go before I could respond the tree branches above the car began to shake violently as if something huge was thrashing through them my hands trembled as I gripped the steering wheel what the hell is that we need to go now I started the car as Louise jumped in but before I could shift into drive something landed on the roof with the sickening thud the entire car rocked the metal groaning under the weight of whatever had dropped on us
Louise screamed my chest tightened I couldn't move couldn't breathe what the hell was that Louise was frozen his eyes wide his hands gripping the dashboard just drive drive I slammed my foot on the gas tires screeching as we tore out we didn't speak the entire drive back my hand shaking the whole time the next morning we went back to check the security footage half expecting to see something anything that would make sense of the night we fast forwarded through the hours but the cameras didn't show anything no figures no Ling trees just empty footage but
as we walked back to the car my stomach dropped the roof of the car there were claw marks deep Jagged scratches etched across the roof like something had tried to tear its way inside I swallowed hard and that's when I noticed something wedged into the window frame a note scrolled and smudged shaky letters we watching
