Day 210

The area by the docks was still under construction which made it perfect for exploring.
The small car park nearby was dimly lit by the pub's garish lights across the street.
You figured any noise they made would mask just about anything you did.

Apparently they were building a new hotel but it had been a concrete skeleton for 4 years now.
Rumours spread about them finding something in the foundations, among the other rumours
that the company had run out of money and couldn't afford to knock it down.

You hoped your torch would work this time, it had completely conked out on you in a "haunted"
graveyard in Canewdon which cut your visit sadly short.
This time you were prepared with a packet of new batteries and a spare torch just in case.

You were determined to be the first to find out and document this fleshless building.
It was almost four AM, while the pub was in full swing everywhere else was totally dead.
You walked casually up to the lock and began to work on it, having seen a tutorial on just this.

To anyone walking by you would look like a construction worker: hardhat, high vis jacket, the works.
It took you longer then you'd admit to get the lock off but the door swung open easy enough.
Quietly placing an orange traffic cone outside the door, you closed it and turned on your torch.

The ground floor was nothing overly special so far, just half paved foundations and a concrete
staircase leading to the next floor.
It seemed colder as you walked further along, gradually moving from concrete to dirt as you shone
your dim torchlight all around, being careful to not shine it upwards and attract attention.

It was pretty cool to see the metal mesh they laid down and the concrete that came to just underneath.
You tested your weight and found it was stable enough to walk on but it didn't look like there was
anything more over there so you headed back to the staircase, hoping it could hold you.

The first few steps were stable but it wobbled slightly as you climbed higher.
Hugging the inner wall you made it to the first floor and began to carefully walk around, still unsure
as to how stable it was around there.

You saw that they'd only done part of this floor and thought a photo over the ledge would look
great so you began to crawl closer to it, first on all fours then army crawling on your stomach.
The floor didn't dip under you so you counted it as a success.

You shone your torch down, trying to find a good area to shoot when suddenly it slipped out of your
hands and fell clattering to the ground.
It was off so you thought it was broken, at least you had your spare which you quickly pulled out of
the side pocket of your backpack.

As you fumbled for the "on" switch you heard a faint click from below you and a torchlight shone
towards where you lay.
You heard heavy breathing as someone (something?) dragged their feet around the ground floor,
shining your torch.

Cautiously you held your phone over the ledge and took a photo, just in case it was a security
guard who'd been sleeping on the job and you hadn't noticed them.
It wasn't a guard.

Although blurred, you made out what looked to be two people crushed together but trying to pull apart.
You heard wet footsteps coming up the stairs and thought about jumping down as they got closer,
they can't run fast if they're all squished, right?

It was your only shot at getting safely past whatever was coming so you dangled your feet over and
looked behind you for their - your torch.
Every moment was agonisingly long, their moist footsteps thumped up the stairs slower.

It was then you heard two set of whistling coming from them.
The tune was strange, out of key yet somewhat harmonic... like a child's own lullaby.
Maybe they were harmless, what if they were just coming to give your torch back?

You remained where you were just in case as they could still be dangerous.
When they reached your floor the whistling stopped, replaced by heavy breathing and faint coughs.
The faint coughs soon turned to one hacking, gasping cough and one set of gentle shushing.

When the coughing died down, the whistling resumed, quieter than before.
The torchlight shone hesitantly around until it fell on you.
Two sets of gentle shushing sounded as they dragged their damp feet closer and closer to you.

Feeling brave you stood up, one hand outstretched, torch in the other trying to look harmless.
You shone your own light towards them and saw them clearly for the first time.

They looked somewhat human only bigger, their heads were the size of your torso, all distended
and bulbous as was the rest of them.
Their clothing consisted of what looked to be an old tarpaulin sheet with boot prints all over.

They weren't exactly one two-headed being, they looked more like a human-ish version of two
gummy bears bit in half and partially stuck together with saliva.
As they stopped a few feet before you, heads tilting side-to-side in confusion and curiosity you
could see why their footsteps sounded wet.

Their feet were totally mangled and their lower legs had jagged cuts in several places.
"H-h-hello" you just about managed, voice coming out as a shaky croak.
One head smiled widely, gums bleeding, but happy.
"Hello" said the other, whose voice sounded like gravel.

This head asked why you were there, you stammered that you just liked exploring abandoned areas.
They looked sadly at each other before the speaking head turned to you and murmured,
"So we are alone. We weren't sure."

You found out they had been found under the ground, most of the construction workers were
horrified and ran away.
Except one.

She stayed and helped them turn an old sheet into clothing, convinced the others to come back.
They were so untrusting of them, always crossing themselves whenever they saw the beings.
Eventually the workers dwindled and left, even she left.

She said she'd be back with a trailer to take them someplace safe.
You felt guilty for mentioning the place was abandoned and vowed to the sad beings that you would
visit them every night from now on.

Their faces shone with joy, but only one replied.

You went to leave as dawn approached, not wanting to be caught by any authorities.
The stairs were quite slippery with their blood, you would have to bring bandages to them and soon.
You gently held their hands as you said bye for now, telling them to keep the torch.

With goodbyes said and the door safely locked again you walked back home, filled with hope for
your strange new friends.

You visited them every night, just as you promised, bringing medical supplies, blankets and fruit.
They seemed to grow more human looking over time, or where you just seeing them in a kinder light?

After almost a month of this you woke up to a tragic sound.

The building had been privately bought buy a new company, you thought they wouldn't do anything
for a few months at least but oh you were so very wrong.

You rushed to the docks just in time to see the building collapse.

You swear that even now you can hear their whistling, even as the new building sits smugly on
their deathbeds.