Escalation
He Thought He Was Going Up In The World
The Mall
He had been into this place a million times,
That's an exaggeration, but it felt like it, and he never counted, in fact, he never counted anything apart from money, that was the only thing that mattered to him.
He knew he should take the steps, but that would require some effort from him, and he never did anything he could get away with avoiding. He would use any underhand trick to make others do the thing, and the escalator was just a machine wasn't it?
He stepped onto the escalator and started moving up.
While ascending, he was checking his phone, sending a text to sack some of his employees, then a message to his bailiffs to evict some families, who couldn't afford his new rent structure.
He looked and he was only halfway up.
The escalator was moving but he didn't seem to be.
He looked down and the escalator was empty, he looked up, the same.
The mall he was in was empty, and he wasn't moving but the escalator was moving.
He took some steps but his position on the escalator stayed the same.
He tried to move up and down but his position did not change,
He tried to make a call, but his phone was suddenly dead.
The phone had been close to 70% when he stepped on the escalator.
Then the screen lit up and a message appeared.
"Your life has been one of cheating and hurting others. Taking advantage of people, underpaying employees, overcharging rents, and when they thought it could not get any worse, you gave them something worse.
This is your eternal home, your everlasting hell.
This is what your deeds have earned you.
This is your forever"
Then the phone died again.
"You can't do this" he screamed
But there was no one to hear his screams.
He must be dreaming.
He was not.
Time has stopped for him.
He would go mad, or had he already gone mad?
He screamed and screamed into the silent void of The Mall.
Obit
Local businessman and landlord XXX XXXXX collapsed and died of a massive heart attack in the XXXXXX Mall today. He has no family.
His properties and business will be taken over by the local council.
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Comments (5)
Hahahahahahahaha served him right! Awesomeeee story!
The way you portrayed the protagonist's descent into an eternal, self-inflicted hell was both chilling and thought-provoking. The twist at the end, where his karmic retribution unfolds, added a powerful punch to the narrative. Your writing effectively captured the horror of the protagonist's realization and the surreal, nightmarish scenario. I'm looking forward to reading more of your work!
Your story puts it in perspective, It does take a while to realize you've stepped over to the other side,
Escalator hell. Great concept! Very fitting. ❤️
It's a lil scary 😨 But off course an interesting read Feeling sympathy for this guy