5 – EYE LIES

July 27, 2024

I sit at the table while trying to focus even when I can't. Just another cubicle of a million across the world and a hundred in this very office. A hundred. And nobody sees it?

'This is a dream, nobody sees it,' I tell myself.

But even while trying to look down at my desk, the black and silver thing… this being… I still see it from the corner of my eye.

It just stares at me. Observing me. But… I couldn't see its eyes. Yet I still knew that it was looking at me. Its feet gripping onto that small edge or wall separating mine and the cubicle in front of mine. And its hands just hanging down, like some tree's falling vines.

I sweat a little, and as I grab my handkerchief, it finally moves a little – bopping its head sideways. So my hand shivers while I try to dab my own forehead and neck gently.

I don't have schizophrenia. Never did. It couldn't just… start like that. Does it start like that? And nobody sees it. The person in the opposite cubicle. My sides… all of them, none of them saw it.

"I hate working on Saturdays," I whisper and sigh.

"I know right?" my neighbour replies.

The being still only stares at me. But I try not to look towards it.

"Yeah… the… overstress. It makes you… dream. You know?" I nervously chuckle.

"Yeah same," he tells me. "A cold mojito would do it. I should be sipping and tasting so many flavours. Or even hot chocolate."

"Sounds lovely."

"But that bastard!" my neighbour pushes his hand towards the top of my cubicle… directing towards the direction where our manager should be… but so was the being.

The being flinches and moves backwards while squeaking like some parrot or… no, some… horrific bird. But it looked nothing like a bird. That sound shudders me – and the guy I'm talking to just gives me a weird judging look.

"WHAT'S THAT SOUND?" my manager thunders, exiting his cabin. "Saturday workdays, I get it. But you're watching some movie or something at this hour? With so much sound, at a working hour?"

Everyone murmurs. Apparently not one, including my neighbour, understood what my manager meant by a sound or a movie.

"Yeah just act dumb and deny it. Great! Just bunch of… five year olds. Get back to work! Some monster sounds and shit. Jesus, it's not even night."

The being stares away, towards my manager. And my manager seems to go back into his cabin. Slowly the creature moves its leg and gripping carefully it moves towards the direction of my manager's cabin.

"Wow, what was that?"

"You mean the sound?" I ask.

The being stops and looks back at me.

"Yeah, what does he even mean? What was he going on about?"

"I don't know… I-I heard nothing!" I almost pierce in my voice.

When I try to look towards where the being was… I don't find it anymore. But if my manager heard it…

July 29, 2024

"What?" I ask.

"Not confirmed. But you ARE our best candidate for it," the HR tells me.

"F-for… being a manager?"

"Yes of course. You work so hard. You deserve that position more than anyone," she says and pauses to ponder. "But… the higher-ups are sensitive. I mean… they… will test you – a lot. To see you can manage pressure. To see you are a best fit."

"Right. Yeah. Of course."

"Yes. So… just… be patient. Be studious as you are. Push yourself this one week. And… you are the manager. Maybe even in a couple days."

"Thank… you. That… is a GREAT news to get on a Monday," I say, still soaking it all in. "But… what happened to the previous one?"

"Ah… he… old age. I mean… he just retired. Yeah. Just retired. The screaming he does. The management never liked it… kept mentioning it as Lowly SCREAMS. Weird. But they hated it as much as the employees. But… he retired by himself. He… did it to himself. Yeah."

"Oh I see."

"Don't panic," my HR smiles at me.

I chuckle. "Yes. I'll show patience. My turn… is here, it seems."

"True. I wish you luck. I know you'll do good."

"Thank you."

And I go on my way, towards my… cubicle… that being… is still there. Same spot as when I first saw it yesterday. It looks at me walk towards there… still no eyes… but… did it have a mouth before? I see a line which closely resembles to a shut mouth – maybe I didn't observe it properly on Saturday. God I wish I didn't now either.

I don't try to make it obvious that I see it. I couldn't panic. I shouldn't. It was just… in my head. My eye lies. It's okay.

I calmly sit down at my desk. And it only stays still… again. But it still creeps me out. How could no one see it? Why was it only here… well, I'm glad it didn't follow me back home. But… why here? And… why could only my manager… and he… retired? Maybe I should too?

No. That's crazy. I'm not crazy. Maybe the manager was the delusional one. He vented his anger many times this way. It's fine. I'm fine. I just don't see it. I don't. Eye lies.

As I set down my stuff and get ready, the being's hand holds the mouse. Just like that, without moving the mouse. And I have to work on the computer. That is my job.

So I turn it on and let it boot. The hand upon the mouse doesn't budge. And I even use the keyboard to type the password and unlock the system. Now… I couldn't just… avoid the mouse. Nor could I just touch the being… what happens when I do?

A stack of files smash onto my desk. I flinch and look at who it is. Just the peon, who was this nice guy – a good… friend. I could consider him as a friend.

"I hear you might be the manager," he says whisperingly. "More work for you now that that happens. And here is some of it. By the end of the day."

I eye towards the being, and then back at the peon. He doesn't seem to notice towards it.

"Thanks."

"Piece of advice sir… don't freeze even for a second at the face of this. They will be watching you like vultures."

"What?"

"Tests. All of this and the camera. Even right now."

I look at the being from the corner of my eye. Was this… perhaps, a test too?

"Did they fire the previous manager?" I blatantly ask.

"Fire? Then I'd have seen a notice or letter or heard something – anything. I didn't. He… I hear he might've disappeared. Direct from the office upon that. Even one of the cleaners is missing here. Everyone is here except those two."

"You mean they ran away? Together?"

"Ran? He had a bad relationship with his wife, sure. But… I don't think that is what happened," he tells me. "I think… at least he, is dead. And the company might know – or worse…" he says and looks around before whispering even lighter, "be involved in it."

My heart skips a beat, and I feel goose-bumps raise down my spine.

"What?"

"I mean… just… who disappears just like that? Like those brothers on the news. But they are still investigating. The parents are the main suspects there. And here… not too farfetched."

As I sit there silently, he just leaves my side. I take a moment before looking back at my screen.

Could the company really?

My hand moves towards the mouse, and the gap scarily reduces fast. The… hand if the being… I'd be touching it. I guess how it'd feel, but still keep going. And as I hold the mouse, the being's hand slowly slips away before I touch it.

I look up… there's nothing.

The desk vibrates with some random notification prompt on the monitor – and I simply stare at it.

If it were the company… now… had I won? Do I get a promotion now?

July 31, 2024

Why was it still here?

As I continue doing my work – it only keeps staring. It had somehow left me on Monday. But yesterday… and today… why? I try to ignore it. I pretend it doesn't exist.

Was this some kind of prank?

I get up to leave and go towards where the HR should be.

"Hey…" I say.

"Hello, yes."

"Um… I'm just wondering… do you see anything above my cubicle?"

The HR bends to her side and looks towards my cubicle. "Should there be?"

"I don't know. I just… think… somebody might be playing a prank."

"Or… are you playing the prank on me?"

Yeah, that wouldn't work. I just delete what I have typed upon my screen. That wouldn't work. How can I ask someone that? Especially not her.

It is just…

"Eye," I hear anything unfamiliar voice… from quite a close proximity. "Lies."

I push my head up and look at the being. It… smiles from between its teeth large and white teeth. It had finally opened its mouth. And I stare directly at its mouth.

"No sound make. Hate sound. Silent. Work. Office."

As I just stay frozen there… it parts its teeth and I see a tongue bop out of there. It slowly extends, and extends… it moves right towards me.

No. Why am I looking? I shouldn't… but if I look away… it'll know that I can see it. I should… but… what if it already knows?

Its tongue moves right in front of my face.

Right. On Monday… when I tried touching it… it moved… then it disappeared… so…

Its tongue moves right in front of my eye. The sharp edge… it makes me want to blink my eye… if it pokes… it'd be like a needle. But I don't blink – I just keep staring.

The being puts its hands onto my desk and grips properly against the cubicle fence. Then tongue moves right on top of my eye – I feel it. Before I could blink, the tongue pushes forward and my eye gets filled in a way that I couldn't blink even if I wanted to.

It gags in a way – while trying to say something incomprehensible.

I feel the tongue touching the insides… the edges of my eyes… the… socket… what… it feels slippery. I… feel how large eyes actually are. I… we don't usually feel it – we think they are small. They aren't. And… I… feel it. Eyes. Eyes… my eye. The eye which lies.

The tongue casually moves in a rhythmic way, as if my eye were a lollipop to it. It licks around. And grips at my whole eyeball.

My body shudders back and forth – as if I'm having a stroke. But I don't move besides that. I stay as still as I could.

"No-ot in th-e-e offi-ice," I blurt out.

The licking stops, and the being gently slides its tongue out of my eye socket. And then it settles down to its normal position and continues staring at me.

I slowly snap out of my trance and feel around my eye… no pain. Just… a weird feeling in my head. It… is completely in my head. I'm fine. My eye… lying eye. It is right here.

I finish my work. I always do. Then I head back home. I freshen up. I eat. And I… fall onto my bed.

I usually sleep with my room's door open… but the paranoia… I go to the door and close it. Then I fall back onto my bed after switching the lights off.

I don't even sleep up straight like I usually do. I put my face towards the wall and cover my face with the blanket.

I couldn't… I shouldn't… see.

August 1, 2024

I wake up in a sudden strike. And I realise that I'm okay. I think I just had a nightmare… but can't remember what it was.

I yawn and sit up. Then I go towards the door – and open it. Then I scream while crying.

"Your request… done. Now work," it says.

"No! NOOOO!" I scream.

Its head moves at my sudden recognition of it.

"Sound! Who scream!"

As I fall to the ground, I see its feet… it feels like there is a horizontal section in its feet. As if it is wearing slippers made of its own flesh.

"See! Eye lies!"

It gets on top of me, and puts its face right in front of mine.

"Why?"

"Because it is your turn. Witness your fear."

"M-my fear?"

It grins at me.

It pushes its head backwards. Then its tongue shoots out mercilessly and clicks my one eye out. My eye upon my face looks at the eye plucked out. There was nothing I could do. I wasn't strong, not did I get a breather. My other eye is taken out too.

Before I know it, I see my own self in front of me – but bleeding from my eye sockets. My whole body is shuddering in a fit, as if it is having a stroke.

What happens now?

My body gets lifted and tossed into the side. The being searches around my house, and puts my body into the wardrobe after clearing it out. It also goes inside the wardrobe with my corpse.

It opens and closes the wardrobe a few times. Then finally I see something very white as the wardrobe door opens – for I don't know which number of time. And as I see the whiteness extending out in front, my body gets tossed out of the wardrobe and into the whiteness. Then the being grabs the door again and shuts it close-