The following journal entries have been recovered from Berkner Maintenance Tunnel 1B. Reader discretion is advised. Under NO circumstances enter Maintenance Tunnel 1B without explicit permission from the Provost.

October 24th, 11 AM

I’m late to class. My footsteps echoed across the concrete floors of Berkner Hall as I rounded a corner and nearly collided with a large metal door. Maintenance Tunnel 1B, the sign read. I pulled the door open hesitantly, my breath catching in my throat when it gave way soundlessly into a cavernous space. Lightbulbs hung from the ceiling, illuminating the yawning darkness every ten feet or so. If my hunch was correct, these tunnels were the same ones rumored to crisscross under campus, stretching from building to building and providing an underground shortcut.

I took a step forward, and then another, until I was submerged by the darkness. From what little I could see, it seemed to stretch on for miles, disappearing underground. This was getting nowhere. I turned on my heel and retraced my steps, throwing the door open and entering the sunlight, giving the tunnel one last glance. I grimaced. It almost seemed as if the tunnel was staring at me, too.

October 25th, 4 PM

My foot tapped impatiently as I stared up at the metal door of Maintenance Tunnel 1B. I knew it was dangerous to go inside, but I felt an innate pull beyond the door, like something in the darkness was waiting for me. I entered silently and walked, the tunnel soon opening up into a large, empty room with doors on all sides. I shined my flashlight onto the metal placard of the nearest door. LAB U1. My heart pounded in my chest, drowning out my thoughts. Reluctantly, I pulled on the handle and the door opened soundlessly. I found myself in a clinical laboratory, complete with test tubes and piles of papers stacked to the ceiling. 

I picked a newspaper up and scanned the title: COLLEGE LABORATORY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. The paper detailed a freak accident that had happened ten years prior in an underground UTD laboratory. This laboratory, I realized with a chill.

‘This incident, which occurred late yesterday evening, has left university officials scrambling to respond. Researchers at the scene evaded questions regarding the origins of the fire. In addition, the university president held a press conference this morning in response to rumors that UTD had been conducting human experimentation. He denied all allegations regarding unauthorized experimentation and reiterated that all experiments were approved by The Board.’

Suddenly, a slick, wet-on-wet noise filled my ears, like flesh rubbing against flesh. I turned my head and made eye contact with… Temoc, grinning with too many bloodied teeth. His usual blue skin was instead a sickening green tone, and the joints where the costume came together seemed sewn haphazardly. He was… too large, too decrepit.

Temoc tilted his head in undeniable bloodlust. Don’t ask me how I knew it was bloodlust. I just knew. And I ran.

October 26th, 8 PM: 

Don’t ask me how I got here. I… don’t even know myself. My head was swimming with thoughts of the tunnels all day, strange noises filled my ears, and my vision blurred and contorted everytime I tried to steer myself away from Berkner. I needed it, desperately, more than I needed food or water.

My legs moved without my will, carrying me deeper and deeper into the tunnels. Before I knew it, I’d entered the laboratory again, standing where I had the night before. I could still see the bloody trails that Temoc had left behind, shambling into the darkness. I picked up the papers I had abandoned from last time and flipped through them. The title of one of the research papers caught my eye: Systems Biology in Human Galvanism. I knew that word. Galvanism, as in, electrical signals moving chemical tissues? Oh my god. They frankensteined Temoc. The thought brought manic laughter bubbling to my lips. They brought a dead man back to life and they made him their plaything, their mascot. Nausea filled my stomach and overflowed into my throat. I retched into a nearby lab sink. This was twisted and disgusting, and wildly, horrifically wrong. I needed to save him. I had to.

October 27th, 12:32 AM

I didn’t attend class today. I had more important things to do. 

The tunnel seemed to loom over me, larger than life, bigger than usual. I marched forward, taking step after step deeper underground. A mechanical hum filled the air as I trudged forward, vibrations running through my body. I clenched the axe in my hand. Do or die.

The laboratory door swung open silently. Temoc was right where I’d seen him for the first time. He began to turn, slowly, noiselessly, two shambling feet rotating around each other as he faced me. A bloody, toothy grin spread across his face when he laid eyes on me. Entrails and viscera encrusted his clothes, a faded red color. My heart jackrabbited in my chest as he drew closer, until he was just inches away from me. I… knew what I had to do. I raised the axe and swung. Metal ripped through thick flesh and Temoc tore away from me with a crazed scream, picking me up and slamming me to the ground. My head pounded as I made contact with the concrete and crumpled. Everything hurt so much. Everything was so… dark now. My head hurts. My head… my… I…

October 28th, ??? AM

I raised my head weakly, wincing when waves of pain crashed through my head. I tried to raise my arms, but found them tied behind me with scratchy rope. I licked my lips hesitantly, and shuddered when a metallic, iron-like taste filled my senses. I was bleeding.

The light above me flickered on, casting shadows across the dingy room. I looked around helplessly, my eyes darting to the axe placed directly next to me. It was so close. If I could just reach it– 

Temoc stepped into view, his back to me as he busied himself with something directly in front of me. When he moved away, I saw he’d wheeled in an old CRT TV. A video began to play, an old recording of the previous President of UTD.

‘–means that our experiment on human galvanism has been successful. Live, not deceased tissue galvanism has given us our first T3moc, but our next experiments will be working on Ratf0rd, which will use techniques such as viral infec–’

The TV switched off and the rope enclosing my limbs loosened, then released. I was trembling. Temoc shambled in front of me, that same bloodied grin stretching from ear to ear. I groped around for the axe handle in the dark. My vision wavered, my head spun. I grasped something hard and wooden and pulled–

I lunged towards Temoc and drove the axe as far deep into him as I could, pushing with every ounce of energy I have left. He sputtered and gurgled, groaning as we both fell to the ground. I saw the light in his eyes slowly disappear, and I laughed in manic relief.

I hit the ground as pain blossomed through every nerve. I jerked my head to the right and saw an empty syringe sticking out of my skin. Fuck these tunnels. Fuck UTD. I should’ve just gone to class. I waited for death, or something worse, to claim me as my vision fades into darkness.

?????????????????

I’m hungry. For cheese.