Gates of Heaven (Summer Horror Story)

okay I wasn't going to post this but it's summer and y'all need to hear this one.

So there's this guy on a work trip out in the provinces. books a hotel, checks in, drops his bags on the 12th floor (top floor of the building), then heads straight to his work thing. doesn't get back until late at night.

by the time he returns to the hotel he is DONE. cooked. running on fumes. all he can think about is getting to his room and passing out immediately. he walks up to the elevator, hits the button, waits.

doors open.

there's an old woman inside. standing in the corner, facing him, smiling this big warm smile.

he waits for her to get off. she doesn't move. so he steps in and presses 12. leans against the opposite wall.

then he looks at the floor buttons and notices... only 12 is lit up. she hadn't pressed anything. he thinks okay maybe she's on my floor too, whatever, and just zones out staring at the floor display as the elevator goes up.

1... 3... 7... 10... 11... 12...

it doesn't stop.

not only does it not stop, it actually SPEEDS UP going past 12. and he's like. wait. this building only HAS 12 floors???

the old woman is still just. smiling. completely unbothered.

the elevator slows down and stops.

the display reads: 13.

the doors open slowly and this blinding, overwhelming light floods in. like not flashlight bright. holy light bright. the kind that makes you dizzy. and beyond the doors is just... white. pure white. this glowing, shapeless world wrapped in light.

the old woman smiles at him one more time and walks toward it.

he just stands there watching her go. she's almost completely swallowed by the light when she turns back and looks at him, still smiling softly, and waves him forward.

and the thing is. it was so beautiful. he almost went. he literally almost stepped out.

but something in his brain went NOPE and he slammed the close button.

doors shut. and then he blacked out.

he woke up in a hospital.

he asked the nurse what happened. she told him he'd been hit by a car on the street outside the hotel three days ago. he'd been brought in critical condition. they weren't sure he was going to make it.

he had never even checked in.