00:00I know I should be grateful for a chill job at an ice rink, especially as we gear up for
00:07a scorching summer.
00:08I'm thinking about quitting though, I'm too creeped out to go back there.
00:14I needed a summer job and I was a little surprised by the lack of competition for a gig at
00:20the local rink.
00:22My first day was right after the interview.
00:25The pay wasn't great, but the expectations weren't bad either.
00:31Help customers, keep the place clean, restock the restrooms, that sort of work.
00:38The most important task was a team effort.
00:41Keep the rink temperature below freezing at all times.
00:45That made sense.
00:47It's an ice rink, not a swimming pool.
00:50At regular intervals, I'd check the thermostat to make sure the rink remained between 19 and 29 degrees Fahrenheit.
00:58Doing so ensured that the main room was always nice and chilly.
01:03My own frosty oasis in the middle of town.
01:07My boss was the face of the business, so he was usually up front serving guests or back in his
01:13office.
01:14Whenever he came out, he'd check the rink's temperature, even if I had just checked it myself.
01:21One day, I clocked in a few minutes late and found the boss hustling toward the thermostat.
01:27He seemed startled when he noticed me.
01:30Seen anybody around here yet?
01:32He asked.
01:34I checked the clock to see that we were still nearly an hour away from opening.
01:39Not yet, I said.
01:41Good.
01:42He smiled.
01:43Then he asked me to help set up a new game in the arcade.
01:47It was a massive cabinet.
01:49Big screen.
01:50Two-seater bench.
01:52With huge speakers.
01:53The delivery men rolled it in and moved it into place.
01:57So now, it was time to plug it in and see how it ran.
02:01I plugged in the power cord and fired up the cabinet.
02:04The screen flickered.
02:06The speakers roared to life, and the whole place went dark.
02:11I looked out into the main room to see the boss sprinting for the breaker box.
02:16The girl at the concession counter dropped what she was doing and disappeared into the kitchen.
02:22I left the arcade to apologize for the mishap, and then I noticed the smell.
02:28It was like someone left meat out and went on vacation.
02:31The stench was heavy and sickening.
02:35So strong I could taste it.
02:37I figured it must have come from the kitchen.
02:40My boss was in the back, sweating bullets at the breaker box.
02:45The wiring's screwy.
02:47He said when he saw me.
02:48One thing goes wrong and the whole place loses power.
02:51He snapped a few switches back into place and closed the box.
02:57Behind us, machines hummed again.
03:00He sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
03:03It's just an old building, that's all, he said.
03:07He checked the thermostat and stayed by the rink until it was time to open.
03:11The smell had mostly dissipated by the time customers started filtering in, but it was hard to forget.
03:18It was still in my clothes when I went home.
03:21A few days later, the boss had to run errands, leaving me and the concession girl to hold the fort
03:27down.
03:28Everything seemed fine at first, but then a group of kids approached me from the arcade.
03:33They said the new cabinet wasn't working right.
03:36The screen kept freezing and they couldn't get their quarters back.
03:41My boss had briefly showed me how to troubleshoot these machines, so I did what I could to diagnose the
03:47problem.
03:48It took longer than I'd like to admit.
03:51I wasn't hesitant to unplug the game and restart it, but I tried everything I could to get the game
03:57working again.
03:58If I had to refund a few quarters, I imagined the boss wouldn't mind.
04:03At some point, I realized I was sweating.
04:06I dressed warm for work since the main room stays in the mid-fifties, but I suddenly felt too hot.
04:13I told the kids I'd be right back and tried not to look conspicuous as I made my way to
04:18the rink thermostat.
04:2030 degrees, still below freezing.
04:23I returned to the arcade to realize that it was the air conditioner that was struggling.
04:28It was blazing hot outside, and our AC was fighting hard to keep the room cool.
04:34I finally got the game up and running, then ran by the concession counter for lunch.
04:40The late afternoon rush kicked in, and I was on my feet for hours.
04:44Without the boss up front, I was renting out skates, checking the restrooms, and doing my best to keep the
04:51new arcade game running.
04:52I didn't get a moment to catch my breath until closing time.
04:56I shut off the lights and flipped the front door sign from open to closed, then realized it had been
05:04hours since I checked the rink thermostat.
05:06I knew I had to take a look before I left for the night.
05:1135 degrees, not great, but not terrible.
05:15I adjusted the target temperature and waited until the system started pumping more coolant beneath the ice.
05:22I headed back to the door, but stopped at the hallway to the restrooms.
05:27There was someone standing at the end of the hall.
05:30I was startled, but more than anything, I just wanted to go home.
05:34We're closed, I said.
05:37I have to lock up now.
05:39He didn't move.
05:40Do you need to use the restroom first?
05:42I thought maybe he wasn't feeling well.
05:45Concession food can be rough on some people's stomachs.
05:48He turned to face me.
05:50The hall was dark, except for the exit light over my head, which cast a dim red glow over his
05:56face.
05:57His head hung low, and he wore a vacant expression, like he was asleep on his feet.
06:03Then he lifted his head to look at me.
06:06I didn't say a word.
06:08The more I stared, the more the features of his face seemed to be out of place, like it was
06:14just a mask.
06:15His eyes looked cloudy in the red light, but I could tell that he was looking at me.
06:21Then, an intense shiver came over me.
06:24It was an ice-cold chill that pierced to my core.
06:28It had to be fear, but I wrapped my arms close to warm up.
06:33Then he was gone.
06:34I looked behind me, then back at the hall.
06:38There was no one there.
06:39I didn't stick around to check the restrooms.
06:42I got out as soon as I could.
06:44The next day, I told my boss about the man in the hall.
06:48He listened quietly and took a while before speaking.
06:51What did he look like? he asked.
06:54I described the lifeless face and the dull eyes, feeling a hint of a chill just recalling it.
07:01And he was dressed a little... outdated.
07:05I thought about it.
07:06The man wore a suit, but maybe the lapels were a little too big.
07:11The pants flared a bit wide.
07:14That wasn't what concerned me at the time, though.
07:17Maybe so.
07:18My boss nodded.
07:20Did the ice rink go above freezing yesterday?
07:23It did, I said.
07:25But I fixed it before leaving last night.
07:28We've got to keep an eye on it, he said.
07:31Then he left for his office.
07:33You'll see people like that around here.
07:36It'll be okay.
07:37Just keep an eye on the rink.
07:39I looked over to the concession counter.
07:43My co-worker had been listening.
07:45She only met my eyes for a second.
07:48Then she went about her work.
07:50We'd be opening soon, and the heat was sure to drive a crowd our way.
07:55It was a brutal summer, and when the temperatures rise so high, everybody blasts their AC.
08:02It puts a serious strain on the power grid.
08:05Yesterday, we tipped the meter too far.
08:08The power went out across downtown.
08:12My boss went out to fire up the generator, telling me to make sure nobody went near the ice.
08:18At first, customers sat in the dining area, and waited to see if the power would return.
08:25I couldn't blame them.
08:26The air was still cool, and anything was better than going back out into the heat.
08:32As the days went on, though, the chill faded, and there was no point in sticking around.
08:38Our customers left, and it was just me and my co-worker.
08:43Our boss clearly wasn't going to get the generator up and running anytime soon, so I hoped that he would
08:49just let us go.
08:50My co-worker went outside to ask.
08:53The air was starting to turn muggy, so I went to check the thermostat.
08:58It had a backup battery, so I could at least see the ring's temperature.
09:03Forty degrees.
09:04It was only going to climb from there.
09:07With my back to the ice, I felt something move just behind me.
09:12The stench of spoiled meat returned, thick in the humid air.
09:17My legs quivered, but I ran for the door.
09:20I was in a hurry, so I decided to cut through the ice rink.
09:24That was a stupid idea.
09:26I started slipping immediately and fell hard on my back.
09:30I looked up into a crowd of dead faces.
09:33There were dozens of them, dead, bloody bodies, all standing on the ice.
09:40Their faces were frozen in horrified silent howls, while some looked as if they had been beaten or crushed.
09:48They all watched me with pale, cloudy eyes.
09:52I heard myself scream, and I scrambled for footing.
09:56I fell again and again, trying to crawl across the ice.
10:01Finally, I reached the other side and bolted to the exit.
10:05As I pushed through the doors, I could see that my co-worker's car was gone.
10:10She had the right idea.
10:12I didn't stop to lock up.
10:14I took today off and called my boss to tell him what happened.
10:18He didn't question any of it.
10:21He seemed to know what was going on, so I asked for an explanation.
10:25You know the gravel lot down the street, he asked.
10:30There used to be an office building there.
10:32It collapsed years ago, when I was just a kid.
10:36A lot of people died.
10:38I had never heard the whole story before.
10:41Apparently, there were so many casualties, the local morgue was overwhelmed.
10:47They had to store the bodies at the ice rink to keep them cool.
10:51They were there on the ice for days, until they could be moved, or identified.
10:58Now I understand what I saw, but that doesn't make it any better.
11:02I don't want to go to work tomorrow.
11:18I don't want to go to work tomorrow.
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