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The original was posted on /r/nosleep by /u/Weird-Suggestion-152 on 2024-10-09 16:17:10+00:00.
It was just another Thursday at the office. The fluorescent lights flickered overhead as I sat at my desk, staring blankly at my computer screen. I should’ve been working on my monthly budget report, but all I could think about was the ache in my stomach, and the impending doom of the yearly office Halloween party.
As if summoned by my thoughts, the office began to buzz with excitement. I could hear the chatter of my coworkers from behind my cubicle, hollow laughter and manufactured enthusiasm as they decorated their cubicles with cobwebs, orange lights, and plastic skeletons. It was the same every year, a forced camaraderie that had always felt more like a chore than a celebration.
“Hey, Aaron! You ready for the potluck?” Sarah, from accounting, called out as she passed my desk, her bright orange sweater clashing with the bland beige walls.
“Yeah... totally,” I replied, not bothering to look up from my screen. My heart wasn’t in it. I had felt sick for days. But I couldn’t leave. Back-to-back illnesses had drained my sick leave, and my company “attendance rating” had taken a massive hit. I couldn’t afford to miss any more time.
Sarah bounced away, leaving me with my thoughts. I never understood the appeal of these office gatherings. It was as if everyone had decided that pretending to enjoy each other’s company for a few hours was worth the effort of dressing up and bringing food. But, I didn’t care. The only thing I wanted was to survive the day and go home and crawl in my bed.
I clicked through spreadsheets, trying to focus on the report due next week, but my stomach churned uneasily. It made me feel even less inclined to partake in the festivities. Yet, there I was, making chocolate chip cookies the night before. I had even drizzled on orange icing and pressed some candy corn into them for good measure.
“Those look cute!” a voice chirped from behind me. It was Susan, the self-proclaimed office ‘party planner’. She was wearing a glittery witch hat and a dress covered in plastic bats.
“Oh.. thanks,” I replied, forcing a smile.
“Are you going to try my dish?” Susan beamed, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
“What did you make?” I asked, despite myself.
“Witch’s brew pudding!” she exclaimed. “It’s a secret recipe. You’ll love it!”
I managed a nod, though my stomach turned at the thought of eating whatever concoction she’d cooked up. “Sounds… great.”
“Just you wait!” Susan winked before skipping off to her desk, leaving me with a strange mix of dread and reluctance.
As the clock inched closer to noon, the buzz of excitement grew louder, permeating every corner of the office. One by one, my coworkers filed into the break room, each unveiling their own Halloween-themed creations. There were the usual suspects: a bowl of ‘ghostly’ pasta salad, cupcakes decorated like monsters, and red punch that bubbled in a plastic cauldron.
The smell of various dishes wafted through the air, competing with the sharp scent of cleaning products and warm copy paper that never quite went away. I stood back, watching as everyone got in line for the buffet table, filling their plates with colorful food, laughing and mingling like they were old friends. I couldn’t shake the feeling of being an outsider.
As I surveyed the spread, I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. My body was protesting, begging me not to eat anything. “Just a few more hours,” I whispered to myself, clenching my jaw in frustration.
When I finally mustered the courage to grab a plate, I filled it with a few of the safer options, some chips, one of my cookies, and a very light scoop of Susan’s pudding, mostly to avoid her relentless questioning about whether I had tried it.
“Hey, Aaron! Let me know what you think of the pudding!” Susan insisted, appearing beside me like a ghost, her excitement palpable. “I changed my recipe this year.”
“Oh.. how’d you make it?” I asked, feigning interest.
“Oh, you know,” she waved a hand dismissively. “Just an old family recipe. But this year, I added a little something to give it a kick. I promise it’s delicious!”
I forced a laugh, the ache creeping back into my gut. “Sure, yeah, I’ll give it a try.”
The laughter around me grew louder, but I barely heard it. I was watching the small group of coworkers clustered around the punch bowl. They were sharing stories and laughter, but it felt like a mask. Everyone seemed to just be pretending to enjoy each other’s company when we were merely coworkers navigating through the corporate grind.
As the clock ticked toward 1 PM, I settled at a corner table, trying to stay unnoticed. It was quiet here, and I felt more at ease away from the clamor. I nibbled at the chips, but the heaviness in my stomach made it hard to enjoy anything. I began to get that cold sweat feeling you get, right before you hurl.
I closed my eyes, trying to take a minute for myself, when suddenly, a scream pierced the air, cutting through the laughter like a knife. My heart raced as I turned to see Jennifer from marketing clutching her throat, her face turning an alarming shade of red.
“Oh my God!” someone shouted.
“What’s happening?” I said.
“Is she choking?” Eddie, from IT, yelled, rushing to her side.
I watched in horror as Jennifer staggered back, her hands desperately clawing at her throat. Panic spread through the room as more people turned toward the commotion. She fell to the ground, gasping for air, and within moments, she lay motionless, her eyes wide and bloodshot.
“Someone help her!” I screamed, my voice barely cutting through the rising chaos. The laughter that had filled the air only moments ago turned to shouts of confusion and terror.
A few people rushed toward Jennifer, but as they approached, I saw Eddie clutch his stomach, his face contorting in agony. “Ahhhh” he groaned, doubling over.
A wave of nausea crashed over me, the feeling of panic and fear mixing with the already present feeling of illness. My pulse quickened, and bile begin to rise in my throat. I stumbled backward, my heart racing.
“Eddie!” Sarah cried, rushing to his side as he fell to his knees, retching violently. The sound was horrifying, guttural, desperate. I could see the remnants of the red punch he’d just consumed spew onto the floor, mixed with bile.
“What the hell is going on?” Sarah yelled, backing away. I didn’t want to believe it, but something felt wrong, more than just the flu season or a simple case of bad food.
From my corner of the room, I watched as panic spread like wildfire. People began to collapse one by one, faces turning purple, their bodies seizing as if gripped by an invisible hand. I spotted Susan at the edge of the crowd, her eyes wide with shock.
“Call 911!” someone shouted, but the chaos drowned out any rational thoughts. No one was thinking straight anymore. The office, once filled with laughter and the smell of baked goods, transformed into a scene from a nightmare.
Sarah fell next, her mouth foaming as she tried to scream, but only choked sounds escaped her lips. Panic morphed into pure horror. All of my coworkers were now sprawled across the ground, some convulsing, a red viscus liquid coming from their mouths. Others now lay completely still. I vomited into a trashcan, the mix of fear, adrenaline, and illness all finally coming to a head.
“Aaron” Susan’s voice pierced the noise, startling me. “You have to try the pudding...”
“Are you fucking insane?” I shouted. “You’re worried about your stupid pudding? Look at everyone!”
Susan smiled, unnaturally calm in the chaos. “Month after month, year after year, birthdays, holidays, I pour my heart into this office. I plan the parties. I buy all the decorations. And what do I get? Nothing. I’m never appreciated. I see the ways people roll their eyes when I pass by. But this Halloween, this Halloween is different. Now they’ll see. Now they see they should’ve appreciated me.”
I took a step back, my heart racing. “The pudding...? What… what did you do to it?”
“Oh! It’s a secret family recipe!” Susan insisted, but her frantic demeanor was starting to unnerve me. Her smile had slipped, revealing something darker lurking beneath the surface.
More bodies crumpled to the floor, and the stench of sweat and vomit filled the air. I stumbled, narrowly avoiding tripping over the limp body of Eddie, now lying face-first on the ground. My stomach lurched, and I pressed a hand over my mouth to stifle the rising nausea.
“Somebody help! Please!” I called out, but no one answered. Everyone was too busy succumbing to the terror that had been unleashed by Susan.
I felt trapped, suffocated by the chaos, frozen in fear.
The room fell eerily silent, except for the sounds of my own ragged breathing. The realization hit me hard. Everyone was gone. All my coworkers, people I’d shared mundane conversations with over coffee for years, were now all lifeless on the floor. It felt surreal, like a scene from a horror film. I felt like I was trapped in a bad dream.
“Aaaaaroooon” Susan said in a sing-song voice, cutting through my thoughts, and I turned to see her now standing in front of the exit, with a manic gleam in her eyes. “You don’t understand! You’re going to try it, whether you want to or not!”
I shook my head, panic flooding my veins. “You... you crazy bitch! You killed them! You poisoned them!”
Her laughter echoed off the walls, a sharp, discordant sound that sent chills down my spine. “Yes! And now it’s your ...
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