“Oh my god! Isn’t it absolutely perfect? I love the rain!”
I hated it.
“Seriously Erin, it’s just water.”, I muttered as I squinted and tried not to run over someone.
“Whatever. It’s still beautiful.”, she pouted as she twirled her red curls around her pale fingers.
“Pam! Stop!”, she yelled suddenly.
“What?!”, I yelped as I hit the brakes, the car stopped with a loud screech. I could practically smell the tires burning.
“Are you trying to get us killed?!”, I asked, trying to calm my racing heart. Death by heart attack wasn’t on my to-do list.
“No silly! Look that’s the building.”, she said, pointing out the window.
A sad looking structure with windows stood drenched in water. Wasn’t the best looking one out here, but it was all we could afford with our shitty paychecks.
“Yep, see? We followed the directions perfectly!”, Erin squealed excitedly and ran towards the entrance to see the apartment. Sighing I parked the car and followed her.
A dimly lit and stained hallway greeted us. There was no security guard or anyone basically. It looked all but abandoned. The lights occasionally flickered and the air smelled stale.
“Do you think we were scammed?”, Erin asked in a hushed voice as she looked around, her grey eyes wide as she took everything in.
“We just got thrown out of our previous apartment, have no money and are standing in what looks like an organ harvesters wet dream. So, I wouldn’t really be surprised if we were.”, I replied as I looked closely at a suspicious looking stain on the carpet that could either be blood or ketchup.
My bet was on blood.
“Well, hello there!”, a voice boomed from behind us.
Erin squealed and crashed into me in shock, almost causing me to fall into the ugly blood/ketchup stain.
“Oh dear, did I frighten you? I am sorry. I am Julius. Pam and Erin, right? It’s just that I came to show you into your new home. You spoke to me on the phone remember?”, he said looking apologetically at us.
“Oh yea, sorry you caught us by surprise. We thought you’d be waiting inside.”, I said as I looked at the short, rotund man before us. His clean, shiny appearance looked out of place in the shady surroundings.
“Ah yes my apologies, I got a bit delayed. But no matter! I shall show you your rooms at once!”, he exclaimed, his dark eyes glittering with excitement. He turned around and waddled towards the stairs, the dim light glinting off his balding head.
“He looks like he belongs in commercials, selling furniture.”, Erin muttered as we followed him. An unbidden image of him selling mattresses came to mind. I shuddered.
We made our way up the poorly lit stairs; our apartment was on the third floor.
“So, the elevators don’t work?”, I asked as I heard his labored breathing.
“Oh, yes. They do. It is just that the doors get stuck at the most unfortunate times. But don’t you worry, there have been no accidents, this month.”, he gasped out.
I could almost hear Erin’s mouth fall open in shock.
I looked back at the ugly caged structure that looked like it came right out of a horror movie and thought wryly, “Hmm, decapitation by an elevator or tripping down a poorly lit stairwell and breaking your neck? Choices. Choices.”
“Ah! Here we are!”, Julius exclaimed as he came to a sudden stop. It was a long and narrow hallway with three doors on each side and a window at the very end.
“Apartment number 15. One of our finest. Here you are, here you are.”, he continued as he thrust out a key towards Erin, who looked at me apprehensively before turning to open the door.
The man continued to chatter away as I looked around the hallway, not paying him much mind, “….occasionally old miss McKenzie walks about in her sleep but pay her no mind, she’s been like this since she stabbed her husband to death…”
Wait. What?
“Unlocked it!”, Erin yelled as she barged in.
“Wait. Did you just say stabbed?!”, I continued, ignoring Erin.
“Oh, it’s nothing child.”, Julius laughed as he made his way inside.
Speechless I followed him.
Entering inside I prepared myself for the worst. I wasn’t disappointed. It was a shabby little thing. A rickety little table welcomed us as soon as we entered next to a stove/oven signifying a kitchen/dining room.
A little further in was a couch and a tiny television which I supposed was a living room. A tiny hallway led from there, at the beginning of it were two doors facing each other which were bedrooms and another final door at the end which was a toilet with a tiny sink.
Each of the bedrooms were equipped with a bed, dresser, and a chair. A window facing the streets stood on one end. What was I supposed to do with the chair? Sit on it and stare at the bed?
“Impressive, isn’t it?”, sighed Julius, “Won’t find a place like this anywhere else here, no siree, only the best for our tenants.”, he boasted.
Erin and I looked at him doubtfully.
“Well then I’ll let you ladies get settled in and check in on you tomorrow!”
“Thanks for your help!” Erin exclaimed. I snorted derisively as Erin nudged me forwards.
“Thanks”, I muttered
“Oh, it’s nothing! I am glad to be of service.”, he turned to leave, “One more thing! I almost forgot. Be sure to check the door. It’s a fussy thing, doesn’t lock all the way sometimes.”, he laughed and left, closing the door behind him.
Erin looked at me in horror. Yea we were going to get killed in our sleep.
