I don’t remember walking outside, or even being outside.
It was sunset, or a little after. The streetlight above me had just cut on. I stared at the bulb, watching it glow in the dark purple sky. There was a single puddle below me, at the end of the stairs. It had rained yesterday. (Had it?)
The faint hum of an air conditioning unit rattled at the back of the building. I looked around.
A girl, in her 20’s, checking her mailbox. I stared for probably a second too long, and averted myself. At our building all of the units were empty, aside from mine and one near the end.
I could see that old lady, puffing at her cigarette, near the end. My unit was at the sub basement level, it took a flight of stairs to get to them. I caught the old woman’s gaze for a moment, and walked down.
It was foggy outside, so much that the steps before me were hard to see. Around the back of the building stood a forest, the trees stretching higher than I cared to look. There was never anything there. Never a single noise.
I slid my key inside the lock, and heard the familiar click. As I turned to close the door, something within the trees shifted. I locked the door quickly.
My walls were bare, no posters, nor art. Nothing stood up furniture wise either. The living room was completely empty, as well as the kitchen. Inside the fridge were a few bottles of water. I slid my hand across the cap and popped it open. The taste was sweet.
I slid into the bedroom. Here, one quilt and another quilt bundled up as a pillow lay. The clock had over an inch of dust on it, as well as some small pebbles.
I laid down, my hands crossed over my chest. The hum of the unit outside was relaxing.
In the darkness, something woke me. Above me, loud beating noises. THUMP! THUMP! A girl screaming, playfully.
Probably someone having fun. Okay.
My eyes closed.
The screaming became even louder. The thudding noises increased in tempo. Something being knocked over, and then a shuffling noise. More screaming, this not in pleasure, but in pain. Fear. Sweat rolled down my forehead. One more thud.
No noise.
Something being dragged away, towards the front of the building. The door slammed shut.
I drifted into a slumber…
This time, something was clawing at the door. I always locked my bedroom door. They had told me that from the beginning. My condition had also led me to do this every night.
The scratching continued, and in the darkness my eyes could barely make out some dark fingers. I turned over, the persistent scratching stopping after a moment. The door was KICKED open, and loud footsteps made their way around my back, in front of my legs, and…
Nothing.
I rolled over, and the door was still closed. The moon teased the idea of light outside, against the dark trees, The air conditioner was off, the air was silent. The night was still.
The old woman peered inside, looking into my house. Her white eyes looked directly at me. The slid across the room, right to left. She took out a cigarette, walked into the window frame. CHICK. Her lighter sparked, and the cigarette fuzzed into a bright orange circle.
She stood there, for a few minutes, until the cigarette had dwindled to the butt. She continued to stand there, staring directly at me. She then began walking away.
Her head peeped inside once more, her eyes rolling from left to right. Her head craned back into the nothingness and that was all.
Outside my door, someone began to cough. It was slow at first, beginning with grunts. He then began to belch, and gag. I could hear liquids splattering onto the hardwood floor. He began violently vomiting, and the splashing was infinitely disgusting. He continued to do this for at least 5 minutes straight.
After that, footsteps led away from the door.
