Chapter Text
This would work.
Small and cozy.
My view was fairly decent - especially if I crawled out onto the fire escape. I stood in the middle of the cardboard boxes, well-loved furniture and ruffled up houseplants and turned, “Well,” I smiled at Gladys, my new landlord. She was six-foot-ten, could snap me in half and had a mean five o’clock shadow but, she rocked her wedges and miniskirt and I was quickly falling in love with her, “I think that’s everything. Thanks for helping me. I’ve never met a landlord that helps you lug a couch up the elevator.”
“Of course, doll,” she winked, “I have this for you,” she jingled a pair of keys at me, “Congratulations. It’ll be nice to have this place full, again. Bring some life back into it after what happened.”
I froze, mid-reach for the keys, “What happened?”
Gladys stared at me, “She didn’t tell you?”
I shook my head, “No.”
“God. See? I knew she was a shit realtor. No one that cheap could be good.”
“Gladys.”
“Look, it’s not that big of a deal.”
“Oh, god. Someone died in here.”
Gladys grimaced and nodded, “Someone died in here.”
“OH MY GOD.”
“It’s fine, Caroline! Listen. It’s fine.”
“Was it a murder? Tell me it wasn’t a murder,” I begged and Gladys exhaled, “Oh GOD IT WAS A MURDER.”
“It’s wasn’t a murder,” Gladys said, “It was just… it was sad. He was a nice boy.”
“Is it... haunted?”
“No, of course not.”
I narrowed my eyes at Gladys, who shook the set of keys. I took them and exhaled, “One sign of a ghost and I’m outta here.”
“Fair enough.”
Gladys left me to unpack alone. I found the coffee maker and the coffee first. Unpacked my favorite mug. I started a pot and opened the windows. Lit a few candles and dug out a nearly used up bundle of sage, “No, thank you, ghosts,” I said, lighting it up and walking it through the house. After a bit of cleansing and organizing, I spent the rest of the day unpacking and by midnight I was exhausted but, had some semblance of a home, again.
I ordered dinner and enjoyed it on the couch – too tired to watch TV, I finally shuffled to bed – undressing and sliding in sans pajamas. The tears finally came. I’d worked around them all day. A bad breakup, losing my best friend and roommate because she slept with said boyfriend that caused said breakup. It had been a rough few months. It had seemed like finding an apartment was nearly impossible. All the while I had been banished to the couch to watch my friend and boyfriend sleep in my bed. Together. My bed.
But then I’d found this place: a quiet, cozy apartment and a lovely landlord. I would manage. I still had work at the cafe and I still had friends but, I was heartbroken to say the least. I swiped away errant tears and rolled over, stuffing my face into the pillow for a good sob.
I jumped when the upstairs neighbors pounded on the floor – their stomping echoed across the ceiling.
And then I froze.
There were no upstairs neighbors.
There was only the roof and the tenants didn’t have access.
I sat up slowly, eyes darting to the shadowy corners – the darkness seemed to grow and swirl up the walls. The room grew icy cold and I was frozen in place too scared to move. The door opened – creaking as it moved. This time, the stomping was on the floor. In the hallway. My hallway. It grew closer and closer until it was in the doorway. And then closer still as whoever or whatever it was closed the space between the bed and the door. I held up my hands, “I come in peace, okay?” the stomping above me paused for a moment and then started, again – though now it was rhythmic and ominous. I flinched with each loud boot stomp. This ghost was definitely wearing boots, “I just,” I looked around my bedroom and sighed, “I just really need this place to work out, okay?” The stomping quieted but, the icy chill did not go away, “And if we can manage to live together relatively... peacefully – I’ll lay off the sage and try to, uh,” I couldn’t believe I was negotiating with a ghost. On the first fucking night. I took a deep breath, “Can we just try and coexist? Please?”
I was answered with silence. And a warmer bedroom. The dim light emanating from behind the curtains returned.
The door shut slowly.
Fuck.