Apartment C Four

“Have you settled into your new apartment yet?”

“I did yesterday, Mom,” I shut my apartment door with my hands full, “actually One of the neighbors woke me up at midnight making the worst ruckus.”

“Did you tell the manager?”

I sat the box down, “They probably just moved in, too. I guess I can go introduce myself.”

“Yeah and get the juicy gossip.”

“Mom, I’m not my sister, but I will keep you updated. I gotta go, Mom. Love you. Bye.”

“I love you, too, Benjamin. Bye,” She hung up.

I dropped my phone onto the counter, and I took the box to the hallway closet to store it. I went to my bedroom to take my clothes off. Nothing hits better than getting naked after a long day.

Bang! Bang! Whir!

I jumped out of bed and put clothes on. Glancing at the clock before leaving the room, three-seventeen in the morning. I went to make coffee, but the noise only got louder. I was scrambling my mind for an answer as I searched for my coffee container. I thought they finished construction months ago. Where is my coffee!? I saw my keys on the counter. I might as well go to a diner and get coffee. Maybe there’s a chance, the neighbors will be finished by then.

The Waitress approached me, “Neighbors keeping you up, again?”

I look up at her, “Uh yeah.”

“It’ll get better, Sugar. You should contact the building manager.”

I pulled my phone out, ‘That’s a smart idea. I’ll take a coffee- matter of fact, just bring me a pot.”

“You got it,” She walked away.

I searched my phone for Steven Elroid. Ring, ring, click, “Hello?”

“Steven, this is Benjamin from apartment c three. One of the neighbors has been very active during the night, and I can’t get any sleep.” 

“Alright, I’ll meet you up there at six-thirty.” 

I paced back and forth waiting for Steven. He finally made an appearance, “I realized half away across town, I forgot the book. Which apartment?”

“C four,” I pointed.

He sighed, “Okay”

He knocked on the door. Nothing. He knocked again- nothing. He announced himself before knocking again. Nothing. He turned to me, “I’ll come back up here at noon with the book and keys. Until then, try to get some rest, Benjamin.”

He’s right, I do need rest. I have to go to work at nine.

“No, I haven't heard anything from the landlord,” I shut the door behind me, “I’ve even left messages, nothing.”

“Calm down, Benjamin. Maybe they’re done with whatever they were doing.”

“This is why I call you, Mom. You try to keep positive.”

“How’s work?”

“The same old numbers and data sheets. They finally got me an assistant, her name is Delaney. It’ll be nice not to stress out about everything now.”

“I bet so.”

“Alright, I got to eat. I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too, Benjamin.”

I hung up and laid my phone down.

Tonight, I recorded the noise and sent it to Steven and my mom. It’s four in the morning, I might as well put my tie on and get the day started. I packed my computer into its bag and locked up my apartment. I made it to the elevator before I froze. I turned back around to visit the door that hides the cries of my early morning misery. I took a deep breath as I knocked. I knocked, and I knocked- nothing. A voice from behind me called to me, “Hey.”

I was surprised by a lady.

“It’s four in the morning.”

“You should say that to this doofus. They keep making noises.”

She opened her door wider, “No one lives there.”

“That’s impossible. They keep making noises.”

“Wait,” she closed the door. The door opened back up, and she had her coat and shoes on, “let’s go get coffee.”

“Welcome back, Sugar. I see you brought a friend,” The Waitress said.

“This is my neighbor, Thalia. Coffee pot, please.”

“Coming right up,” She left the table.

I pulled out my phone to find the recording. I played it. She seemed intrigued, “Why does it get louder?”

“I started recording leaving my bedroom and into the kitchen. I just understand how nobody can possibly live there. This recording says different.”

The Waitress sat our coffee down, “I had Steven come by yesterday, but he forgot his book. He knocked a couple of times before telling me he'll be back. I was at work, so I couldn’t catch him; He hasn’t gotten back to me.”

“No one lives there as far as everyone knows,” Thalia leaned in, “though that apartment does have stories. When I moved in a couple of months ago, someone from the A floor, in the middle of the night, was just standing there- mesmerized by the door. The next day, I knocked on every A floor door till I found her. She looked exhausted as if she hadn't slept. She and I went for coffee, too. She leaned in, just like I am now, to tell me she had coffee, too. A few months before I moved it, the building was newly remodeled. Guess why?”

“Something to do with that room?”

“It’s rumored that, in that apartment, a little girl’s parents were sleeping. She set them on fire, ” She leaned back.

“Why wasn’t that mentioned when I viewed the apartment?”

“That’s the same question everyone has on their mind.”

A call appeared on my phone. It was Steven, so I picked it up, “Hello?”

“That’s some noise. I’ll put out a notice about the noise.”

I put him on the speaker, “It’s coming form C four.”

“I checked C four out. It’s an empty unit.”

“Hey, Steven. You told me the building was newly remodeled. Why is this?”

“Some sort of fire took out most of the inside. That’s all I know.”

“Can you give me the number of the man who owns the building?”

“Uhm- look I’m not supposed to say anything, but I was anonymously hired. I don’t know who that would be.”

Thalia and I glared at each other.

“What do you mean anonymously hired? How?”

“I said too much,” Steven hung up.

I glance at the time, “I have to go.”

“I’ll figure out who owns the building, today.”

“Smart idea. I’ll be home around seven.”

Thalia was waiting for me at my door. I let her into my place.

“You won’t believe?”

I sat my stuff down, “What?”

“This place has been up for sale for nearly a hundred years by Max Bank.”

“Let’s send an email,” I glance at her, “want to stay for dinner?”

She smiled, “Yeah.”

I sat at the bar, reading emails, and listening to the noise. My computer binged. I opened a new email from Max Bank. I was startled from the sudden alarm from my phone. I turned it off, and the noise had finally ended. I rubbed my face. The email read:

Mr. Dagneil,

Summit Apartments is still on the market. The building was built in Eighteen-Seventy Three and was remodeled six months ago. There are fifty-seven total apartments. Seven studios…

At this point, I began skimming through the email. Pointless. I closed the computer and grabbed my keys. It’s coffee time.

The Waitress sat down with me, “You look exhausted.”

“I keep running into dead ends. The Landlord won’t do anything.”

“Time to move?”

“Maybe.”

“Coffee pot?”

“To-go. I’m going to run late.”

She stood up, “On it.”

She soon returned with a to-go cup, “Take care of yourself, Sugar.”

I jumped out of bed to gunshots. I ran to the hallway. There was nobody, but C four’s door was cracked. I went back into my apartment to grab my keys and a kitchen knife. I stood in front of the door. There was a woman's scream from inside the apartment! I bust in there. The apartment was empty. I smelt something burning. I ran down the hallway and opened the bedroom door. I dropped the knife. The little girl dropped the match and turned to me. The bed was on fire and the parents were screaming. This can’t be real! THIS CAN’T BE REAL! I turned away, and the little girl was at the end of the hallway with my kitchen knife. She traced the knife down the hallway wall, so I ran into the next room. I kept the door shut with my body. Hoping this nightmare was over, I squeezed my eyes shut. When everything went quiet, I opened my eyes. I was in a little girl’s bedroom. I stood up in disbelief. I opened the door, and I was, suddenly, in someone’s home. The little girl was beating the walls with toys. Her mother- who has the same features as Thalia- Wait! That is Thalia! I walked behind the bar for a closer look. She was chopping vegetables. The tv turned on and the volume was turned up. The father was on the couch. Is this that- family? Thalia came at me with the knife. I gasp because my heart is in my throat. I lightly called to her, “Thalia?”

She cocked her head, “Why are you in my house? How do you know me?”

“Your door was open.”

We both looked over. She stomped over there to slam it shut, “Jerry! Honey, we left the door open, again!”

The banging got louder. I turn to see even more little girls. I followed Thalia to her room, but she had gone into her bathroom. I spun around to leave. There was a giant spider staring at me. I began to hyperventilate. It screamed, and I found the exit quickly. I slammed the door. I ran to the exit, but there was no door. I couldn’t think over the banging, the screaming, and the drills! I banged on the wall.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Till everything went quiet. I slowly twisted around, and the little girl was standing there. She whispered one word, “Run.”

The spider busted through the wall. The wall behind me opened up, and I ran for it. The spider was tearing the building down chasing me. I tried to open another door, but it was locked. He got closer. I looked around in a hurry. THE WINDOW! I ran for the window. I leaped through the glass, and everything went black.

I woke up to the sound of chatting and bright lights. I rubbed my eyes clear. I was in a hospital room surrounded by nurses and doctors.

“Vitals are normal,” A nurse said.

“What happened?” I whispered.

Reading the clipboard, the doctor approached, “You jumped out of a burning building. Three stories to be exact.”

The monitor went rampant, “Burning?”

“Nurses!’ The doctor called.

The nurse sedated me. A couple of cops came in. One handcuffed me to the bed.

“Benjamin Dagneil you’re under arrest-”

Inside, I was panicking, but outside, I couldn’t move.

“-for arson.”

I whispered, “What?”

“We have witnesses placing you in apartment C four at the time of the fire.”

“No,” I was soft spoken from the sedation, “I heard gunshots from C four-”

The cop turned to the doctor, “His neighbors said he’s been going on about noises that don’t exist. Can we get a psych evaluation?”

“Phone. Thalia. Steven. Mom. Recording.”

The cop approached me, “Who’s Steven and Thalia?”

My eyes were getting heavy. I must stay awake.

“Neighbor-”

I couldn’t fight it any more.