Apartment of Horrors

Gavin sent another message. "Once you're back, I'll bring the officer up to your place. Or he won't be able to report back if he doesn't get to search your unit."

I was about to type when I stopped cold. That officer had literally just gone downstairs. How did Gavin find out so quickly?

And there was another line in Gavin's message that nagged at me. We were both young, and we'd chatted a few times. The only person he'd ever seen me go out to eat with was Jacob.

So by "friend," he had to mean Jacob.

Wasn't Jacob at home? Didn't Tom just confirm that he was? So who was lying here?

I fired off a text to Tom, but he never replied. So, I texted Gavin back, "We have a team-building event at work tonight, so I'm staying out and won't be back."

I trusted no one but myself. Gavin didn't reply either.

I hurried through my mac and cheese and locked the door. I had no idea what was happening outside. All I could do was close up the doors and windows and keep everyone else out.

I ran through the building in my head. On the sixth floor, it was just me and the guy in 603 across the hall. The fifth floor had Jacob, Tom, and a college student in 504. The fourth floor had only 401, which was occupied by someone I'd never met.

Since Edgar's death, the third floor had been reduced to just one occupant—304, which was the only tenant bold enough to continue living there.

The second floor was full, but I didn't really know anyone. I'd only seen a man and a woman in the elevator. They looked like a married couple. On the first floor, there was an elderly man who had trouble getting around, and then there was Gavin.

Aside from my former roommates, the only person in this building whose number I had was the guy in 603 across the hall.

I was still worried about Jacob, so I texted Tom again, but he didn't reply either.

I ended up opening the group chat and adding the guy in 504. We were all young night owls, but after waiting a good while, he still didn't respond.

By midnight, I finally lay down. Maybe he was beat and turned in early.

The rain outside showed no sign of easing. It drummed on the window and kept me from sleeping. I sat up to find my earplugs when my phone lit up. It was a text from the guy in 603.

"Don't you think tonight feels a little off?"

I came fully alert. Thank goodness. I wasn't alone!

I didn't talk much with the guy in 603. For once, a text from him actually made me glad.

"Did you feel it, too? How was it when the officer stopped by just now?" I asked.

"So you're home, yeah? I told the officer I heard the elevator, but he said there was no one home across the hall. He just popped in and had a quick look, then got weird about it and insisted on checking my knives up close. He only left after that."

I told him I was glad nothing had happened, and he texted again almost immediately.

"It's way too quiet tonight. Usually, the guy downstairs is gaming at this hour, but tonight there's nothing."

I was taken aback. Even with the rain pouring down, he noticed the silence below.

Still, he was right. That college student downstairs often blasted his game audio and talked with his teammates on voice chat. Even I could hear it.

But tonight, it was just the rain. I texted, "Maybe he didn't game tonight. He could've turned in early."

The guy in 603 replied, "Could be, but it's Friday. This is when he'd usually pull an all-nighter."

I had nothing to say. The student in 504 still hadn't replied to my message, and the silence just made the fear worse.

I texted, "We don't really know what's going on yet. Let's talk tomorrow."

"Yeah."

I put my phone down, but sleep wouldn't come. As my nerves built, I needed to pee, so I got up and went toward the bathroom.

But I stopped before I reached it. Given how dark the room was, there should have been a sliver of light under the door. Instead, it was completely dark.

Someone was lying on the floor outside my door.