Authors Note: Hello! Sorry about the short chapter this time, I wasn't sure where to end it without it getting super long. I hope you like it, enjoy!
I stepped off the bus with a spring in my step, my sneakers scuffing on the side walk as I hurriedly shuffled out of the way of people disembarking behind me. It was a beautiful autumn day, the sky was clear and tirelessly blue and I could feel the lazy heat warming the top of my head. I swept a hand across my forehead, causing my bangs to tickle the pale, sweaty skin there. Lugging all these textbooks around was tough work! Now let's see.. where exactly am I? The busy street was lined with shiny, new looking apartments and condos with a few modern and expensive looking shops sprinkled throughout for variety, I supposed. This must be the nicer side of town, just look at these buildings! I blinked my large, doe eyes dazedly as I took in the swanky neighbourhood. The glare of the sun reflected off the stark white walls of the condo directly in front of me searing my retinas with its intensity.
I pulled up the address on my phone, squinting against the splotches of colour crowding my vision as I compared it to the metallic numbers stamped on each building. I must be near the place, the house numbers were already very close to the one Unknown had sent me. After about ten minutes of walking distractedly and gawking at my surroundings, and a few angry looks later as I narrowly avoided crashing into people on the bustling sidewalk; I came across an expensive, glossy looking apartment with an ornate scrolling gate that appeared to separate it form the outside world. Cautiously I grasped my hands around the smooth metal, using it as leverage to strain onto the tips of my toes and peer over into the buildings courtyard. According to the numerical pattern of the houses on either side, this should be the missing puzzle piece, the residence of the missing phone. I sank back down with a gulp, spotting the address in small, scripted silver numbers near the front doors. Yup, this was the place.
Ok, I can do this. I wiped my suddenly sweaty palms on my jeans, forcing down the nervous shock of energy in my belly. I would just write a note explaining the situation and leave my name and contact information for the owners to get ahold of me later. Easy. Then I could help out this mysterious Unknown person and go on my way, good deed done for the day! There was only one thing standing in my way. I looked up, my gaze following the intricate floral design in the solid metal structure before me. The gate. It was easily six feet tall, dwarfing my mere 5'1" frame and making me feel like a petulant child sneaking back home after a night of mischief. It was clearly too large for me to scale, not to mention this type of place looked like it would have some serious security measures. I scanned the immediate area for some sort of intercom or control panel but found nothing. I put a finger to my lips in quite contemplation. Nothing had happened when I touched the gate, perhaps it was unlocked and there was no alarm?
Tentatively I reached out one hand, moving as if in slow motion, my muscles tensed and ready to dart at the slightest sound of trouble. Nothing. The gate swung open silently on oiled hinges. I stared at it for a moment, convinced it would snap shut at any second, then sprinted through and up the steps to the double glass doors, not daring to look over my shoulder. Inside I was greeted cheerfully if a bit suspiciously by an older lady seated at a glossy marble desk. I spared her a quick, nervous smile before making a beeline to the elevators, keeping my head down and trying to act normal. Obviously I wasn't one of the regular tenants here, but no one said anything to me as I waited awkwardly in the lobby; at least they were polite.
Finally after an excruciatingly long elevator ride shared with a young, trendy looking couple who blatantly stared at me, I arrived on the fourteenth flour and in front of the designated apartment door. As if on cue my pocket buzzed to life and I grabbed my phone immediately, swiping right to unlock the chatroom.
Unknown: Are you there yet? See nothing strange. ^^
I felt a wave on unease wash over me as I stared down at the simple message, re-reading it silently to myself, as if trying to extract some extra meaning from it. How did he know I was here already? And if he didn't know.. that was a damn good guess. I gulped, fighting the tightness in my throat and the jittery panic fluttering in my chest. What was I being so paranoid about? It had to be a coincidence, these sorts of things happened all the time. Now was not the time to have a panic attack, hold it together Areum. I gritted my teeth together and quickly replied before I had a chance to back out, my hands trembling lightly.
Areum: Yes.
Unknown: Is there a password lock on the door?
My dark eyes snapped up to the door handle, knowing already that there would be a password lock. The sick feeling swirling around my insides intensified as my sight confirmed my intuition.
Areum: Yes.. Shouldn't I knock?
I battled my fear with the normalcy of routine, polite manners, knocking timidly on the smooth wooden door without waiting for a response from Unknown. A couple seconds passed, the only noise an angry buzzing in my hand that I ignored. No answer. Ok, it appeared they weren't home, I'll just write a quick note and try to slip it under the crack of the front door. I began to rummage in my book bag, crumpling and tearing potentially important papers in my haste to get the hell out of there, now. A monologue of buzzing accompanied my search and finally more out of frustration than anything I stopped and glanced at the phone.
Unknown: Hmm. You're right!
Unknown: Sorry, I wasn't thinking straight.
Unknown: Then ring the doorbell.
The messages made me pause. I didn't know what I had expected, but the reply was so.. normal it caught me off guard. Again I questioned myself, was this just my own anxiety getting the best of me? I'd come this far already, it would feel like a waste to leave now. This is something I can conquer, I have to be brave! I have to try...
Areum: I don't think anyone is home..
Unknown: Hmm. No choice then. I guess the place is empty.
Unknown: Why don't you press the code?
The next message was a sequence of numbers, presumably the passcode for the apartment door. My chest was heaving and it took a conscious effort to steady my heart rate with a deep breath in, pause, and exhale out. My hand habitually moved to rest over my heart; palming slow, rhythmic circles over the crumpled material of my knit sweater. It was a technique I had adopted over the years to calm myself down when I was feeling overwhelmed.
The buttons were cold and hard under my finger tips as I quickly typed in the code on the door, a sharp puff of breath escaping my lips as I heard a mechanical click and the door cracked open. It was at that exact moment, as my hand left the handle, that a very distinct thumping noise followed by a frantic scuffle cut through the silence of the empty hallway.
Only it wasn't empty. A shriek parted my mouth into a perfect oh as I jumped in surprise, my head cracking like a whip towards the origin of the noise. I caught a blur of white hair and startled, mint green eyes that pierced through me. Then nothing. The person, for I was sure it was a person, had vanished. The only trace of their existence an eery echo of uneven footsteps that was quickly swallowed by silence. Without thinking I threw myself into the apartment, sprawling in a tangle of limbs onto the hard, wooden floor and kicking the door shut behind me. I lay there for a moment, pushing myself onto my hands and knees, my laboured breaths the only sound in the apartment. I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me, it was a monumental struggle to extract oxygen out of the air. This must be what suffocating feels like, I thought.
My hands clenched into tight fists, disturbing a thick layer of dust on the floor. I blinked away the hot prickle of tears that threatened at the corner of my eyes and stared blindly at the grime, my thoughts tumbling over themselves and not making sense. Who.. who was that? Had that person been following me the whole time? What did they want from me? I pounded the floor in frustration, wincing as my hand went numb and then immediately bloomed in pain. Why were they hiding there.. watching me? How could I have been so stupid to listen to a stranger in the first place! I knew it was a bad idea, it had felt wrong... And yet I stubbornly talked myself into it. To do what, prove myself? Stupid, stupid, stupid!
I forced myself to straighten up, my body crumpling in on itself, as if becoming smaller would make me disappear. This couldn't be happening, I needed to get out of here, now. It took all my strength to drag myself from the floor, and I leaned my weight against the door to more easily catch my breath, my hand unconsciously going to my chest and pressing hard in an attempt to relieve the pressure there. I made to try the handle and was forcefully stopped, the cool metal in my hand refusing to turn. No way... I tried again, this time with both hands, and was met with the same, stoic, closed door. I was locked in. With a cry of frustration I kicked the door and slumped to the floor, my efforts exhausted.
An all too familiar buzzing noise filled the room, breaking through the panic induced fog that was my thoughts. Unknown! In my distress I had forgotten about Unknown and the messenger app. I reached for my back pocket, then hesitated as it buzzed again, and again. Could it have been Unknown, the person I saw? The person following me? I steeled myself, closing my eyes and stabilizing my breathing the best I could before swiping open the phone and entering the chatroom. I needed answers.