(Next: https://redd.it/174vvue )
I think a lot of people can relate to my situation. Rent is insane, and good-paying jobs are hard to find. I was just getting by when my landlord decided he wanted more money. It’s not like I had the time or money to fight it. Instead, I started looking for a new place so I wouldn’t be homeless by the end of the month.
For two weeks I desperately looked for anything within my price range. A few options came up but fell through at the last minute. The one place I considered was a house with four other guys. They cleaned up when I arrived to view the room available for rent. Whatever efforts they made were in vain. The place smelled like something died under the floor or behind some of the damaged walls they poorly covered up. Soon, it appeared that my options would be a rundown frat house or the streets.
When an affordable apartment came on the market, I thought it was a miracle. Aside from the no pets in the lease, it appeared too good to be true. I swooped on the chance, applying a few minutes after I saw the listing. Within the next hour, I’d gotten a response so I could be booked in for a viewing as soon as possible.
I imagine there must be a lot of people trying to get into the apartment listed. At the time, I felt thankful I got the viewing. When I arrived at the address, I second-guessed myself a few times. There was no way this place would be rented so cheap.
The entire apartment building was massive, yet clean. Parking out front and another lot under the building. A large stone wall surrounded the area. I stopped at the front gate expecting a person to be working. I got the code texted to me to get in beforehand. I’ve never lived in a place that needed a gate before. That should have been the first red flag.
The second red flag should have been how empty the building felt. I parked out front in a barren lot. I needed to put in another code for the front doors to get inside the lobby. Again, no one was at the front desk. It made me pause and wonder what a front desk person would even need to do in an apartment building. It felt like more of a hotel to me.
The inside of the lobby was spotless. I saw my reflection on the smooth marble flooring. A set of stiff white sofas were arranged waiting to be used. A mixture of perfectly fanned-out magazines sat on the black coffee table in the middle of the seating area. Nothing looked as if a single person had ever touched them. A slight chill ran down my back, but I blamed that on the air conditioning.
I was told to go right up to the tenth floor and to the apartment I wanted to rent. Someone was going to meet me there. Even the elevators smelled too clean. I wondered if this place had been built recently and that explained why no one was around. Maybe they hadn’t filled all the rooms yet. Inside the elevators were mirrors on the walls creating an illusion of the room going on forever. When I pressed the button to go to the tenth floor, the doors sat open for a full minute. When they closed the entire space jerked hard downwards. I was then shot up faster than any other elevator I’ve been in. A sinking feeling jumped to my stomach when it finally stopped. If I moved in, I would take the stairs if I could.
I ran out the open doors, my heart fluttering from the sudden jolts in the ride upward. I took a moment to recover and to look around. The carpet was a simple light grey that matched the walls. A wooden table with a vase of fake silver flowers sat outside the elevators. The place looked more like a hotel than an apartment building. I wondered if this had been built as one but switched to more long-term renting after the project had been completed. It also looked way over my budget. I hoped I didn’t waste a shift off work for some sort of renting scam.
I found the right door. I knocked even though I’d been told to go right in. A voice called out inviting me inside. I cautiously opened the door, expecting anything.
The apartment was clean and cool. It had way more space than I needed. A middle-aged man stood in the middle of the living room. He’d been re-ranging flyers for nearby restaurants. I opened my mouth to introduce myself. He cut me off by taking hold of my hand in a firm shake.
“Mr. Park, so nice to meet you! I hope the complex meets your standards! I’m the owner, Norman Freed.”
His voice was deep with a bit of a British accent. He practically sang my last name putting my nerves on edge. The bright smile and voice could have won over anyone, and that’s why it bothered me. Why would he put so much effort into this meeting? It’s not as if he wouldn’t have a hundred other people wanting to rent this apartment.
“I uh…” I started unsure of what to say.
Any questions I had disappeared and I mentally cursed myself.
“Let’s give you a quick tour of the place! The furniture is included in the price if you’re interested in it. I want to make the move-in processes as easy as possible for my future tenants.” He said as he guided us to the other rooms of the apartment.
There were two bedrooms. One larger than the other with a bathroom attached. It had been stocked with essentials which also threw me off. I’ve seen most apartments come with a dishwasher and fridge, but never one with a bed, fresh towels, and a full living room set. I couldn’t hold back my look of suspicion.
“I know what you’re thinking. This is far too good to be true, correct? I’ll let you look over the lease for as long as you like. There are no hidden costs or fees. Just this apartment with everything at the price listed in the ad.” Norman assured me.
“How can you afford to rent apartments so cheap? I imagine you could get triple and still have a line of people.” I said unable to get past that point.
The smile never left his face. He’d been expecting to explain himself.
“I come from a rich family. My parents passed away leaving me with an amount of money I could never spend in my lifetime even if I tried. I could have anything I’ve ever wanted aside from one simple thing. A legacy. I made this building as a start towards that.” He started and made a grand gesture to the room around us. “The rent residents pay goes directly into maintaining the building. I make no profit off the apartments. It makes it affordable so people can focus on improving other aspects of their lives. Imagine what good you could do with your life if you didn’t need to worry about rent payments!”
He talked in a fast-paced excited tone, but I wasn’t fully buying it. This sounded like the start of a cult. I hated the fact this was a trap instead of Norman being just a good guy in the middle of a midlife crisis.
“Could I look over the lease?” I asked.
Norman wasted no time handing over the paperwork. The apartment looked nice. Clean, modern, and with a good floorplan. I flipped through the pages seeing nothing amiss.
“You don’t need to sign the papers today. Take them home and sleep on it. I’ll hold the apartment for a week for you to consider your options and to get things together.”
I found myself staring at the other man. My gut said to not trust him. And yet, I didn’t have any better options. I thanked him for letting me come by and he told me to call if I had any questions.
I left the meeting feeling rattled. When I got back home, I looked up his name and did three days of research before confirming that Normal had been telling the truth. He just wanted to do some good in the world. No rent increases unless the building needs maintenance. But that cost would be spread out to all the renters, meaning we wouldn’t even notice that big of an increase.
I signed the papers and planned to move by the end of next week. The agreement gave renters generous out if they needed to break the lease. I literally had nothing to lose. At least, I didn’t think I did.
I’ve never owned that much stuff. Packing was a simple task. Very soon I found myself standing in a pristine new apartment. It didn’t feel like home. I imagined it wouldn’t for a long time. At least now I wouldn’t have to work as much for rent. But I dreaded being alone for extra hours. I decided to keep my brutal work schedule for a little while longer.
The first night in the apartment felt strange in a way I couldn’t explain. It was as if I wasn’t alone. I kept expecting someone else to turn the corner. I didn’t know if it was the new place, or if I was just missing Abby again. Expecting to see her while hadn’t fully gone away just yet. I didn’t sleep much the first night. At some point just as I started to drift off, I felt someone sitting on the edge of the bed. I flew to turn on the light only to see nothing. Rattled, I got a snack thinking it might help me calm down. I was a zombie at work the next day.
Another thing that unnerved me was the building appeared far too empty. I knew it just was open for renters, but I rarely saw others around. The laundry room was empty any time I used it, along with the outside parking. It was almost as if I was the only one living there.
That fact we proved wrong within the first two weeks of me living there. I finally met my next-door neighbor. I’d gotten off a late shift from work ready to get straight into bed. I saw her struggling to get her key in the lock while jiggling bags of groceries in her arms. I offered some help, which she accepted very thankful I arrived when I did. I wondered why she didn’t just set the bags down but didn’t say the idea out loud.
“Could you put these on the counter for me? I really need to use the washroom.” She admitted and rushed off before I answered.
I walked inside, feeling strange about the entire interaction. I didn’t know there were grocery stores even open that late. She must have had a job that kept her late like mine did. I awkwardly waited for her to come back feeling like I should at least explain I was her neighbor before leaving.
“You’re a lifesaver! I wish I knew why I need to pee the moment I reach my front door.” She said, long blonde hair swaying as she hurried over.
I helped her put items in the fridge, not very skilled at social situations.
“I’m Justin. I live next door.” I told her my English name.
It wasn’t a legal name, but I found it easier for most people to remember.
“I’m Amanda. I just moved in. Is it just you next door?” She asked.
I doubted she was trying to pry. Just making some conversation.
“Are you also living alone? You bought a lot of food for one person.” I commented as I looked around her place.
Aside from some clothing on her couch, her apartment looked the same as mine. There wasn’t any sign of a second person even though she had bags of bulk pasta and rice.
“Oh, it’s cheaper per pound to buy more. I freeze a lot of meals. I can drop off some dinners for you from time to time if you like.”
Her offer threw me off a little. Her bright blue eyes looked up at mine expecting a positive answer. She looked around my age. I wondered if she was just a nice person or desperate for a boyfriend.
“That would be nice on the weekends when I have more time off,” I told her not to dismiss her kindness.
“Awesome, we’ll plan it out. I’ve gotten really into cooking lately. I’m also getting a rice cooker at the end of the week, which will help.”
Her smile felt a little weird. She must just be as awkward around people as I was. She thanked me again and let me go back to my apartment, but not before forcing her number on me. At least making friends with my next-door neighbor was easy enough.
Before the weekend rolled around, I noticed something with my bank account. I had way too much money in it. My first and last month’s rent should have been paid by now. I double-checked to see if I forgot to send it but saw the amount had bounced back. I called Norman’s number to tell him. It took a few calls to finally get through. When I did, he admitted he switched banks and forgot to update his details. The new bank was giving him a hard time and said he would waive my payment because of the stress he caused. I insisted I needed to pay. No matter what I said he dodged the offer in the kindest way possible.
This should have been a lucky break for anyone. And yet, I got even more unnerved. Every time something went my way, I expected something terrible to happen. I may have just been acting paranoid.
As promised, Amanda came over with dinner on Sunday. It was a simple fried rice dish. I enjoyed it. She picked at her food more interested in talking. She wanted to get to know as much as possible about me for some reason. The conversation barely went in her direction. When it did, she didn’t say much about herself.
By the end of the short dinner, I felt like I knew less about her than before. No other red flags showed. She was nice, smiled a great deal, and offered to come over again when I was free. I wasn’t ready to have weekly hangouts with someone yet. I said I would think about it, but that wasn’t a good enough answer. She got me to agree on a time for next weekend like a pro.
I started to think that there might be something wrong with me. This poor girl was just trying to be nice, and I acted as if she had an interior motive. Everything about this new apartment creeped me out for no damn reason.
At least, to start with there being no damn reason.
The first real creepy experience happened in the underground parking lot. A storm with a risk of hail was rolling through so I used the underground spaces for the first time. I pulled in just in time. A downpour of rain started, and soon chunks of hail followed. Most of the spaces were filled on the first level. Which I thought was weird because I never saw anyone inside the building besides Amanda. I found a space a few spots from the elevator.
Then a rumble of thunder shook the building. Soon the lights flickered out. I’d been out of my car and walking toward the exit when I found myself in pitch darkness. I pulled my phone out to use the flashlight on it to guide the way. For some odd reason, my phone refused to turn on.
My breathing started to get heavy as I waited for the lights to go back on. Your mind starts playing tricks on you in the dark very quickly. I should have stood still but I wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. I thought I knew what direction the first level was. I stumbled around in the dark, the still air felt almost suffocating. Since I wasn’t bumping into cars, I figured I was going the right way.
Only a few minutes passed in the dark, but it felt like hours. The lights flickered back on to show just how far I walked in the wrong direction. Instead of going towards the elevator, I stumbled near the ramp that led to the third level.
The lights for the next level didn’t turn back on. I found myself staring off into the darkness, wondering just how I got so lost. I was about to turn around when a noise caught my attention. The sound of wings flapping echoed around me. Often some birds get trapped down here looking for a dry place to rest.
My phone started to work again. I used it to try and see what kind of bird was there with me. I worried it might not get out and thought I should tell someone to come down to rescue it. My phone flashlight scanned the third level to see nothing moving in the dark. But I did see a bunch of parked cars, each one of them gathering dust.
Why would so many people park on the third level when the second one is empty? And why did these cars seem to have been left here for some time? Without thinking, I walked down the ramp to look more. Some were missing the license plates, and others had slightly deflated tires. I paused at one with a thick layer of dust on the hood and a bunny plushie sitting forgotten on the dashboard.
The bird that caught my attention landed at the top of the ramp. It stared me down with deep black eyes. It looked like some sort of crow, but far larger than anyone I’ve seen before. I suddenly wanted the hell out of there. It flapped a pair of wings to take back off in the darkness. A chill started up my spine that followed me to the elevator.
There were a lot of cars just sitting around for whatever reason. No matter how much I thought it over, I couldn’t figure out why.
Amanda was waiting by my door when I got off the elevator. I wasn’t in the mood to talk with her.
“Oh, what’s the matter? The storm freak you out?” She asked when she saw my expression.
“Yeah, I was in the underground parking when the lights went out. Have you been down there and seen all the dusty cars?” I said because it would bother me unless I asked about it.
She just shrugged, not at all concerned.
“A lot of stores are within walking distance here. And most people order things now or work from home. I bet they just let them sit down there to save on gas.” She offered.
“I guess that makes sense.” I replied but did not fully accept the answer.
“It’s kinda weird the power went out down there. I didn’t see the lights flicker or anything. I was coming over to see if you wanted to have a scary movie night because of the storm. You know, Netflix and chill and all that.”
I nearly stumbled back at the last part. We barely knew each other, and she already was dropping that sort of suggestion. I’ve been out of the dating game for a few years, but were girls always that forward?
“You know what Netflix and chill means, right?” I stammered, face flushed.
“I’m well aware it can mean a certain thing if you want it to. So, do you want to chill at my place for a little while?” Her voice dropped to a suggestive tone that made me take a step back.
I just then noticed her grey sweatpants, and baggy shirt hanging off one shoulder. She was cute, way cute. But my stomach twisted over the thought of accepting her offer. It was just a very bad time for me. I turned my head unsure of how to refuse.
“I’m uh… I need to be up early for work tomorrow.” I said and it made her laugh.
“Bold of you to assume you would keep us up all night.”
Her response nearly made my heart stop from embarrassment. I stammered out nonsense as she waved away any excuses, I might try to make.
“It’s fine. I just wanted to offer. Am I just not your type?”
“Something like that.” I said glad that she gave me a way out of this conversation.
“Are we still good though? As neighbors I mean?”
I would need a few days to recover from this, but we could still be friends. I bet a lot of people would be angry at me for turning down a girl as willing as her. I just couldn’t go through dating someone right then.
Thunder rumbled outside so loud it shook the building. Amanda wanted to watch some horror movies before the storm passed. He gave me a goodbye and left back inside her apartment. I hoped she never brought up this conversation again.
Oddly enough, I slept better than I had with the storm going on outside. It filled my apartment with white noise. I never realized just how silent my bedroom was until I woke up the next morning. The lack of noise pressed down on me. I turned on the shower as I did my morning chores just to chase away that unnatural silence.
Nearly a full month went by before something happened, I couldn’t ignore. I could have chalked up everything to new apartment jitters. I’d almost settled down and gotten into a routine, Then, the package showed up at my door.
We had mailboxes in the lobby. Maybe my neighbor got this in her mail by mistake and brought it up to me? I hadn’t ordered anything, and yet the label had my name and address. I flipped it around without a clue what could be inside.
I just got off work, so I changed into clean clothing before tearing open the mystery package. The two plastic items spilled onto the kitchen counter. The sight of them made my stomach drop to the floor. For half a second, I thought I might be sick, then my blood started to boil.
Someone had sent a pair of reflective clip-on bicycle lights. But who the hell would be so cruel? Abby’s family didn’t know my full address even if they held some sort of unknown grudge. Would the driver have somehow found my address and put it here? For what? Was this a threat? Or just because he liked causing pain for others?
I tossed the clips and the wrapping they came in inside the trash. I then stormed over to the elevator carrying the tied-up bag to go downstairs to dispose of it. I couldn’t stand having those clips in my apartment. My fingers slammed on the basement button. It had been a while since I’d felt that kind of rage bubble up.
The elevator started to drop. I watched the lights of each floor pass. When it hit the lobby, I got closer to the door expecting it to open at the next stop. The elevator hit the basement, but to my confusion, it kept going.
There wasn’t anything below the basement. The underground parking may go deeper, but those elevators open to the lobby. Nothing showed on the panel as to what floor I was going to. It just kept going. Suddenly, it dropped so fast that my feet lifted off the ground. I collapsed, feeling as if I just kept falling for ages.
Finally, the elevator hit a sudden stop. The doors sat closed long enough to regain my balance. On shaking legs, I stood up wondering what the hell was going on, sick with fear.
The doors started to open, and I pressed my back against the large mirror. Nothing but darkness was beyond the doors. My heart raced as I debated on going near the doors to try hit a button to go back upwards. Any thoughts disappeared from my mind when a hand reached out from the darkness into the light of the small space. Then another one. Each arm was impossibly long, and the skin dyed a deep dark red. I pressed hard against the mirror, unable to go anywhere else. A scream died in my throat as the hand shot out to grab my wrist so hard I thought it snapped.
My body was dragged into the darkness as if I weighed nothing. I saw nothing but heard screaming. It took me a long while to realize the voice I heard was my own.
I found myself screaming on the cold lobby floor. A concerned face above my own. I half crawled away still convinced I was wherever the elevator took me.
“Mr. Park, are you alright? Do you have any medical issues I should be aware of?”
The fear hadn’t fully worn off when Norman spoke. My landlord appeared very worried for my well-being. It took me forever to collect myself.
“What…?” I croaked out, voice raw from screaming.
“I just walked in and saw you had collapsed here.”
I shook my head still in shock. What happened couldn’t have been a dream. Could it? I looked down at my wrist seeing a bruise start to form. I might not have taken the elevator halfway to hell, but something happened.
“Maybe you’re overworking yourself. You have been doing a lot of double shifts. Why don’t I take you back up to your apartment so you can rest a while?” My overly kind landlord offered.
I was just about to refuse him, went Amanda stepped off the elevator. She paused, seeing me on the ground. I asked her if she could get me back upstairs in case I collapsed again. She did so without question. Norman asked me to contact him if I ever needed anything. I agreed just so he would let me leave. I didn’t tell my neighbor what happened. Just that I wasn’t feeling very well. I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. I barely heard what she said when I walked back inside my apartment.
The feeling of having someone right behind me didn’t go away. My hands started to shake and whatever rational part of my brain that was left screamed at me to leave. I decided to listen to it. I started to pack an overnight bag to get away from this place.
I also wanted to call my parents. I hadn’t heard from them for nearly a year because we lived in different countries. I didn’t know what time it was for them, but I didn’t care. My finger hovered over the screen to call them.
Suddenly, I felt bile rise to my throat. I dropped my phone to double over. Black liquid came spilling out, leaving a burning bitter taste behind. Tears came to my eyes making it impossible to see until they cleared.
I moved towards the door the moment I finished getting sick. My trembling hands landed on the handle, but my body didn’t move. My arms refused to do what I told them to. I wanted nothing more than to leave. To get the hell out of that place. What was happening wasn’t normal. And yet, my body didn’t listen to me.
“I hope you stay here forever.”
I turned when I heard Amanda’s voice, to see my apartment empty.
“You’ll never need to leave.” Norman’s voice came from the empty living room.
I shook my head, feeling dizzy. When I closed my eyes to clear my thoughts, I opened them to find myself in bed. My ringtone went off waking me up. I didn’t remember going to bed last night. The black bile had been cleaned up and I wore a different set of clothing from yesterday. I answered my phone with a shaking voice to hear my boss on the other end asking if I was going to be in. I made some sort of excuse for not feeling well, but I was on the way. Half a shift was better than no shift. I expected my body to refuse to leave my apartment. I’ve never been so happy in my life to leave for work.
I almost felt normal while out of the apartment building. The feeling of being watched was still at my back but I could ignore it. Near the end of my shift, I started to think I was fine. Yesterday was just some sort of brief medical episode. Like, lack of iron or something like that.
A co-worker asked me if I was doing alright. I opened my mouth to tell them the truth. I hated my new apartment, and for some reason, it freaked me out.
“I’m fine. Just been working too hard and I overslept.” I told them.
I stood in silent horror. My expression did not match how I felt. That was not what I wanted to say. My words got twisted by the time they reached my mouth. I tried again to tell them how much I hated my new apartment. I ended up asking about how the morning went without me.
This wasn’t right. I couldn’t say the words I wanted. As a test, I made a note on my phone about how I didn’t remember last night. My hands typed those words without issue.
I needed to get to the bottom of this but didn’t know how to start. I dreaded going back home. Was that place really a home at this point?
I took some overtime that day desperate to stay away for as long as possible. My body again acted on its own when it was time to drive back to my apartment. I mentally screamed at it to stop without it making a difference.
The fear I felt walking through the lobby doors was almost overwhelming. Norman saw me. Against my will, I stopped to talk with him.
“How are you feeling? All better?” He asked in a cheery tone.
“Yes.” I lied.
“That’s good. Very good. Amanda has told me that you two are getting along. But not as well as we hoped. I’ve asked her to introduce you to her friend who just moved in. She may be more to your liking.”
His words made my blood run cold. I wanted to get sick again. I knew something was wrong with this place, and he just confirmed it.
“Why…” I forced the word out. For once I sounded as scared as I felt.
Norman’s smile changed. He looked like a child pulling legs off a spider. He reached out for my hand. Some sort of force made me take his.
“I made this place to make everyone who lives here as happy as possible. You seem to be overworking yourself to avoid being alone. It seems like you need a new girlfriend after, well, what happened before you moved here. Don’t worry. Leave everything up to me. I’ll make things all better for you.”
He got in close, his deep voice rumbling the last words. I wanted to run and scream. I needed to call someone for help or do anything aside from what I did at that moment.
“Thank you. I appreciate you taking me in. I’ll do whatever I can for you in return.” I spoke in a monotone voice that wasn’t like my own.
No matter how much I struggled, my hands stayed holding his. With another horrible wide grin, Norman finally let go. I broke free to run back out the lobby doors. Instead, I half-jogged to the elevator. No matter how much I wanted to leave, I wasn’t in control.
I’ve thought about what to do. I haven’t been able to contact anyone to tell them what’s going on. Being able to write all this down has been a miracle.
As much as I hate the idea, I need to get to the bottom of this. I won’t ever be able to escape if I never figure out how Norman can control me, or what happened in the dark at the bottom of the elevator.
I need answers, even if they’ll kill me.