Leoftheros

Prologue

"There's only one request."

Haley stared at Andy. She desperately needed somewhere to live, her livelihood depended on it. The apartment sat in the overall perfect spot: near the courtyard of the complex, in the middle of town, a nice ten minute walk to nearly every store around.

However, she was skeptical. Andy, the manager of the apartment complex, had been dodging around details of the space they were about to walk into. "Go on."

"There's a box on the shelf in the back of the bedroom closet. Feel free to move it, open it, whatever. Just don't take it out." Andy unlocked the apartment and opened the door. "I'll wait here."

Haley furrowed her brow. "You're not coming in?"

"Take as much time as you need to look around, let me know if you have any questions."

Haley peered inside. The blinds were closed, all the lights were off, doors closed. She slipped her shoes from her feet, somehow feeling as though this space belonged to someone already and she was just visiting. The living room merged into a dining room that branched into a kitchen in the middle. A short hallway sported three doors: one to the bedroom, another to the office, and the last to the bathroom. She ignored the rest of the apartment, and went straight to the closet in the bedroom.

As Andy said, a medium sized box rested on a shelf in the back. It seemed utterly forgotten. Haley noticed a bookshelf built into the wall. She climbed the first two shelves to get a look at the top of the box. Written in black Sharpie were four words: don't take me outside.

A floorboard creaked behind her. Haley turned, saying, "Andy, why is this-" She stopped abruptly when she realized no one was there. Despite that, she felt someone watching her every move. With one last glance at the box, she walked from the closet and then from room to room, letting whatever was following her follow her. Her furniture would easily fit within the walls, the office had a window that faced the courtyard with a steady sun stream all day, and the living room lit itself up with a sky light. Perks of living on the second floor.

Haley slipped her shoes on and walked from the apartment, taking one last look. She muttered a goodbye under her breath as she shut the door. Andy stood by the stairs, peering at her.

"What do you think?" he asked.

She noticed a panel of the blinds move slightly from the corner of her eye. Andy's eyes went wide for a brief second. Haley grew up in the realm of the supernatural. Her parents were both Pagan, her older sister and herself taking in their footsteps as Wiccan. She had a natural gift for seeing and hearing spirits. And the box in the closet kept one in that apartment.

"When can I move in?"