A Match Made In Hell

Chapter 20: The third floor

A/n: sorry I totally forgot to update I had the chapter written but I've been really unorganized lately. ANYWAYS! I AM SO SORRY! THANK YOU FOR PATIENCE!

NOW

THE

FINALE!

-Rared 

(this is unedited btw sorry) 

. . . . . . . 

Tam POV

The district market is split into three parts; The Public, The Private, The Rich. The Public section had anything you could buy legally. A lot of working and middle class elves shopped here, because it had food, supplies, clothes, and toys and farming animals. Usually, the crowd is mothers and fathers and their kids, running around buying and making quick deals. The Private section had anything you could buy "legally". A lot of shady business goes down there, and there's always a handful of cops patrolling the area. Even with the police, a lot of deals for items that are "dangerous" or "out of control powerful" are sold there. The atmosphere is quiet, and children are rarely seen there. It's also the best place to buy herbs and medicine, so a lot of nurses or doctors were seen down there too. The Rich section had anything you could buy if you are wealthy and a well known elf. Cloaks, robes, crowns, diamonds, and so much more. If you're a cameraman for a celebrity oriented magazine, this is where you'd go to find the stars.

Keefe had found a place right next to The Public row. The tenant building was squashed two other apartments, and there was a small plaza in the middle. Clotheslines hung high up in the air and I could tell that there were a lot of families. Must be why Keefe bought this place; it'd be cheap. Poor families lived here. And most of the elves of color (A/n: I have so much beef with Shannon Messenger's representation with elves and skin tone and I rant about it for hours lmao).

We were room 214 on floor 3. There was no money for elevators so we climbed up the stairs, entertaining ourselves by teasing each other about how scared Keefe was of the rats and me the spiders. Floor 3 was filled with little children and new couples. The kids ran around us, smiling and giggling and chasing each other with ribbons and fly swatters. The hallways were narrow, so I wasn't surprised when a little girl bumped into my leg, almost knocking the both of us over.

"Sorry, Sir!" She exclaimed. "Are you new here!?"

She swung back and forth, her little teal dress swirling with her. Her eyes were electric blue and her hair was a curly brown. Her skin was a glowing tan, a few shades darker than mine.

"Yeah, we're actually a little lost." She brightened up. "We're looking for room 214. Do you know where that is?"

"Yes!! That's next to my house!!" She squealed a bit and slipped her hand into mine. "I'll show you!"

"Perfect." Keefe smiled at the little girl.

"Wait, I have to get Tylo." She turned around and called, "TYLO! WE HAVE NEIGHBORS!"

A boy who looks just like her runs from an unseen corner and stands next to her. Tylo looks up to Keefe, "Do you have kids?"

"Tylo!" She elbows him. "Manners!"

"Sorry, Mida." He looked back up at us. "What's your room number?"

"They live right next to us, idiot." Mida rolled her eyes at him. "They're lost though. We have to show them to they're room."

"Oh okay!" He grabs Keefe's hand. "Let's go, then."

Mida and Tylo sped around, dragging Keefe and I with them. They dashed around corners and skipped down the hallways, all the while we stumbled to keep up. The floors creaked and groaned and the wallpaper had peeled off the walls; it was clear no one had remodeled it in a long time. Still, it felt so roomy and cozy. I could imagine living here and feeling at home.