Lucky Number Seventeen

Chapter Eight

Colby was clutching onto his chest, gasping for air as he woke up. He looked around the room quickly, disappointed to find himself sleeping in his room. Was that all real? Colby shook his head, finding it ridiculous that he was beginning to question his sanity. He glanced over at the clock, the red letters blinking 10:02. 

Colby instantly thudded over to the shower, turning on the water abruptly before sliding off his clothing, and running his head under the water. He felt hungover, but remembered that it was just the lack of sleep he had gotten in the past two days. He wiped the dirt off his body, running shampoo through his hair before going downstairs to get started on editing the most recent youtube video. Sam was already up, making himself a protein shake to get ready for the gym. 

"Good morning sleeping beauty." Sam grinned, shaking the bottle in his right hand. "How did you sleep last night?" Colby chuckled dryly. 

"You know, I actually had a dream about the apartments. It seemed so... real." Colby explained as Sam nodded enthusiastically. "I was back in room seventeen, sleeping in the bed and-" Colby hesitated, unsure why he felt nervous to tell Sam about his experience with the girl. 

"...and?" Sam waited patiently, searching for a response from Colby. 

"and it was just super weird, smelled exactly like how I left it." Sam grinned. "We should go back, I really think there's something about that place." 

"Someone has on obsession." Sam sang, making his way to the gym as Colby tried to defend himself. Sam wouldn't listen though, shooing Colby away to go and finish editing. He sat down at the desk, looking frame by frame to make sure everything was perfect, adding in music and captions where necessary. He finally got to the clip in the bathroom, pausing the video frame by frame, noticing the shadow that he caught in the lower left corner, the exact one he remembered seeing yesterday and in his dream again. 

He watched Sam's footage, speeding up the boring parts and highlighting a couple knocks and whispered that the camera picked up. By the end of the day he finished editing. It really did take longer than it should of though, Colby kept zoning out and thinking about his dream last night. Sam had ordered dinner for the two of them, the table being set when Colby emerged from the office. They both sat down at the table, Sam trying to engage in conversation, but Colby was completely spaced out. 

"Colby. Colby! Earth to Colby Brock!" Sam waved his hands as Colby eventually realized he was being spoken to. 

"Sorry." He apologized. 

"You really can't stop thinking about the apartment building, huh?" Sam giggled slightly, the smile falling when he saw the desperation in Colby's eyes. "Why do you want to go back so badly?" Sam questioned. 

"I don't know. Something about that room. I just need to know more about the building and specifically apartment seventeen." Colby explained feverishly. 

"We'll go this weekend again, I promise." Sam smiled as Colby let out a sigh, the weight on his chest being instantly lifted. Something about this place, about this ghost, whoever she was, kept dragging him back.