haunted ೋ francis mosses [ milkman ]

ೋ 04

               THE SUN WAS PEEKING through the windows as you finally woke up. You slowly opened your eyes, getting used to the brightness. What was weird was the fact that you didn't feel as tired as you thought you would feel; you had some serious trouble falling asleep for obvious reasons. You were tossing and turning in your bed, your mind filled with worries and thoughts that refused to quiet down for a long time. It seemed like at some point you eventually got tired and fell asleep without even knowing. You might as well be happy about it, though. Staying awake for the whole night wasn't any better. 

As you recalled the events from the night, a slight chill ran down your spine once again as you realized that now you would have to be extremely careful wherever you went; and the worst part was probably the fact that you didn't really know yet what you had to run away from. 

You sighed heavily. Your small talk with the man you just met was interrupted by the so-called "D.D.D"; soon after you were able to return safely to your apartment, and it surely did take you a while to fall asleep, but you managed to do it. Even though you still had no idea what this whole D.D.D thing really was, you were clearly eager to find out. You thought it was a good idea to ask the blonde-hair woman with whom you had already exchanged words a few times. Maybe she would tell you more. 

You glanced at the clock. 10:52am. You woke up so late, but it's no wonder considering what had happened. Deciding it was time to get up, you stood up and stretched.

Only now did you realize that as a result of this whole situation, you forgot to ask the name of the man you spent half the evening with. How could you forget about such a simple and obvious thing? You shook your head in slight amusement. 

Putting your bare foot on the cold panels, you decided it was probably a great time to go outside and get to know the area; the area that was certainly breathtaking, although — as it turns out — not the safest.

ೋ

               As you wandered through the unfamiliar streets, your steps filled with curiosity, your mind was occupied by thoughts of finding work. You weren't sure where to start, after all you didn't fully know this place yet. You tried seeking for something in the newspapers before, but you couldn't find anything appealing to you. As for now, the town held secrets, especially after you found out about the so-called doppelgangers. You were truly confused.

You sighed, thinking you should be going back to the apartments soon as it was starting to get dark. The sun was setting behind the nearest building, taking the warmth with it. 

You were about to turn back when your eyes locked on weirdly familiar silhouette that was walking far away. You thought you already saw this before; white uniform with white hat. The man you had been talking to for so long, yet you never had the chance to hear his name.

He must be working, you thought to yourself. You couldn't bother him much more, so when he disappeared from your sight, you just turned back to the apartments. 

Hopefully you'll have a chance to talk to him.

He definitely caught your attention. The way he carried himself was interesting to you. Even though he seemed to be tired all the time (the bags under his eyes spoke for themselves), you were intrigued by him. 

The streets were now quieter as you were calmly going home. It's almost like you forgot about the danger that was lurking in the shadows, ready to catch you at any moment.

Soon enough you've heard a familiar voice. 

"[__], hello," you turned your head just to see Mia, grocery bags in her hands. "Mind me joining you?" she chuckled, as she started walking by your side with a warm smile.

"Not at all," you replied quickly. "Nice to see you."

The blonde woman nodded, it looked like she had something on her mind that she wanted to say.

After a while, she decided to speak up.

"I've heard what happened last night," she started, almost unsure if it was alright to start this topic. You shivered at the thought of the event. "I'm glad you're okay." She added, genuine relief in her voice.

"Thank you," you chuckled. "Thankfully, a man next door helped me." You explained, suddenly realising something. However, before you could say anything, she replied as if she was reading your mind.

"Francis Mosses," she started, glancing at you. "That's his name. I assume you forgot to ask him?" She laughed a little bit, turning her gaze in the direction of the apartments. You didn't even realise that you were already near the building.

Francis Mosses... Such an interesting name, you thought to yourself. Now at least you knew the basics. 

"Things like these happen so often here." She added after a while.

"The doorman really isn't doing his job properly." You sighed, walking inside the apartments. Mia looked at you with both amusement and pity as you two started walking up to him, both already knowing what was going to happen.