The Crooked Man (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 1

"Whew! Finally, things look tidy in here!" Paul smiled casually, looking around the small apartment as if we had accomplished some great feat. 

"That should be that," Said Marion, Paul's new wife, and my longtime friend. "is there anything else we can help with, David?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Nah, I'm fine. Sorry for making you guys help me move." I turned to Paul, a grateful smile flowing across my lips. "And thanks for showing me the place, Paul. I'll have to pay you back sometime!"

Paul's face lit up. "Ooh, nice!" He lightly slugged me in the shoulder. "The three of us could go out drinking!"

Marion chuckled. "I look forward to it already!" Paul wrapped his arm around her , and lifted a hand in farewell. "Well, we'd better get going." I clapped a hand around Paul's free shoulder.

"Got it. Be careful, you two." With a final wave, the couple left. As I heard the door click shut, I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding. I looked around the living quarters. There was a cabinet filled with cracked china and silverware. A old, static-prone television. A barred bed with sharp metal springs pressing into the thin mattress. And a wide, branching crack in the back wall, trying, but failing, to hide behind the TV. In total, an old, run-down apartment that someone had lost the hope and drive to restore.

As I turned, I saw a small slip of laminated paper on the table. I walked over, and picked it up, examining the familiar name and face printed on the front. Paul. He forgot his license. I looked up, at the door. He couldn't be far. I stepped into the entry room, and heard a faint murmur behind the main door. Are they still here...? As I stepped closer, I could hear snippets of the conversation, hushed and heated.

A faint feminine voice drifted through. "...What's with that place, seriously? It's filthy! It's practically falling apart! What were you thinking?!" A deeper, male voice answered, frustration present.

"He wanted to move for a change of pace, and that will not help him, you hear?" There was a brief pause, and I could almost hear a long breath being let out. "Look, what can I do? He's not the richest guy, y'know...Can't even afford much furniture..." There was another pause. "...Besides, you told me to look for the place, right?! Don't come complaining to me now!" A breath. The female voice answered, after a second of hesitation.

"...You're right...I'm sorry. I just wanted to help David out." The talker switched again, the frustration gone.

"...I know. Look, I should be sorry...We'll visit some other time." I could hear the muffled thumps of fading footsteps outside my apartment, and the voices dimmed, growing fainter and fainter. I felt my chest grow heavy, my heart caught in a vice. That had been Paul and Marion. I had known it was them the entire time, but the full effect of their words finally hit me. I didn't want to deal with this. Not now. As I turned around to head back into the living room, I felt the exhaustion from moving furniture all day that had been creeping in finally latch onto my head with the force of a bottle of sleeping pills. The license can wait, I guess. Better get to bed. I pulled open the door, just about to walk over to where my new(ish) bed sat, crammed into the corner, when the loud ring of the telephone caused me to jump, jarring me painfully.

I walked over to where it sat on the cabinet, and picked up the receiver. "H-hello?" My voice was sluggish, tired. I just wanted to sleep. There was silence on the other end. I paused for a second, and said, a little louder, "...Hello?..." More silence, with the occasional slight static that the phone had always suffered from. "...Who is this?..." Suddenly, a picture of a slight, blonde-haired woman flashed through my head. "...Shirley?..."

The static was louder now. I started as the loud monotone beeps signaled the end of the call. Why would someone call me, not talk to me, and just hang up? With a soft sigh, I pressed my forefingers into my temples, clearing my jumbled and aching head. I was too tired to think too hard about any of this. I set the receiver down. I would worry about all this tomorrow. I'll just call it a day. Might as well take it easy for my first day in the new place. I pulled off my clothes, and put on a loose shirt and sweatpants. After quickly brushing my teeth, I pulled myself into bed, taking relief even in the thin mattress and incessant squeak of the springs. I was honestly too tired to care. As I closed my eyes, and shifted into the most comfortable position I could produce, I felt sleep start to take it's grip over me. In minutes, I was in a restless sleep.