Feral Obsession

Chapter Eleven

There it was. Her salvation, in the form of an advertisement for an apartment in the window of a brick building on her walk home from work. She had taken a leisurely walk around a nearby neighborhood, just to clear her mind about the day, and there it was. Staring at her.

There was a number on the listing. She immediately called the number, stars in her eyes, hope in her chest. She let the phone ring once, twice, three times, and then a voice answered on the other end. "Coastal Rentals. This is John."

"Hi!" She blurted. "Hi. I just saw your ad for an apartment on..." she looked around, spotting a street sign. "On Thorne Ave. Is it still available?"

"Thorne Ave, yes. Yes, it is. Do you want to schedule a showing?"

Elation bubbled up her throat. "Of course, yes. What times?"

"I could actually do it now, if you'd like. The office is around the corner. Or I could do next week-"

"Today is great!" She was being too overly enthusiastic, she knew. But this was her shining beacon, her way out of Atlas's hair. She could give him two middle fingers the next time she saw him. A take that! right in his face. She salivated over the thought of his expression when she said goodbye to him for the very last time.

By the time John showed up, Ruby had calmed herself down. John was a man in his mid-fifties who drove an old, rumbling truck. He pulled up to the curb and cut the engine, jumping out and moving towards Ruby with an outstretched hand. "John."

"Ruby," she said, shaking his hand. "Thank you for coming down here on the spot."

John waved her off as he unlocked the front door. "No problem. I just listed this place. I expect calls coming in. Follow me."

John walked with her down the first floor hallway. It was nicely lit, but not too fancy. The sign in the window listed the monthly rent, and it was in her price range. A little towards the high end, but she would take it.

John unlocked apartment five and pushed the door open. Ruby stepped in, her heart in her throat as she took in the main room. It was completely empty, with hardwood flooring and a bay window. It wasn't a very large apartment, which didn't bother her in the slightest. John showed her the kitchen with new appliances, the bathroom with a tub and shower combo, and then her bedroom.

She wanted it. She wanted it so badly.

"Would you like to put in an application?" John asked her as soon as the tour ended. Ruby was already saying yes, yes, yes. John took out a paper from his briefcase. "You can fill it out at home, then drop it off at our property office. The address is listed at the top."

And that was that. John saw her out, drove away, and left Ruby jumping for joy on the sidewalk. She was already feeling the rush of running home, praying no one else had filled out the application. Praying she would be the first offer, the best offer, the one they said yes to.

She rushed home. She was so elated, she really wasn't paying attention to the man who stood at the corner of her street and the next. When she passed him, her eyes set on the steps of her apartment, the man reached out and yanked her to a stop.

She looked over at him, flinching away from his tight grip on her arm. "Hello?" she asked, bewildered. Of course, this was a city and she was bound to come across creeps, but this was a little too close to home for her.

The man had to be on something, with the way his hair was matted to his forehead with sweat. His pupils were too small for his eyes, the effect making him look terrifying. He leaned over her, and the heat coming from his body was unnatural and so strange, Ruby was trying to twist of out his grip.