Remembering Raimondo (Complete)

Sign In

I lifted my head off of my pillow and stared at the digital numbers taunting me. 3:00 AM and still no sleep. I've never felt so bad for people with insomnia until this moment. There was absolutely zero pressure for my eyelids to close. I was literally wide awake. I bet school's going to be harder to manage walking around like a zombie. All because of that stupid new cleaning product the manager told me to try. It's like sniffing crack or something let alone having to clean all the floors and appliances with it!

I looked at the clock again, 3:19 AM. Why doesn't time go by this quickly when I want it to? Maybe if I deliberately exhaust myself I'll feel tired enough to sleep? I looked out into the hall... maybe a jog would help.

I abruptly stood and rummaged through my drawer for my running clothes. I discarded my sleepwear, pulled on my Puma sweatshirt and matching sweatpants, and made my way to the closet. It took me a while to find my sneakers but when I finally did my closet looked like a village would after it's ambushed by a bunch of militants. I stared in dismay at the mess I knew I'll have to clean.

Down in the lobby Ameera sat talking on her phone. I waved at her walking towards the exit but she signaled for me to wait. Hastily she ended the conversation with whoever was on the other end of the line.

“Hey Audrie how are you?” She asked as I made my way towards the desk and sat on one of the chairs.

“Restless.”

She laughed but her face instantly became serious. She pulled out a three inch binder. “I want to show you something.”

She flipped through the pages, it was the Sign-In binder used to record when and where guests were going upon entrance.

“Look here,” she pointed at the sign ins.

I looked down at the paper and found nothing that would be of my personal interest until I noticed sign ins made by Jeff. Everyday for the last 3 months he's been signing in and going to apartment 367, all at the same time. The last sign in he made was for tonight but this time to my Apartment. I blinked twice to make sure I was reading it right.

Jeff. 12:00 AM. Apt. 346.

Immediately a jolt of fear flushed my nervous system. He was in my room? Impossible. There was no one in my room.

I looked up at Ameera who was waiting for my outcome and shook my head.

“He didn't come to my room.” Nervous now, I flipped back a few more pages. He hasn't only been coming for the past three months, he's been visiting Raimondo at 1:00 AM for the past couple of, what, years?

“I know. You came down and he hasn't. Which seemed a bit odd considering the fact that it's your room.”

I looked at Ameera not caring about anything she says but thinking about whether or not I should find this suspicious. I turned back towards the elevator. If he was in my apartment I should be there to see what the hell he wants.

Ignoring Ameera's calls I went into the elevator and pressed for the third floor. The speed of the elevator didn't help my tense mood. As soon as the doors open I rushed towards my room. It felt like the longest walk I ever took in my life. I turned the last corner and bumped head on into someone's hard chest falling back and hurting my back.

"What the hell!" I scream looking up to see a strange man smiling down at me.

"You shouldn't run a turn." He maneuvered around my body and left without another word or even offering to help me up.

"Jackass," I muttered and ran to my door.

I thrust my hand in my pocket and pulled out my key. With shaking hands I unlocked the door and entered slamming the wooden door behind me. Inside, I flick on the lights and examine my apartment. Nothing looked misplaced. I went into the kitchen, clean. I went to my washroom, empty. Finally, I swung my bedroom door open, no one.

I dropped my self on to my knees and looked underneath my bed, nothing but dust.

I huffed in agitation and went back to my sitting room. I turned off the lights then jogged to my window and peaked from behind the curtain.

His car was outside. He wrote that he was coming to my room, but he's not here. Where is he then?

What if Austin was right?