Ashleigh Reigns
Time Square, is always busy always bustling like a colony of ants. It comforted me somehow. Today was moving day; from my little studio apartment, one floor above an illegal gambling house to a two-bedroom loft. Entering into my building, I met the smell of must, money and sewer coming from the poorly run Subway next door. The small elevator, humid in the beating summer heat, barley moved. As the doors opened, I heard the Fischer’s at the end of the hall bickering again.
“Katie, you’re wearing my dentures, I know it!”
“Shut your ass up, John!”
“Listen, I need those to take the cap off the penis pump!”
“I’ll do it for you, I want an apple so you’ll get them when-” They saw me approach, and stopped arguing.
Mrs. Fischer abruptly changed her whole demeanor like she does every day for me. “Hello darling, hope you had a good day.” I nodded to them, while stepping into my apartment, laughing at their usual antics.
I looked around the boxed up apartment for last time. I went to take down the blinds in the living room, at once horror engulfed me.
A complete ghost town; just minutes ago, a thriving sea of people; the city was clouded in darkness. It seemed like black snow fell from the sky, like when Helena erupted on the west coast and carried in its ash. A knock, rapped on my door. Opening the door I saw the ‘mystic’ Mrs. Bane, a kind, old black fortuneteller who lived across from me. I knew something was out of sorts.
“Death is the air child, run hide and never come out.” She looked me in the eyes, her strange blue eyes searching my soul “I know you are different though, you must-“
The window at the end of the hall broke, but Mrs. Bane grabbed hold of the door and slammed it shut. I looked through the peephole, saw her skeleton mimic a scream, and wisp into ash. I felt a cold hand on my shoulder,
“Don’t be alarmed, sweetheart” I turned around to face the mysterious black stranger. “Hello dear,” he said, extending his hand for me to shake. I was stricken with fear, stared at his traumatizing beauty. “It’s not polite to stare you know.”
