Cassie Russo had seen all sort of people going in and out of her apartment. Couples. Singles. Young and old. Families. She had seen them all. She had been renting out the units for fifteen years since old Mr. Russo passed on. It's a family business. And she runs it now. However, old Mrs. Russo is still living her ripe old age in an old folk's home nearby the city's hospital. It's been a while since she visited her mother and she planned to drop by on Sunday.
Behind the counter where Cassie sat guarding the lobby and entrance of the apartment building, Cassie had her eyes and ears fixed to the on going telecast on the television. The entrance door was pushed opened and Cherie made her way in, she looked exhausted. Cassie turned her face away from the tv screen. She watched Cherie heading towards the elevator and she saw a figure tagging behind the girl.
"Hey!" Cassie barked.
"What, Ms. Russo?" Cherie paused halfway into the lift.
"Who's that?"
" It is me. Cherie."
"Nope. Not you." Cassie snapped.
Cherie turned to scan the space and see if there's another person around but only to find herself standing in the center of the lobby. No one else. Just her and Cassie who is still beseated behind her fotress. She could see the landlady's eyes directly darted towards her. What? She can't remember me now? Said Cherie to herself.
"Then, who are you talking to?" Cherie inquired.
Cassie saw an old woman there, ten steps away from the counter to the elevator. Tall, large and stoop-shouldered. The wrinkles on her face and scant greyish hair on her scalp reflects the ancient age she would've been. Cassie went silent. She had never come across such elderly woman. The tall woman stood behind Cherie like a giant hovering over a child. Cassie immediately stood from her chair. She was about to speak when she felt a nudge on her temple which made her fell back to her seat.
"Ms. Russo."
"Are you alright?"
Cherie dashed to Cassie's fortress. She looked over and saw Cassie back in her chair, staring at the tv screen. Cherie felt strange. A while ago the landlady was uptight but now she seemed lost and in a daze.
"Ms. Russo." Cherie called again.
"Huh?" Cassie revived from the hypnotize.
For a moment they stared at each other, no words were spoken.It appears to Cassie she had just woken up from a deep sleep but Cherie saw it all. Cassie's chest heaved up and down. She felt suffocated and fatigued at once. She needed to lie down. Cassie stood up from her seat again, she needed her bed badly.
" Why are you standing there,Miss?" Cassie demanded, she was back to her usual grumpy self.
"Nevermind. It's nothing..." Cherie held back her thoughts over what she saw. She entered the elevator and brushed the queer incident off her mind.
The elevator door closed shut. Cassie had already disappeared to the backroom, the lights on the ceiling begin to flicker. The old woman appeared again. She stood facing the metalic elevator door. She waited too long for this. She needed the girl. The woman lifts up her pale wrinkled face to the ceiling thus she flew upwards and vanished.
