Apartment #13

01 Apartment #13

She wiped off the perspiration on her forehead with the back of her hand. It was drizzling outside - which made the air cooler and much more refreshing than usual - yet her sweat prickled her eyes and stung her cheeks. 

Moving in was not an easy feat, especially when she had to bear every responsibility by herself, no matter how onerous it all was. It was her choice to come to this faraway city and pursue her studies. No one to guide her along the correct path, no one to lend her a hand when she falls. All alone. She tried  not to remind herself of it. Most of the time. 

Nevertheless, a day's work had finally paid off; she now had her own house, bought with her own, well-earned cash, furnished in the style that she adored. All the uninviting features of the house in its original state were cleared away. The musty smell, the dusty furniture, everything that made her want to steer clear from the place - all gone. 

Or at least that was what she thought.

Standing up, she raised her hand and gently rattled her knuckles against the door. It lurched open, as if welcoming her into her new home. Her ears resonated with the quiet squeal of the hinges as the hallway that she dreaded became visible to her. A cold and bitter wind swiped across the back of her neck. 

Forcing down the wave of uncertainty that threatened to surge over her, she stepped into her home warily. She flicked the light switch upwards in a most cautious manner, illuminating the hallway that was accompanied by an air of eeriness. 

She was scared. 

In a vain attempt to push her overwhelming feelings aside, she partially closed the door, but refused to push it hard against the latch. The latch had a certain metallic feeling to it - a feeling that left her with a sliver of coldness and an insecure mind. 

It's okay, she assured herself. Compose yourself. Nothing wrong with the house - just your psychological mind working away, giving you those heebie-jeebies. Calm down.

Although she renovated the house, she could still feel that queasy knot in her stomach, just like when she first stepped into the apartment. Every step she took was met with a discordant shriek, tearing its way through the crevices of the floorboards.

Still she made her way to her bedroom. Almost immediately, she noticed a glorious amber glow, radiated by the lamp above-head, meandering like a narrow stream across the room. 

It reminded her of her old home, where she spent her innocent, carefree childhood with her loving parents. It made this place seem more like home. 

A warm one, where she can be comfortable and sheltered from the trivia of the outside world. 

As the rain hastened its rhythm, she felt her eyelids getting heavier by the second. 

Clink. A sound resonated in the airy hallway. 

So faraway, yet so near.