Stories Of Halloween 2017

It Felt Like A Safe Place [10-12]

I was reminded of this recently, but it happened >10 years ago. I was living in my first apartment, alone. It was a third floor studio with vaulted ceilings in a huge complex that promoted itself as a "community", with socials planned and picnic/playground areas among the buildings. Staff would drive around on golf carts waving hi. It felt like a safe place.

So one day I called up maintenance because my a/c wasn't working. A man comes up to look at it. He's short but kind of wiry looking, maybe late 40s and leathery, like he's spent most of his life in the sun. He's in overalls, has a bushy mustache, all smiles.

He's inside my apartment with a screwdriver looking at the a/c and we're making chit chat. All seems innocent until he stands upright, says it's fixed and takes a step toward me.

He's looking me in the eyes while he flips his screwdriver, suddenly not so friendly anymore. Then he says (I still remember the words exactly) "You know what I think? I think you're pretty naive to be living in an apartment all by yourself. Here you've let a strange man in to your apartment – you even let me close the door. Anything could happen."

I could feel the smile melting off my face but I tried not to let on I was afraid. Then I kind of laughed and said "Ha! That's what my boyfriend said when I told him I was calling you guys. He insisted he come over. He'll be here any second and you guys have already finished! You'll probably run in to him on the stairwell."

At that he left abruptly and I locked the deadbolt after him. I'd lied about my boyfriend coming over but immediately called him to make it (almost) the truth. At the time I thought I was overreacting and didn't mention it to anyone. Looking back ten years later I realize just how sinister what he was saying was.