Buttons (A Sanders Sides Story)

Mind Palace Apartments

THIS STORY IS IN ROMAN'S POV:
I took one look at this place and I was immediately gagging. Lo was right, this house was old. It was a grotesque place to lay your eyes upon. The walls were a ghastly shade of pink and the wood used for it was decaying at the seams. The roof wasn't any better. It was a dull grey and every now and again, a mouldy tile would slip off. I really hope one doesn't fall on my head and give me brain damage. I already have eye damage just from glancing at my new home! I miss my friends... I wish I was able to bring them with me. Then I wouldn't feel so isolated...

When the car pulled up, I could see a man balancing on the roof. He has some serious balls to be standing on that death machine. He looked to be in his late 40's and clearly had no sense of personal hygiene by the looks of the stains on his dirty, mustard-coloured vest. His moustache was very bristly and untidy and even from here on the ground I could see chunks of food. Gross. According to Pat, two famous, yet retired, actresses live on the bottom apartment, underneath the house; that perked my interest a bit but Patton also told me that they're total dingbats. Lo on the other hand, told me of an ancient water well which was at the edge of the forest.

The moving truck came in and they started transporting all our stuff into our new Hell...

I know I'll get used to where I am sooner or later, but I'm never going to stop missing Michigan. I hope all my friends won't stop missing me either...

I stepped outside the backdoor to find a depressing sight. It was a disgrace to all gardens and was filled with the delightful smell of death. I don't know why but a growing sadness was looming over me. I walked down the crumbling staircase to see the atrocity in full view. Not even weeds were growing in this place. Snapping off a branch from a withered bush and using it as a "dowsing rod", I walked gloomily to the forest in front.

It was quiet up on the hill. As I skedaddled by, I could see an apple orchard filled with the delicious red fruit. Wheelbarrows of them were just parked next to the towering trees, waiting to be eaten. I carried on walking, thinking that maybe one day me, Pat and Lo can one day go apple-picking there.

The squelchy mud underneath my feet was hard to walk through but I managed. Making my way up the hill slowly, I heard a sound.... At that moment, a few small pebbles from up above me came flying down upon my head. It didn't hurt.

"Hello?" I called.

"Anyone there?"

Probably a stupid idea if there was a psycho or kidnapper up there but it was too late to take back my words. I got no response so I carried on my merry way. I finally made it to the top and used my makeshift "dowsing rod" to try and sense this water well Logan had told me about but of course, I got nothing. Then out of the blue, a dark black cat appeared, sitting on a rock, gazing at me intently...

BEEEEEEEPPP

The loud sound of some kind of motorbike made me jump and left me startled. I turned around to find someone on a bike but couldn't see who they were from the bright light on their vehicle. Swiftly, they started zooming down and at this point I could see that the person was wearing a mask. I thought that I was for sure going to die so in the heat of the moment, I swung the branch at them but it did nothing. I was knocked to the ground, panting heavily like a dog. The masked figure just stared at me for a while until removing his disguise.

"Let me guess, you're from Texas or Utah. Some place dried out in barren, right?" The boy said. He had dark purple hair and wore an intense shade of eyeshadow. He wore a black jacket with purple patchwork sewn on all around in different places to go with his hair.