Chapter 2 - The New Apartment
1142 Words
“We may stand in the same room, but in different dimensions… and from theirs, the shadows watch us.”
Julieta POV
I unloaded the last box from my RAV4 and walked toward my new apartment. It looked old—older than the pictures online—almost like one of those project buildings, even though it wasn’t. At least I hoped it wasn’t.
My unit was tucked behind the complex, facing the parking lot. The air smelled like dust and old wood, but the place felt quiet… peaceful, in a weird way.
I was halfway to my door when the apartment across from mine opened. Two men stepped out, both dressed like they were heading to a club—fresh clothes, cologne, confidence and all. They noticed me immediately.
“Hey! Welcome to the neighborhood!” one of them said with a friendly grin. “I’m Shaun, and this is my partner, Mike.”
I shifted the box in my arms to show why I didn’t shake his hand. “I’m Julieta. Nice to meet you. I thought no one lived here. The parking lot looks empty and I haven’t seen anyone come out.”
Shaun laughed. “Oh, just wait till nighttime.”
Before I could ask what he meant, Eric stepped out of my apartment to grab the box from my hands.
“Hi, I’m Eric,” he said, giving the guys a polite nod. “Yeah, it does look like no one lives here.”
Suddenly, the door upstairs slammed open. A huge guy—broad shoulders, oversized clothes, baseball cap low over his eyes—walked down the stairs without acknowledging any of us. He passed by silently, straight into the parking lot.
Mike started walking after him. “Alright, see you guys later,” Shaun said, giving a little wave. “We gotta run.” And just like that, they were gone.
When I walked into the apartment, the layout was simple but old-fashioned.
To the right was the living room—small, square, and echoey—
and to the left, the dining area.
If you turned left from the dining room, you stepped into the kitchen, which had another exit that looped back into the same hallway as the front door. The place was basically a circle connected by narrow walls.
From the living room and dining room, a short hallway stretched forward.
On the right side was the medium-sized bedroom where Eric would stay,
and directly across from it, on the left, was the bathroom.
All the way at the end was my room—slightly bigger, with a long window on the left wall facing the parking lot. I could see my RAV4 right from my bed.
I grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and headed to Eric’s room.
But the second I stepped inside, a freezing blast hit me—sharp enough to raise goosebumps across my arms.
“Eric… it’s so cold in here.”
“I know,” he said, tightening the blanket around a box he was unpacking. “I closed the window already.”
“Do you have the AC on?”
“Nope. Probably just leftover cold from when it was open.”
He didn’t sound convinced, but he shrugged it off. “I’m heading to work. Do you still need help picking up any more boxes later?”
“Nah, I’m done. I’m going to start unpacking the kitchen.”
He hesitated, his eyes softened.
“Julieta… I’m sorry for what she said. I know none of that was your fault. I shouldn’t have dragged you into it.”
I nodded gently. “We can talk about it later. You’re going to be late.”
He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me—tight, like he needed the hug to breathe again. His warmth pressed into me, almost desperate, like he was trying to charge some part of himself that had gone empty.
I hugged him back, holding him steady until he finally let go…
and walked out the door.
I went into the kitchen and started unloading everything into the cabinets, organizing the shelves until the space finally felt usable. It was more spacious than I expected.
When I finished, I grabbed another bottle of water and leaned against the counter, facing the dining room where our new table sat waiting to be assembled.
That’s when it happened.
A toddler—barefoot, wearing only a diaper—ran across the dining room and into the living room.
Just like that.
No sound.
No warning.
Just a small child crossing my apartment like he lived there.
I kept drinking for half a second, my mind not processing what my eyes had just seen… until it hit me all at once.
Did I just see a baby walk by?
I froze.
Shock washed over me, and I slowly set the bottle down, stepping out of the kitchen and into the living room.
Nothing.
No child.
No movement.
Just silence.
I checked the front door—it was locked.
I walked around the apartment, checking corners, rooms, even behind the couch.
Nothing.
The air felt thick and still.
Was I seeing things?
Or did something actually just cross in front of me?
I shook my head, trying to brush it off.
I’m tired… new place… maybe my mind’s just playing tricks on me.
I tried to convince myself that what I saw wasn’t real.
But then—
a loud crash echoed from outside.
I jumped and rushed to the window facing the parking lot.
The lot, which had been empty all morning, was suddenly full—cars everywhere, like everyone had arrived all at once.
And just in time for me to witness one of them back up, slam into my RAV4, and then speed off without hesitation.
My mouth dropped open.
Oh no… seriously?
I just moved in, and someone already hit my car—
and ran.
I rushed outside to check the damage.
There was a dent on the back of my RAV4 — not huge, but deep enough to make my stomach twist.
I looked around the parking lot, expecting someone to pop out, a door to open, a witness to say they saw something.
But nothing.
Even though the lot was suddenly full, not a single person came out.
No footsteps.
No voices.
Not even a window cracked open.
It was like the whole place was holding its breath.
“Did no one hear that…?” I muttered to myself.
I glanced around for a security camera and finally spotted one mounted near the corner of the building.
Good. I’d go to the office tomorrow and report it.
That’s when I realized…
it had gotten dark.
Not sunset-dark.
Just… dark.
Like someone had lowered the light in the world without warning.
- Writer
