I am ashamed of the way I have been behaving. I finally got some sleep at a girlfriends house. Thank goodness for Jen because I was seriously losing my mind. I was convinced there was a person squatting in the apartment next to mine who was bound and determined to make my life miserable. I don’t know why anyone would be doing that but all the strange things that were happening, well, it was driving me insane.
I had borrowed the crowbar from one of my coworkers and in my sleep deprived state I broke into the apartment next door to catch whoever it was living there. It was two am and there was no one there. It was just an empty apartment without even a refrigerator or stove. Ridiculous right? I can’t believe I got so worked up over it. Although, Jen promised to stay a few nights at my place to see what she can figure out. She thinks there must be some draft causing the doors to swing open and that maybe one of the vents runs to a different area that allows me to hear the talking and music. It all sounds so logical now. Sleep has really made a huge difference for me.
Jen called me on the third night of staying at my place and this is how the phone call went.
“I am not staying here another night.”
“What’s wrong, Jen?”
“You’re place is haunted. There is no explaination for all the stuff I have experienced while here! And I talked to your landlord. He is creepy himself!”
“Linus isn’t creepy. He’s hilarious, he should’ve gone into stand up comedy.”
“Who’s Linus? I’m talking about Dave.”
“Who’s Dave?”
“Your landlord! He looks like he is a thousand years old and gives me the heebie jeebies! It wouldn’t surprise me if he had cameras in here.”
“You still at my place?”
“I was just leaving.”
“Look, I will be there in less than two minutes. Can you please just wait for me? I don’t care if you wait outside but just please be there when I get there.”
“Fine but I’m not stepping foot in your place again!”
Jen was sitting outside waiting for me when I got there. The thrift shop was still open so I pulled her inside with me. She wasn’t too happy but I saw Linus behind the counter and was hyper focused on him. His face lit up with a smile when he first saw me and then his expression changed to one of puzzlement as I pulled Jen along behind me.
“Linus. We need to talk. And you better give me some straight answers.”
“Bea, I always answer you straight. What is all this? You got a problem with your place?”
“That isn’t your landlord, that is!” Jen was pointing to a black and white photo hung over the register.”
“Is that so?” Linus came around the counter and casually stepped around the two of us and slipped the closed sign on the thrift shop door while locking it. “Well, then why don’t the two of you just step over into my office and we can talk about all this.”
Jen crossed her arms and set her feet stubbornly. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Linus just sighed and pulled a curtain down over the front windows. The sunlight blocked, the room was a little spooky filled with old odds and ends from a completely different era. “So you say you talked to that man in that picture?”
“Yes I most certainly did.”
“Alright. Would you like a chair?” Linus pulled one behind me and waited for Jen’s terse nod before pulling another one to her. He finally sat himself on a ladder/chair combination. “When did you talk to Dave?”
“This morning.”
“Can you give me any specifics? Like an actual time.”
“What does that matter? You’re gonna tell us he was a ghost or something anyhow! It was after nine but before ten thirty is all I know!”
“No, I’m going to tell you that he is my father and that he has dementia so he usually returns here when he gets out of the nursing home. They usually contact me when that happens, so since they didn’t I now have to call them and see if we can find him.”
Jen turned bright red as Linus lifted his cellphone to his ear. We sat quietly as Linus “mmhmm” and “yes’m”ed his way through a conversation. He smiled when he hung up the phone.
“Seems one of the nurses knew where to find him and they got him back safe and sound.”
“I’m glad he is ok. He was saying some odd things though. He said he was the landlord and that the apartment my friend is staying in has a pretty wicked past.”
“He used to be the landlord. He acquired this building when he was seventeen. I’m not exactly sure how it all went down but there was some sort of bet and a shady character. I think he might even have been involved with the mob for a bit. Not that you ever get out of that type of career but I was never brought into anything. Anyhow, he got this building and turned the upper part into the apartments they are and this lower part into a store. He used to sell trinkets and woman’s fripperies but as time went on it turned into what it is.”
Jen leaned forward in her chair. “So the deaths upstairs?”
“Like I said, I think he worked for the mob and the mob has a bloody history. Plus, he got this building in a shady deal so retaliation for that. Multiple people have died here, yes. I admit that even I don’t know all of them but I’ve been doing research through the library to try to piece together everything.”
“There are two deaths that happened that I personally know of. My dad wouldn’t talk about them much except once after he was diagnosed with the dementia. He got so drunk and told me it was about time I learned the truth about this place and my heritage. I guess when he first got the apartments in shape, he let his sister stay in the one that Bea is staying in right now. Long story short, there was a break in shortly after she moved in and she was found murdered right inside the doorway to the apartment with all the doors to every cupboard open. The police ruled in a suspicious death but never caught anyone. My dad was devastated. Then my mom moved in for a bit while my dad was remodeling the house. I guess she was pregnant and the dust was bothering her so she ran the store while he did the work. Dad said I was just an infant so she would just carry me around with her all day, but I slept a lot and was a pretty quiet kid. Least, that’s what he always said. So I guess it wasn’t unusual that they didn’t see me in the closet cause that is where she put my crib. My dad said the police ruled it a gang initiation but he swears it was the same men who murdered his sister. This time, the neighbors heard my mom shrieking and they say that is what scared the men away. Although she still died from her wounds and I guess the baby did too because I’m an only child.”
Linus looked pale and was swallowing hard. He wasn’t as candid as he would like us to think. Jen and I glanced at each other.
“So, have you experienced anything unusual in those apartments?” Jen was staring at Linus intently, she was making me nervous and I wasn’t even the person she was focusing on!
“We-ell,” Linus finally gave in, “ I have had a few odd happenings I guess. And I’ve even saged the place once. That seemed to help.”
“That’s it!” I jumped up excitedly. What better way to get rid of a supernatural entity then to use sage and write a short incantation to tell them to go away? I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it first but like I said earlier, sleep deprivation really screws you up.
“Can I stay with you one more night so I can get the sage and make the bundle and write the exactly right thing to say?” Jen looked at me a little confused but nodded all the same.
“Of course you can stay with me. But is this really a good idea?”
“Yeah! It’s perfect because if it doesn’t work then we can call in a priest or something. I’m not sure if, like, a catholic priest would come for something like this but there are other religions out there that can help out! Besides, I know this will work.”
Ok, so I’m standing outside my door getting ready to do this. I’m supposed to light the sage and run in around the doorways and windows. I think I’ll do the cabinets too and the closet. Just to be safe you know? And everything I saw said to keep the saying short and simple.
Leave this place in peace. You are not welcome here. Move on.
I think it is short and to the point? I’m a little nervous, I can hear the cupboard doors banging all the way out here. But I’m not going to chicken out. I hope I can take my place back!
Submitted November 14, 2017 at 06:53AM by bluefrogs83 http://ift.tt/2AHpj1r nosleep
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