Drew paced his apartment, worrying about Annie. They’d exchanged numbers, he’d given her a basket full of bluebonnets and yet… He still didn’t feel like she was safe enough.
“Dude,” Stephen poked his head out of his bedroom door, his eyes half shut. “Quit trying to wear a hole in the ground and just go to bed.”
“I can’t,” Drew didn’t stop pacing.
“Then do something else. I feel like your steps are going back and forth across my forehead.”
“Sorry, I’ll go do a security check.”
“Good, fine, whatever. Goodnight,” His door clicked back shut as Drew went out into the hall.
Everything seemed to be in order as he checked each floor, but he had to keep busy or his mind would run away from him. He found nothing amiss and was tempted to just skip the basement, but he always had to take his job seriously, just in case.
The moment the elevator doors opened he was relieved he’d been thorough. The lights were already on in the large storage space, but worst of all was the wine cellar door that stood ajar.
Drew took a steadying breath and then walked to the door, prepared to close and lock it in one easy movement. But then he heard something. Someone was talking somewhere beyond the door.
“- don’t understand…” it was the voice of the landlord, but he sounded like he was dazed. “Take them all…the whole damned building…”
The ground shook beneath Drew’s feet as a thunder rumbling noise came in response.
“Yes, yes! Deal. Let me live and you can have them all!”
Drew didn’t wait to hear more. He took off at a run to the exit, opting for the staircase instead of the elevator. He took the steps two at a time and was gasping for breath by the time he slammed the apartment door behind him.
“Stephen!” he yelled once he’d caught his breath enough. “Stephen, wake up!”
“What?” Stephen came out of his room looking more annoyed and tired than before.
“We have to go. Now!”
“Why?”
“Just pack up. We need to get out of here, I’ll explain in the car.”
Trusting his brother enough to not ask again, he shoved some clothes into a duffel and grabbed his go bag. Drew was waiting by the door, calling someone.
“Annie!” he said once the other line had picked up. “It’s Drew. We have an emergency over here. My brother and I need somewhere safe to stay. Great, thank you. Text me the address.”
“Who – “
“Let’s go.”
Tornado Alley Post
Apartment Complex Ghost Town
Police responded to a 9-1-1 call early this morning at an apartment complex in downtown. The details of that call have not been released.
Upon arrival, officers were unable to locate any of the tenants for questioning. It would appear they all vanished into the night. There were no signs of a struggle.
On a related note, the landlord of the complex was found dead in the basement. Cause of death has not been released.