Chapter 1: New Arrivals

That was one freezing winter, our finals were around the corner, and all five of us were already so done with college. Alessia was the first one to score an internship which was well paid, even before we pulled off our black coats. And that was our little genius, however, the rest of us, we were not as talented as her. We decided on some soul-sucking desk jobs except our Jenni, who was working as a part-time yoga instructor all her college years at the Academic Yoga Center. You damn believe when I say that girl could bend into origami, plus talent with brains she knew the science behind it as well. So, all when we were planning our escape from college, she was planning to sweep the job under professor Marshal's feet by the end of the year. I would've nominated the girls of our groups as the driven shining stars but well there was Dream. A live photographer, and painter, the bipolar cupcake was Dream. She was known to be a pocket-sized firecracker. Her ambitions were as abstract as her painting, I swear you flip her art to any rotation, it still looks upside down; her gambling was stated someday she'll be in the same league with people who don't question the art but rather inhale its essence. And last and honestly to speak at least to me and Ryan. Ryan was a hopeless romantic, he wrote poetry for his only high school love, our sweet Jennifer. Yes, they were the group's notebook lovers. When I looked at them, I felt happy, something that just fits, if this world didn't have a seat for both of them then they would have ridden their entire life standing together. However, somehow there was something more special than just those two in that small town, if I believe, possibly it was all five of us together. We all met at college freshman year all so different, Alessia with a book, Dream with a Salomon outfit, Ryan and Jennifer lost in each other's eyes, and me a guy who is looking for exactly these four most unique minds you'll ever run into, my friend, my family.

So at the beginning of winter Dream announced that College dorms are lame, and we all agreed. Maybe it was the hormones or could be the beers, who knows? We spent two whole months looking for a place. The hunt was ruthless, and by that, I mean the living expenses, we at some point even hit a young life crisis.

"I don't think we are ready for living on our own, how, how, how does everything cost a fucking fortune?" Jennifer said, striking off another place from her notebook. We all pulled an all-nighter in the cramped-up dorm room of Jenni's and Alessia's. "I need to breathe!"

"Take it easy, honey," Rayn said to her in concern, what air to be taken in that smoke and crusher-filled room? We always get high at the break of the dawn; I do remember Dream was the one teaching us to get high. At first, we were repulsed by the idea but the more life got hands-on, the more flexible we got to the inkling. Where not to mention we all were different kinds of high, Alessia I found the best, hugging a book, pouting while talking and that was the only time we'd see her guards low.

"You guys will totally kiss me after this!"

"We absolutely won't!" I exclaimed in disgust.

"Don't listen to him, I'll kiss you. For like fifty or something." Alessia mocked, irritating Dream who was too deep into her laptop. She had some stubborn determination, when she used to be high, her head was dedicated. We all joked that she should be high all the time.

"I got us a place, four bedrooms, one big and three single, kitchen and living room. Bam! what up!" Dream said with a puffed chest. "And we can totally afford this place, it's downright a fucking steal!". The place description catches all our attention. All of us left whatever we were on and crawled to her laptop, almost squishing the life out of her. "Guys, guys!"

"Is this for real?" I said, "Doesn't it look a bit fishy". All of them passed a look that could put holes through me. We were desperate but from the beginning of time, I was hesitant about the apartment.

Moving a few far prior, we went to 4076, Elliott street, building three, apartment number 7. The landlord was a woman in her late 70's, Miss Johnson. She is slow to hear and react, so we took the elevator to the ninth floor. I thought the numbering system of the apartment was off, the last apartment was numbered 1 and it was on our floor. Most of the single rooms were broken down to make a large apartment. Some work was still being done on the paints and patches of the floor. Everyone could agree on one thing that this place was not the idol.

We waited in the canteen for Jenni to join us, so we decided to give the apartment another visit. We will know what our options are right out there. Jennifer came holding her phone in her hands and tears in the corner of her eyes. Apparently, that day her parents gave her an ultimatum to return to Canada. We all knew they didn't approve of Rayn and her relationship but never knew they were so repulsed about it. We calmed her down, and that time somehow kept getting desperate, with Alessia getting to know her internship doesn't provide accommodation as it was promised to her.

We all were pretty convinced at that moment that it was for the best to take the monotonous apartment, we were unsure of the road ahead of us but one thing that I was sure of was us. The family I built and cherished, so I agreed to bend back and make this work. All of us did, so most of our own account savings went to the apartment. From time to time we rest assured all of us, no matter what, we had each other's backs.

The first day was 9th November 2015, the day I only went to apartment 07 alone. I got there to see how many more lights we need to install. That day early in the morning I was there with Rayn. We checked all the switches and the connections. And only four lights or power sockets were not working. That night I got a glimpse of the truth which I very ignorantly ignored. Probably if I accepted my hunch we wouldn't be here today.

I checked and all the lights worked in my room then suddenly the standing lamp in the living room went out. I remember checking the light before, and it was fine. However, I told myself it is an old light. I tried to switch on the rest of the other lights but none of the living room lights worked. I planned some will be an issue but never thought all of them will be out at once. I went back to other rooms, checking and inspecting when suddenly my phone rang.

"Hey man! All the living room lights are freaking out. I say we check the heater and other stuff too who knows how long it would run." I said to Rayn who was on the call checking up on the apartment. There was one old table in my room. I was talking to Rayn while contemplating how much more it will cost us to install so many bulbs. I heard muffled voices coming from some direction, my head went on thinking the walls must be thin. While talking to him I felt people talking in the living room. The muffles were louder and a bit clearer. The snow outside was thick and I was waiting for my ride with Dream. I again thought the walls must be thin, but now the bother was more intense, I could swear that the voices could be made out even though I was far from the living room. I heard squeaking of the woods like someone walking in the living room, I wasted no time, hanging up on Rayn. By the time I reached the living room, all the lights which were out before somehow came back to life. It was unbelievable to me; however, my mind showed all the cards of logic and reasoning. The muffled sound was still there, it felt like coming from the living room wall. I got closer to it, my heart beating faster than I could get a hold of it. I wanted to hear more clearly so I went near the wall, I was about to place my ear on the wall, when suddenly my phone rang, I looked through the living room window, it was Dream waving her arm from the car. I left immediately, switching everything off carefully, I didn't feel well, a sharp headache and my body warmed up like feverish in that cold. I reached the car and we took off immediately. I didn't tell Dream any of it, to admit that one part of the apartment terrified me a little, saving me from being teased, I kept my silence. I took a look back, and there it was, the living room window of our apartment lit up. Another lie I told myself is that the lights are messed up, it's nothing else.