In an apartment complex within Esperantina, Piauí there was many different people going in and out. Many people talking to one another, businessmen on calls. It was quite a friendly and commutative environment. Everyone knew each other by name it seemed. Everyone had a smile. This apartment complex was quite different from your usual. Due to this part of town they were in, not many people could leave safely.
Whenever you entered the complex, there were lockers on each side for tenants' mail. Then once you got past that on the right there was a cafeteria, this is what separates it. Due to the small spaces that this apartment complex had, some people would rather go to the cafeteria and buy some food there. While the base level had TV’s, couches, a fire place, it seemed like a cozy place. But, there was still an odd air within this apartment complex. Maybe it was due to the part of town this place was in?
An old woman, around 73, was talking with her friends. They were all laughing, some old, some not. The woman’s grandchildren were currently visiting as well. Then one of the younger one’s now cleared their throats, “Hey, Zofie.” the younger one spoke to the 73 year old woman as she responded with a raspy and kind of a winded voice, “Yes, Marg?” Zofie was interested in Marg’s words, known as ‘M’ or ‘Margie’ to her friends. “Well, I heard that a kid’s going to rent an apartment today. Apparently he called into the landlord’s office earlier today wanting a specific room.”
Zofie’s grandchildren were two women. They were currently on summer break, they would graduate next year in school. Due to being around 17. Their names were Kim and Chaia. Since they were also called kids by the younger woman they perked up at this information. Maybe these two could befriend the new kid tenant.
“Huh, really? A kid? I wonder what type of job they have to be able to afford rent here.” Zofie wondered as she sat down due to her bad knee’s. She couldn’t stand up long, these were the scars of the war’s that happened in America before she moved to Brazil. Due to Marg’s efforts to keep it quiet, she couldn’t. So in no time, everyone was talking about a kid renting an apartment here.
“I wonder what he’ll be like!” One guy said to his friend. While another one said, “It’s just a kid, he’ll probably be more of a brat and nuisance to us than anyone here.” There were many opinions thrown around here as now someone within a full black outfit sitting on one of the lounge chairs now uncrossed their legs. Sitting up right, he had a black cap on with the symbol of a star on the front of it. That was the entire design of the cap. “You all are talking about how he would act or what you hope him to be like. But the real question is, what type of person would rent an apartment here, now? Especially about how dangerous and infamous these parts are.”
One of the people who were talking about the kid looked towards the man’s direction, “I guess you have a point. Why would he want to be here of all places?” He couldn’t think of the teenager's motive.
Then Zo, the ‘greeting committee’ leader now clapped her hands together, “What does it matter? We should welcome him in with open arms!” Zo had been the leader of the greeting committee for 3 years now. Since, she’s the only member. She’s the only one who feels strongly about accepting people into the complex and giving them a warm welcome.
Some of them looked at Zo with a disgusted look, they couldn’t think about it at all. Because, this place was a haunted complex everyone thought. Many things happened in this apartment complex to make it considered haunted.
Now, a step onto the property happened. The teenager was here, as the wind became strong as the teenager was carrying a medium sized bag, and an odd item wrapped in fabric that had a strap and was hung over his right shoulder. The teenager had dead eyes it seemed.
Zo now had a wide smile on her face, “He’s coming! Everyone get ready!” Zo said that even though she knew no one was going to do anything, they just went back to their gossiping, children continued to run through the hallways, tripping on their toys. The happy atmosphere returned from earlier, even the man in all black was reading a book.
Now the door opened, everyone looking at the teenager who just walked in. The things he had were quite interesting. The medium sized bag, the strange item wrapped up in fabric and hung around his right arm. His clothes didn’t seem all that special, just a black shirt with camo pants. But his short and messy crimson hair definitely stood out.
Zo then smiled, “Hello, Come On In!” Zo now patted the teenagers back. Zo was staring at him, they seemed to be around the same age, Zo didn’t live here in the complex, she only was out here since her grandpa was the landlord. She wanted to be the assistant landlord. But ended up making a made up greeting committee.
The teenager looked at Zo with his blank eyes. “Thank you.” He simply said, his voice was slightly deep mixed with a slightly high pitch as well. The teenager walked past Zo and to the elevators in the lobby. He didn’t look at anyone as he walked up to the elevator. He was about to press the up button until a ring interrupted his movement. The elevator door in front of him opened up.
Whenever the elevator doors opened, a tall Asian guy came out. He was known for being a fashionista around here. His black shirt with the collar puffed up and the sleeves rolled up halfway to show off his arms. He had that of a lean build, while he was wearing black pants with chains connecting to the pockets it seemed. Then the tall Asian man now put his index finger on his glasses, adjusting them back, he closed the book he was reading. “Oh, hello young man. Are you the new tenant here?” The man’s face stretched into a smile that could melt frozen hearts.
“Yeah, I am.”
“Well, goodie! I bet you’ll love it here!”
“You sure, old man?”
“Wha– old man?!”
“Yeah.”
The man now got slightly annoyed by the teenager's words and threw it off as he smiled, “I’m 32 for your information. You vile teenager.” The man now walked past the teenager with veins popping in his face, holding back his anger.
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The teenager now got into the elevator pressing the button with the number eight besides it. His apartment was at the end of floor eight. Now, before they closed, a woman’s hand slipped right through, causing the elevator doors to open up once again. It was Zo, the woman from earlier.
Zo now puffed up her shirt’s collar and her face stretched into a wide smile, “I’ll lead you to your room! I’m the assistant landlord after all!” She laughed as she was using this as a way to get closer to the teenager that was Zo’s age.
“Base to floor eight. I see.” The teenager now sat down as the elevator started to move slowly. This was an old elevator, it wouldn’t go as fast. So they’d probably be in the elevator for at least 3 more minutes. The teenager went rummaging through his pockets, throwing out a card. The card was one of those business cards that had the worker’s name and the businesses phone number and Zo picked it up. Some blush appearing on her face.
“So, you are..Killian Hui?” She asked the teenager out of curiosity. The card has a symbol of a popular technology company, with golden letters that said, “KILLIAN HUI” with the businesses phone number under it.
The teenager sighed, “Call me Hui.” Then Zo nodded, “Hui! Got it! I won’t call you Killian at all!” Her blush had completely disappeared. Zo now looked at the wrapped fabric that was hanging on Hui’s right arm. She then asked, “What’s in that fabric if you don’t mind me asking.”
Hui stayed silent, and right before the elevator doors opened he said, “You’ll see. Since I assume you’re following me to the insides of my room.” He now got up and he was walking to room 830. “So, uh..what do you do for fun?” Zo asked Hui this question, wanting to learn more.
“Kendo.”
“Kendo? Like the sword sport?”
“Yeah.”
“How’d you get into it?”
“Born into it.”
Zo now looked to the side, her eyelids lowering. Born into something, she knew that very well. Not just being born into a landlord’s life or such. But her mother forced her to learn how to ice skate, she was so set on making Zo a figure skater. But that’s not what she wanted, so she lost communication with her mother.
Now, Hui took out the keys to room 830. Then he pressed it into the lock, the locks now turning and a loud click from the lock could be heard. Now, he turned the knob, opening the door. Room 830, it wasn’t as small as the normal apartments. It had one room that was for sleeping only and then there was the living room with a TV and a pantry for snacks.
Zo looked around with a smile as now on the couch inside the apartment, he threw over the medium sized bag onto it. Now putting his hand onto the item wrapped in fabric. Taking it off his shoulder as he now grabbed onto the fabric, taking it all off in one go. Revealing an authentic katana. This katana was amazing to stare at. Its scabbard was golden with orange and red colors combined to make out flames on the scabbard. Its design was excellent. The hilt of the katana was also a crimson red.
Zo was amazed at this, she now went to touch it as Hui now flipped the katana’s position, lightly tapping the hilt on Zo’s forehead. “Don’t touch my katana. I just met you didn’t I?”
Zo rubbed her forehead, having a pouty attitude. “Fine. Alright. You’re no fun! Y’know that, right?!” Zo now left the room, upset that he didn’t unsheathe his katana or let her touch the katana’s scabbard.
He looked out the window, as now he set the katana down by the window. Looking outside at the tall buildings that surrounded this complex. He loved this view. Until he felt a cold liquid go down lip. Then he heard a splash, like a droplet of water. He now put his index finger and middle finger where he felt the cold at, whenever he looked at what was on his fingers, his eyes widened. It was blood. “What the hell..” He now rushed to the bathroom. He now grabbed the toilet paper and ripped some of it off, stuffing his nose with it, so the nose bleed would go away.
Inside the living room, he turned on the TV, it was only on the news channels. He kept flicking through the channels, his grip got tighter on the remote. Every channel, every channel. “WHY IS IT ONLY THE NEWS CHANNEL?!” He now threw the remote in frustration, he just wanted to watch something to calm him down. But he got the news instead.
The news anchor now cleared his throat. “Ladies and Gentlemen. We have gotten news that a global wide infection has started to spread. The origin of it is unknown. But from the reports we’ve seen. The ‘things’ that come out of the virus are deadly and to stay away from at all times. But the symptoms are as following. The first symptom that will show up..is..Nosebleeds.”
Hui was frustrated, but whenever he heard this, his mind cleared. The first symptom of slowly turning into one of these ‘things’ by the virus was a nosebleed. That was as clear as day to him. He put his hands on his head, gripping his hair with intensity. His body was trembling, his eyes were shaking. Why did Hui have to become one of these ‘things?’ He didn’t even know what they were! Was he going to die and become this? Is it a deadly virus?
“But wait, wait, wait. This could just be a coincidence that I'm having a nosebleed. That’s gotta be it!” Hui now smiled as he got up as now more blood flowed out of his nose, the toilet paper up his nose started to drip blood due to how much was coming out. He now put his hand on his nose, his left eye closed due to the pain he was enduring.
Suddenly, the TV turned off as he looked back at it, confused. “What just happened?” Then, the apartment lights suddenly cut out. This would cause the back up lights to kick in, bright red lights that were flashing.
Hui now breathed in and out. “Okay. Okay. This might just be a black out that happens normally. Right? It has to be..there’s no way a virus became a global threat.” He put his hand around his mouth, trying to make sure he doesn’t lose breath fast. He was breathing in and out faster and faster.
Then, suddenly. He heard a bang on the door. It sounded like two fists banging on it over and over as he heard groaning and moaning. “LLLLEEETTTT ME INNNN…” The voice yelled out, almost like it was trying to imitate the way a human spoke. He then grabbed his katana just in case. Now looking through the hole in the door to check who’s at the door, through the hole, his eyes widened. “What the hell is that…”
Outside the door was a human body with torn and tattered clothes. Its eyes were bloodshot and it had pure black eyes. It had a tan skin that was turning into a light green slowly. Drool with a mix of blood coming out of their mouth. It was like a decaying corpse. Hui then backed up from the door, his mind running rampant.
How did something like that get up here?
Is it here to kill me?
There was one thing that yelled louder than all his other thoughts. This was the thought that..WAS THIS WHAT THE VIRUS WAS?!
It couldn’t have been, could it? Viruses can’t affect your body to that much. Where you reside as a decaying corpse that can barely comprehend human language. Even more speak it. He enjoyed fictional books about this. Zombies. But this wasn’t a zombie. It was standing like a normal person, banging on the door. But before he could finish his thoughts, he heard loud footsteps.
Hui couldn’t see anything, as he backed away from the door. But someone had came up to the eighth floor. He was wearing a white dress shirt with a black vest on top of it. He had somewhat baggy sweatpants on. They were black as well, with a white X on the side of it. The man’s lenses on his glasses now reflected the light coming in from the window at the end of the hall, where room 830 was.
Now, suddenly, Hui heard a gunshot. This surprised him, but then after the initial shot. 2 more shots were fired, not from the same distance. But directly in front of his apartment door. This caused Hui’s ears to ring. He then fell onto his bottom. He then held his katana with a shaky hand.
“I’m coming in.” The man said as he kicked open the room with the number 830 next to it. This door now flung open, their two eyes meeting as then the man’s eyes widened as did Hui’s. Hui couldn’t believe it.
“This can’t be right…can it?”
“Is that you. . .?”
“UNC–?!”