The Room

 Steve just got his new keys for the new apartment. An old loft downtown. Old but totally refurbished, the realtor said the previous owners had to leave due to a family emergency and couldn’t come back. Yeah, shit happens. Good for Steve. He could get this new place and start anew, since Alyssa’s gone he hasn’t been able to fully be himself without being haunted by the demons of the past. He wants to concentrate and be able to work on what is important to him, so a fresh start in a new house and town seems perfect.

The house is indeed perfect. 2 bedrooms, 1 kitchenette adjacent to the living room that seems very practicable. The living room has a big L-Shaped sofa. Steve had always wanted a big L-Shaped sofa to watch his games. Alyssa disapproved it strongly at the time, as she didn’t care much for the games, but now he can have what he wants. She’s gone. Although the house was perfect, only 1 bedroom was available. Oddly enough the realtor told Steve that the other bedroom was closed because it had a big hole on the ground and which the landlord was trying to fix. But it seems as if he was delaying it. Steve didn’t care much for it as he only needed his own bedroom and the magnificent living room to watch his games. He thought it was just typical landlord bullshit. The price was great as well. You can’t get a house at this price, in this market in this area of the town…

First night in the new house. Steve bought a six-pack and made sure they’d be ice cold just in time for the big match. He was invited to watch the game at a local sports bar, but he was dying to try out his new sofa. It started pouring heavy rain outside, good he decided to stay in that night. As Steve laid out his legs on the L-part of the sofa with a cold one in one hand and the remote on the other he hears a big thump. What could that be? He couldn’t even figure out where the noise came from. Probably just old house noises. You know how the old wood cracks and makes creepy noises, that’s what it probably was. Focus on the big match tonight and relax Steve.

But it seemed the match was getting boring, and Steve was already a little tipsy from the beers. Another thump. A big one this time. It seems to be coming from the old room. Steve's face turned white; he was scared to death. It was indeed a cliché: old house with a locked room. How could he just have ignored that? Was he so adamant about escaping the thoughts of Alyssa that he rushed into this weird house? No. The supernatural stuff isn’t real, right? Yeah. They aren’t.

Steve fell flat out on the ground as I stabbed him. I wanted him to suffer. He should have remembered that Alyssa’s brother would always protect her. Even if she wasn’t around anymore, this guy had to pay for what he had done. Killing her, making it look like it was a suicide. No, Alyssa called me. She was fearing for her life, she wanted to leave. But I was too late, and this bastard got away with it. He did it so perfectly, no one suspected him. But I knew, I knew the horrible things he did to Alyssa. As Steve was falling on the ground, he looked at me and told me to come closer:

“I think… You are next…” – He said, with a grin on his face as his head fell back. He was dead. What the hell was he talking about… I feel a presence behind me. It shivers down my spine, the chills. I’m paralyzed in fear, was there something in the room after all? I start to turn my head around as slow I can, and I see nothing… But I feel it’s everywhere. If I hide, it won’t go away. I must move.

“No” – I hear an echo around the whole loft. – “You belong to the Room now”

 

House for sale:

Cozy neighborhood, 1 bedroom apartment (Loft-like). Perfect for young couples to start out their life. The previous owner had to leave due to a family emergency.