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Authors: Richard Jackson
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night but it will still be safer than going in blind. Also, there will be fewer potential witnesses.
***
I like to travel light. It’s a good habit I picked up in my youth. I find it easier to move around when I’m not loaded down with a lot of excess baggage especially if I need to move fast. Ordinarily, I would bring a few more items with me but I’m trespassing and have a strong aversion to jail. The canvas messenger bag is just big enough to hold everything I need and small enough to stay out of my way. If I was actually on a case and doing this legally, I would have a floor plan of the building. I wouldn’t have to worry about breaking in. Instead, I look for the best way to do this.
As I hoped, I don’t have to worry about witnesses. The criminal element is smarter than me. They steer clear of this block. At eleven pm, the street is deserted. Someone even took the liberty to shatter all of the street lights casting the block into shadows. I am alone here and the vibe coming from the building reinforces my belief.
I make a quick circuit of the building. Despite the lack of work done on the place, it looks quite secure. The wooden boards covering the ground floor windows have been replaced recently. The front, back and basement doors sport brand new padlocks on them. I won’t be going in through one of the doors, picking locks is not one of the skills I have mastered. Kara can’t sense any magic or spirits from outside the building, just the same sense of uneasiness I feel. I still don’t know what I might be facing in there. Is it worth going in there? Anything could happen.
“ You shouldn’t be doing this by yourself ,” Kara says. She is probably right. I don’t bother answering her with words. I just try to reassure her with my confidence. This is important, I just know it. I would lose time if I tried to get Hagan or one of my other friends to help me. Time is something I don’t have.
The left side of the building looks promising. There are no doors but a fire escape ladder is within easy reach. I reach into my bag and pull on my black gloves. They are made for climbing and handling sharp objects. No need to risk cutting myself on a rusty piece of metal or getting a splinter. I have enough problems with my knee. A quick climb and I am through a second floor window. My knee only murmurs in discontent once I am inside.
The living room is empty of furniture, cleaned out long ago. It is dark and empty except for that cold and humid abandoned building smell. The glow stick I pull out and drop next to the door marks the apartment in case I need to get out of here in a hurry. I check my bag, eyeing the rest of my equipment: a filtered mask, a small crowbar and eleven more glow sticks are all that remain after I pull out the flashlight. Its illumination does little to pierce the gloom as I move deeper into the building.
It’s slow going. I have to be careful of my footing since I didn’t bring a rope or safety harness. I also left my hard hat behind. Most of the metal has been stripped from the building for scrap. Gaping holes can be seen where radiators and pipes are missing. A misstep might result in a sprained ankle or broken leg, neither of which would be good. Even though I have my cell phone with me, I would rather not have to use it. There would be a lot of questions, questions that aren’t easily answered.
There are no scavengers, human or rodent. Another oddity is the lack of trash and debris in the hallway. It makes the surroundings even more destitute than they should be. The stairs are an accident waiting to happen. Some of the steps are missing making the descent treacherous in the darkness. The first floor apartments and lobby are just as barren as the ones upstairs. There are no clues as to why this place makes me and Kara feel so uncomfortable.
The stairs leading down to the basement are particularly dark and uninviting. Even though these stairs have been repaired recently, I
***
I like to travel light. It’s a good habit I picked up in my youth. I find it easier to move around when I’m not loaded down with a lot of excess baggage especially if I need to move fast. Ordinarily, I would bring a few more items with me but I’m trespassing and have a strong aversion to jail. The canvas messenger bag is just big enough to hold everything I need and small enough to stay out of my way. If I was actually on a case and doing this legally, I would have a floor plan of the building. I wouldn’t have to worry about breaking in. Instead, I look for the best way to do this.
As I hoped, I don’t have to worry about witnesses. The criminal element is smarter than me. They steer clear of this block. At eleven pm, the street is deserted. Someone even took the liberty to shatter all of the street lights casting the block into shadows. I am alone here and the vibe coming from the building reinforces my belief.
I make a quick circuit of the building. Despite the lack of work done on the place, it looks quite secure. The wooden boards covering the ground floor windows have been replaced recently. The front, back and basement doors sport brand new padlocks on them. I won’t be going in through one of the doors, picking locks is not one of the skills I have mastered. Kara can’t sense any magic or spirits from outside the building, just the same sense of uneasiness I feel. I still don’t know what I might be facing in there. Is it worth going in there? Anything could happen.
“ You shouldn’t be doing this by yourself ,” Kara says. She is probably right. I don’t bother answering her with words. I just try to reassure her with my confidence. This is important, I just know it. I would lose time if I tried to get Hagan or one of my other friends to help me. Time is something I don’t have.
The left side of the building looks promising. There are no doors but a fire escape ladder is within easy reach. I reach into my bag and pull on my black gloves. They are made for climbing and handling sharp objects. No need to risk cutting myself on a rusty piece of metal or getting a splinter. I have enough problems with my knee. A quick climb and I am through a second floor window. My knee only murmurs in discontent once I am inside.
The living room is empty of furniture, cleaned out long ago. It is dark and empty except for that cold and humid abandoned building smell. The glow stick I pull out and drop next to the door marks the apartment in case I need to get out of here in a hurry. I check my bag, eyeing the rest of my equipment: a filtered mask, a small crowbar and eleven more glow sticks are all that remain after I pull out the flashlight. Its illumination does little to pierce the gloom as I move deeper into the building.
It’s slow going. I have to be careful of my footing since I didn’t bring a rope or safety harness. I also left my hard hat behind. Most of the metal has been stripped from the building for scrap. Gaping holes can be seen where radiators and pipes are missing. A misstep might result in a sprained ankle or broken leg, neither of which would be good. Even though I have my cell phone with me, I would rather not have to use it. There would be a lot of questions, questions that aren’t easily answered.
There are no scavengers, human or rodent. Another oddity is the lack of trash and debris in the hallway. It makes the surroundings even more destitute than they should be. The stairs are an accident waiting to happen. Some of the steps are missing making the descent treacherous in the darkness. The first floor apartments and lobby are just as barren as the ones upstairs. There are no clues as to why this place makes me and Kara feel so uncomfortable.
The stairs leading down to the basement are particularly dark and uninviting. Even though these stairs have been repaired recently, I
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