by Lotta Smith
“I have a good stigmatized property perfect for this occasion,” he said breezily.
“Pardon me? I don’t feel the adjective good would go very well with the word stigmatized,” I pointed out, but he walked out of the office with a snort slightly resembling a chuckle.
With me scurrying after him, Jack proceeded down the vast corridor with long strides. He went past the elevator and countless reference storage rooms, and then he came to a particularly heavy-looking door where the corridor hit a dead end. He opened it with one hand without bothering to look back to see if I was following him. I caught a scent of concrete and gas as the air flew in from the door.
The corridor was connected to an underground parking lot with about two dozen parking spaces. Approximately two-thirds of the areas were occupied with expensive super cars from manufacturers like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin, and some of the pricier models of Mercedes filled a few spaces too.
“So, the office is conveniently located right next to the parking lot,” I commented, partly to strike a conversation with my potential boss and partly to confirm with myself that this workplace had something nice with it.
“Right. This parking lot is specifically reserved for the executives,” he said casually and proceeded among the flashy vehicles, heading for the deeper part of the parking lot. A shabby white station wagon, which stood out like a sore thumb in this glamorous parking lot among all the flashy cars, came into sight. “Get in.” He looked at me, unlocking it.
“And to whom does this vehicle belong?”
“I said get in,” he commanded. “Don’t worry. You’re not gonna be an accessory to grand theft auto as it’s the vehicle assigned to H&H.”
“Still, this parking lot is reserved for the executives, and—”
“Never mind. These unoccupied spaces are too good to go to waste.” He made tsk-tsk sounds. “You have no idea how much it costs to rent a parking lot for a compact car in this neighborhood.”
“Oh, okay.” I hopped in. The car’s interior was devoid of décor that showed its driver’s personality. Or maybe the car did show Jack’s personality as it contained some of the same mysterious gadgets I had seen at the office in the back.
Jack revved up the engine, and the station wagon rolled out of the parking lot to the outside world. I hadn’t stayed that long in the basement, but the sunbeams felt too bright and flashy for me.
Instinctively, I shut my eyes. I had a slight concern about wandering into a strange world that I didn’t even know it existed.
CHAPTER 5
After about an hour’s drive with me riding shotgun, Jack Adams drove into the residential area of Santa Clarita.
Pulling to the side of the road, he pointed at an apartment complex right next to us.
It was a four-story building with white stucco walls, housing sixteen families. Balconies with wrought iron fences lined up by the road. Located in a good neighborhood with one of the lowest crime rates in the state, the building should have looked like a sweet home, but it didn’t. The sun was still high, and as we were in southern California, I could see few clouds in the sky, and the apartment complex looked dark and damp—as if someone had manipulated it with dark shadowy effects.
“We’re here,” Jack announced. “Let’s go.”
“So, is this the stigmatized property you’ve mentioned?” I asked. I was already feeling uncomfortable, but I wanted to clarify with him if it was just happening in my head.
“Exactly. We’ve got a unit with its residents practically running away from it, like rats fleeing from a sinking boat.” He glanced at me. “How are you feeling?” When he said those words, he sounded like a physician checking the condition of his patient rather than someone saying a commonly used phrase for a greeting.
“Well, I feel some kind of uneasiness that’s not easy to describe with words.”
“Good.” He nodded casually, moved to the back of the wagon, and started picking up the gadgets and equipment.
I hopped off the car, reluctant, and I looked up at the apartment complex one more time. This time, I noticed some windows were devoid of curtains while others had them. Those units without curtains seemed to be unoccupied.
Jack picked up some boxes, locked the vehicle, and headed for the back of the building’s entrance. There was an open-air metal staircase, and I followed him as he walked up. We went up to the fourth floor, and he stopped at the corner unit.
“Is there really a ghost in this unit?” I said hurriedly as he unlocked the door. I understood why I was here with him, but he seemed too casual for visiting a haunted property. Also, I had some psychological preparation to do before stepping inside the unit.
He turned to me, saying nothing. As he raised an eyebrow, he looked like he was having a really hard time comprehending the reason why he was stuck with such a dense person.
I took a deep breath and followed him inside. From the entrance, I could see the kitchen. Behind that were two rooms with no furniture.
Jack was sitting on the floor of the room closest to the kitchen, fumbling with the gadgets. I recalled when I was paired up with the nerdiest geek of the class for a school project. Not that there was anything wrong with being a nerd or geek, but my partner wasn’t a people person. Our teacher had drawn lots, and the decision had been final. Getting stuck with him for a full week felt like a torture, mostly because he was a man of very few words.
I cleared my throat, just to remind him I was here with him.
“So, lights and water are available for surveillance. Are you going to take a bath or shower tonight? If yes, I can arrange the gas as well.” He looked at me.
“Pardon me?” My eyes widened. Apparently, I was lost. I didn’t understand what the heck he was talking about. I wasn’t a person who casually took a bath at a total stranger’s apartment—especially when it was haunted and/or hexed. Even though I wasn’t sure about the differences between the two H-words, I knew they were both bad.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you.” He clicked his tongue as he set up something looking like a video camera. “The evaluation process requires each candidate to spend a night in a target property.”
“S-spend a night?” I stutter-parroted. Jack took a glance at his watch. “You have until eight o’clock in the morning tomorrow to pursue the source of the hex in this unit. I’ll decide on your future based on tonight’s result.”
“Oh—” I opened my mouth and kept it agape like a total idiot.
“Now, let me walk you through the rules.” He moved his gaze from his watch to me. “If you come out of here before eight o’clock tomorrow, you’ll be failing the exam. Even if you’d manage to stay here until then, the result will be the same if you fail to come up with any info leading to the case closure.”
Listening to him reciting the rules and conditions of the test with the breeziness of a barista at a coffee shop telling me about the daily special, I felt light-headed. In my opinion, I’d had more than my share of making decisions and empowering myself for the day. The anticipation and what little confidence I used to have when I came to downtown on this day had evaporated like spilled orange juice in the middle of Indian summer. I thought I was going to take an exam. Spending a night in an apartment unit with a notoriety for being haunted was beyond my wits, capacity, and everything. Also, I wasn’t sure if it was acceptable for him—a male with the power to hire or dismiss his candidates—to spend the night in the same apartment unit with a candidate of the opposite sex. Then I realized he didn’t seem to be interested in me as a potential date or one-night stand.
Jack was no longer paying attention to me, and instead, he was watching a compass he’d brought from the station wagon with the keenness of a Pokémon Go player who’d just found a super rare Pokémon. I wondered if maybe he was also playing it with the Yu-Gi-Oh! game as he placed eight cards on the floor, making a circle with them.
When he was done arranging the cards, he stood and indicated the circle. “In case you feel dan
ger, stay inside this circle. It’s an energy barrier, and when you’re inside of it, you’ll be safe.”
I looked at the eight white cards making a circle large enough for one of us to sit inside. Each one had a Chinese character written in black ink. I had two questions. One, was this arrangement of cards really effective as a ghost repellent? And, two, why did he make just one barrier, not two of them?
“I have a question, sir!” I raised my hand like an earnest student.
“Sir?” He frowned but then gave me a curt nod. “Go ahead.”
“You’re gonna stay here with me, aren’t you?” I stared at his deep blue eyes. Not that I was attempting to seduce him, but I was hoping to pressure him into saying yes.
“Are you stupid?” he replied, keeping his frown. The most annoying part was he sounded like he truly meant it. “In case you forgot, it’s a test. If I stayed here with you, it’s gonna be a tutorial.”
“But I’ve never spent a night in a haunted property all by myself!” I protested, flipping my arms in a total panic.
“There’s a first time for everything,” Jack said matter-of-factly. “Like I’d mentioned in our previous conversation and in the invitation letter, I don’t intend to force you into taking this test.” He motioned to the main door. “You can forgo the test anytime. Oh, did I mention it’s a basic, easy case? I won’t be hiring anyone who dares to run away from such a property.”
“Oh… No need to rush.” I raised my palm. He was so right. I made a decision to take the test, and the decision was all mine. No one forced anything on me. I was here because I wanted a position at Quest Realty. Considering that it started with a little dream that anyone would laugh off, I had come really far.
The voice in my dream said everything would be fine. I’d believed her once and applied for the company. I found no reason not to believe her this time. After all, Great Mama Jane had named me her successor. I might be able to use magic to fend off even the evilest of spirits if I tried. I took a deep breath, made my hands into fists, and I looked him in the eyes. “I’ll take this test, and I’ll pass it. It’s getting boring staying as a job seeker. I think landing on a new, stable career sounds like a good idea.”
Jack rolled his eyes, but he chuckled. “I’m impressed. At least you’ve got persistence. Okay, I’ll go. Just give me a call in case of a trouble, okay? I’ll see you at eight o’clock tomorrow morning.” He handed me his card with his cell number and left.
Alone in the room, I looked around the place. Not that there was anything that caught my interest in this unoccupied apartment unit, but I had to stay alert. The evaluation process had already started, and I had to prove I was an asset to the company. I was near the energy barrier, and multiple gadgets were set up on tripods. The gadgets seemed like recording devices with each one having a lens on it.
I didn’t know where to begin with the exam. I glanced at the cards making the barrier. I wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I wasn’t stupid enough to play with these cards. I hadn’t forgotten about the traumatizing assault by that weird ghost at the bridge just outside of Quest Realty’s headquarters. I had a gut feeling that Jack wouldn’t set up a barrier just for fun, and if he said it would work, it would.
Sniffing the air in the room, I tried to get a sense of something that was going to happen in this unit. Of course, I didn’t sense anything.
Having nothing better to do, I gave myself a tour of the apartment. The bathroom was spacious with a separate shower and tub and a toilet. I regretted my decision to forgo the shower or bath. I loved taking a bath, and I didn’t mind doing so in a beautiful bathroom. Then again, I wasn’t thrilled about the possibility of encountering paranormal activities in the middle of taking a bath. Honestly, I didn’t fancy any paranormal activities, but encountering ghosts in the bath would have been the worst. If it was an evil, belligerent ghost, the water would make a good murder weapon, and meeting a malicious being naked seemed scarier than doing so with clothes on.
I came back to the room with the barrier and sat on the floor like Jack Adams did. The apartment unit was devoid of chairs. I wished I’d asked for one and then thought maybe I’d be better off without one. I’d seen some horror flick in which the tables and chairs flew all over and assaulted the stupid heroine.
CHAPTER 6
For about an hour or so, I sat in silence, bracing myself for paranormal attack. Except nothing happened.
I was getting bored with sitting there, doing nothing. I checked my phone. It was six thirty in the afternoon. Thirteen and a half hours more to go. I was carrying a paperback in my purse, but it was a horror novel. If I knew the test was about spending a night in a haunted property, I’d have brought something more uplifting such as comedy.
I took out my phone and called Mom. I hadn’t planned to stay in L.A. for so long, and I had to notify her about the schedule.
“Hi, Fio. What’s up?” Just like always, her tone was perky.
“Hi, Mom. I’m still in L.A., and the test turned out to be way longer than expected. So, I can’t come home tonight, and—”
“Sorry, Fio. Can you say that again?” Mom said, her voice rising.
“I said I can’t come home tonight—”
“Pardon me? Really, the noise is masking your voice. Where are you? And who’s yelling behind you?” she shouted. “Be careful for the weirdos and crazy people. You’re in a big city, and things won’t be like our hometown.”
“Wait a minute, Mom. Do you hear noises from behind me?” I asked, sneaking glances behind me. A part of me was seriously afraid of seeing a murderous clown laughing and screaming behind me, but I couldn’t help checking. Luckily, no one was there. “Nobody’s with me. Mom, I’m all alone.”
“I can’t hear you, darling! Can you send me a text? Take care!” She made a kissing sound into the phone, and the line went dead.
I looked around in a slight panic. Moving my hands in a faux kung fu way, I called, “Hello? Is anyone here?”
No reply.
I didn’t know whether to be happy or disappointed. Then again, Mom’s hearing was great and always had been. If she heard someone yelling, someone must have screamed.
Then I realized something more important. The air conditioner was off, but it was cold as if the AC was blowing at its maximum power. It had been sweltering this summer with the temperature staying in the high eighties even at night. I recalled the sense of sweat beading on my back when I came out of the car and walked to the building. It was definitely hot, and I was sure the temperature couldn’t have gone down so drastically. On the contrary, with the outside temperature still high and the windows shut, the inside of the apartment should have been getting hot like a sweat lodge.
Okay, so it was getting dark as the sun was setting, but the room without curtains had been baked with the sunshine for the past days. The abnormally cold temperature in this room made no sense.
Things could have been different in the other room, but I had a hard time collecting my courage to go check. Now that “I’m Afraid of Menacing Ghosts” with the tune of “Who’s Afraid of a Big Bad Wolf?” was blasting at full volume in my head, I didn’t want to take a bath anymore. What if the hot water turned into dark, red, stinky blood while I soaked in the tub? I did a full-body shiver just imagining the scene.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I switched on my phone, accessed YouTube, and watched Looney Tunes videos. In my opinion, nothing was as cute as Tweety and Road Runner.
I’d managed to make it through the next hour or so by chuckling at the humorous cartoon created.
I looked at the clock—another item Jack Adams had left with me in the room. It was nine o’clock. Eleven more hours to go. I didn’t do a happy dance, but at least, I was making progress. At this point, I didn’t really care about passing the exam anymore. All I wanted was to survive the night without major psychological trauma. I was doing great.
I was looking forward to welcoming eight o’clock the next morning. Jack A
dams said he wouldn’t be hiring me unless I had something like a clue to decipher the mystery of haunting in this unit, but I didn’t care. Despite all the potential pros of getting hired by the real estate giant, the huge con of having to stay in haunted properties like this scared the bejesus out of me. I was going to rule out Quest Realty from my potential employer list and relaunch my job hunting.
The real haunting began then, and the temperature dropped even farther. I’d never encountered an apartment that got fridge cold without turning on the AC. Something ice cold brushed the back of my neck, making me long for the charms of my hometown.
“They’re all too rude.” I shook my head, muttering, “That’s the biggest problem with big cities. In my hometown, no one ever touches another person’s neck without good reasons and permission. Eww… Someone wetted my neck!”
Then I froze. I was alone in the unit, and I was far from the kitchen and the bathroom with water. When I touched the back of my neck, I felt something wet on my fingertips.
Something snapped.
I’m not talking about something in my mind snapping but something in this apartment snapped, and all the lights were killed. All the lights. Call me a coward, but I was beyond scared, and I thought I had been a genius when I had turned on every light in this unit earlier. I was neither a tree hugger nor tree killer, but I valued my safety and health—both physical and mental—a lot more than that of the earth!
Even the lights of my phone went dead, and to add more insult to injury, it slipped out of my grip. Crunch! I caught the sickening sound of my phone falling apart. Hopefully, it was just the back of the phone cracking open. Then again, I didn’t fancy attempting to snap the back into the right place in the darkness.
It wasn’t total darkness as the light in front of the apartment building was still alive and illuminated the room I was sitting. That meant it wasn’t a blackout. But at the same time, it proved something was horribly wrong with the apartment unit I was forced to spend the night in.