Apartment 2B

Brittney rented apartment 2B. It came adequately furnished and she felt safe from the things a single woman living alone fears, such as, intruders and sexual predators. She left her apartment every morning at six o’clock, bought a large coffee, and boarded the train for downtown. After a full day, she boarded the train again and napped on the way home arriving usually around six o’clock in the evening. She stayed with her boyfriend, Ted, on weekends. It was rare for Brittney to stray from her schedule.

Gordon Fitch was an ex-con who studied Brittney’s patterns and also lived in apartment 2B. He turned the lock every morning after six o’clock with a SOG Flash Tanto knife, showered, ate a bowl of Cheerios, then was careful to wash and put it away in the exact manner he found it. Gordon would use Brittney’s computer and check her calendar, read her diary, and then crawl between her flowered sheets and sleep until his cell phone alarm awakened him at four o’clock. He allowed himself plenty of time to get out before his unofficial roommate returned for the day.

On Wednesday, Brittney got sick at work and returned home at four o’clock. Feeling nauseous she went to the bathroom and discovered a cell phone beeping. It annoyed her that the landlord, Mr. Davis, had once again entered her apartment without notifying her in advance. She would have a word with him, but first she wanted a hot shower to rid herself of the pounding headache.

When she stepped out of the shower, the cell phone was gone. Clearly, the landlord did not have any boundaries. With renewed anger she called him and in a stern voice said, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but why do you keep entering my apartment?”


Word Count: 299