Avery

Chapter 1

Avery James drove her aged black Chevy into the parking lot in front of her new apartment. She sighed softly as she looked up at the dilapidated building that was half covered in chipped white paint and grey wood underneath. It reminded her of the old, neglected farmhouses that she had seen along the way on her drive that were not abandoned but they looked dark and haunted.

The car door creaked as she opened it and stepped out. She looked around and saw only a few other cars in the parking lot as she went to the back door and grabbed two large bags that held a small amount of clothing and various other things. The apartment luckily had most of the furniture and appliances she needed since most of the tenants in the last few years had left mostly everything behind.

She walked up the wide sidewalk toward the front of the building. A large wooden sign with faded painted letters sat in the lawn to the left that read Cherry View Apartments. The building itself was separated in the middle by a large open corridor with black metal stairs that led to the second floor.

All of the units had doors that pointed inward towards the corridor. The first one on the left belonged to the building manager who Avery had talked to on the phone but had not yet met. Her apartment was right across the hall and when she asked how she got so fortunate to have the first one on the main floor, the manager just laughed and said that it was usually empty and no one ever stayed for long.

She placed her bags near her door and walked over to the other side. After a few quick knocks, a plump middle aged woman with short light brown hair answered the door.

"Alice?" she paused. "I'm Avery James."

"Right. Come on in for a moment so we can go over some things and I will grab you the key." she motioned inwards from the doorway and let Avery pass through. "Go ahead and have a seat until I get everything together. Would you like something to drink, dear?"

"Oh, no, thank you. I'm fine." she replied as she sat down on a beige colored couch and watched as Alice walked around the kitchen counter that separated it from the living room.

"So, whereabouts do you come from, Avery James?" Alice asked curiously as she rustled through paperwork on her kitchen table.

Avery brushed her dark blonde hair back behind her shoulders and leaned on the arm of the couch. "Two hours north of here. Sandalwood."

"Hmm." Alice responded to herself. "And what do you want with this little 'ole dump in Cherry if you don't mind me asking?"

Avery smiled and then chuckled lightly. "I am going back to school in Alivon City and can't afford much of anything else at the moment. I need to find a job while I'm here also."

Alice walked back into the living room and sat beside her on the couch. She laid some paperwork and the apartment key on the coffee table in front of her.

"It's good that this apartment was available when you needed it then. You know I charge less for it than the rest so that should help you out for now. I suggest you find yourself that job quick and get yourself a better place soon."

Avery looked at her with curiosity. "So, what is the story with that anyway? Why doesn't anyone stay?" She already felt she knew the answer but she wanted to hear the story behind it.

"Everyone asks but then regrets asking later." Alice shook her head and sighed. "But, you do have a right to know what you are getting yourself into after you sign on the dotted line, am I correct?"

Avery shook her head and smiled. "I'm not scared easily. I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Well, it started about eight years ago or so after a woman and her daughter moved in. They lived there for about a year when the daughter disappeared. There was a big to do about it all but she has never been found."

Avery shook her head in agreement. "Okay, yeah, I think I do remember hearing about that a long time ago. I kinda forgot about it til you mentioned it just now. Kaycee something?"

Alice continued. "Kaycee Lane, yes. Her mother, Anna, worked for the McVeigh's while they lived here. As, I'm sure you know, the McVeigh's are a very rich family that own almost everything in Cherry and Alivon City. They have interest in many other business ventures also. You can practically find them everywhere."

"Yes, I know about them slightly." Avery agreed. "Something happened to the wife also around that time too if I remember correctly?"

"Nancy McVeigh." Alice replied quickly as she adjusted herself on the couch. "William found her in the tub with some wine and a lot of pills all over the bathroom. Apparent suicide they said. No note or any reason leading up to it. Everything was a secret and has been a mystery ever since."

Avery listened intensely. "That's really weird."

"What's really strange is that Kaycee's mom, Anna, eventually married William. She went from being the help to being the wife." Alice added as she leaned over to the coffee table and grabbed the paperwork that she needed Avery to sign. "But anyway, after Anna moved into the mansion permanently I needed to rent out the apartment right away but every time I tried they would shortly leave thereafter."

"And you don't know why?" Avery asked curiously.

Anna shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know what happened or what is going on over there. I've had to clean up after someone leaves and I've never had any issues or seen anything out of place. Honestly, I think people are just crazy."

Avery laughed as she handed Alice her first months rent and deposit. Alice simultaneously handed Avery the lease that she needed to sign. "Well, I'll let you know ahead of time if I plan on running out in the middle of the night."

"Talk about running out," Alice handed Avery the key and stood up. "I need to go run some errands so go on over and check things out and I will meet up with you tomorrow."

"Sounds good." Avery replied as she stood up also and walked towards the door. She opened it and walked back out to the corridor as Alice followed closely behind.

"See you later, dear." Alice waved as she headed to the parking lot.

Avery waved back and then turned towards her door. She looked down at the key in her hand and hesitantly placed it into the door knob. She suddenly felt a chill even though it was a very warm day and instantly felt uncomfortable.

She opened the door and immediately noticed the kitchen to her left with a counter that separated it from the living room just like Alice's. There were two doors along the wall to the left right after the kitchen and another door at the far end of the living room.

Avery threw her bags on the couch that was already provided, looked around and let out a deep sigh. She walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge and realized that it was running and clean but bare as a bone. A grocery run would be the first thing on the list to get done.

The second door and farthest door led to two different bedrooms that were still furnished with other peoples beds, dressers and even still some clothes. The door closest to the kitchen went into the small but efficient bathroom. Even in there it was already provided with towels and toiletries but she was pretty sure she would replace some of it.

Avery started to walk out to the living room when she began to get the sense of being watched. She had always been sensitive as long as she could remember. Seeing and sensing spirits were not new to her and she had the ability to block out what she wanted unless she wanted its attention.

The feeling of something in the bathroom made her stop and look back over her shoulder. She went towards the shower and instinctively opened the shower curtain and looked down into an empty tub. The thought of something jumping out at her made her roll her eyes and shake her head.

She stopped at the vanity that was straight across from the bathroom door and looked into the mirror. Her exhausted reflection looked back at her and she sighed once again. The feeling disappeared as quickly as it showed up so she turned on the sink and splashed some cold water on to her face.

The sound of rustling in the living room and then one of her bags falling to the floor made her turn off the water abruptly. She stayed leaning over the sink and grabbed a hand towel that was on a rack beside her. Her blood started racing but she still did not sense anything out of the ordinary.

She leaned back up slowly and again looked into the mirror but this time she noticed something out of place. From the other side of the living room a ghastly face reflected itself from a distance behind her. The long black hair and empty dark sockets surged with a glide towards her rapidly. A wide, open screaming mouth kept growing larger as Avery whipped around with a startling fright. Her heart began beating out of her chest.

She was not alone.