Arrival

  We arrived late, the darkness was oppressive and the air was stale. The recent cold and subsequent heat had caused this night to be relatively cool and non-offensive, I was exhausted. I worried that if we left our bikes out that any passersby would notice the new additions and come looking for the owners, we decided to take our bikes up stairs. Each step of the three flights were torture on my ears, the echo seemed louder than life. As we approached the top I paused, my ear to the hallway door listening quietly for any signs of what lay beyond, I heard nothing. Opening the door everything looked as it had always looked, bland and cheap. I took my keys out of my pocket and set the bikes aside. I told Rika to wait behind me and be ready if something were to come barreling out, I would step aside and make shift club would finish it. Nervous and shaking I slowly turned the key. Sweat on my brow and tears in my eyes I imagined what horrors lay beyond the door; what had become of Andrew? The click of the lock was a horrible siren that I swore all of the world could hear. I pushed the door open and peaked through the door. I saw nothing, and nothing immediately reeked of death. I quickly pushed the door open squatting to make room in Rika's line of sight. nothing came flying out at us.... I locked the door and explored the rest of the apartment to my surprise it was empty, staying completely quiet we collected our supplies, the Remington Model 11 with 200rnds of ammunition, more than enough to defend ourselves. It was my father's he left it when he died, the shotgun was his fathers and is still in as good of condition as the day it was built, 5+1 semi auto 12 Gauge.  While collecting supplies my thoughts again went to my roommate's whereabouts. It was clear that he wasn't home and hadn't been for some time, all of our food was still there and nothing had been disturbed. Securing the door we quietly made my bed and slept soundly through the night, three floors up behind a steel door and two dead bolts. After waking and gathering more toiletries we proceeded to leave. As a last thought I disassembled my fishing rod and packed up some of my extra bags, duffel bags and what not, with everything ready and packed up we headed out, I wrote a note and left it for Andrew,  reluctantly I left the door unlocked, perhaps it will serve some one in the future.