It was said that living on higher floors could lead to feelings of loneliness and anxiety.
Stephanie lived on the fourth floor, which was not particrly high, but as she stood on her small balcony watching the sunrise, she didn''t feel the energy. Instead, she was exhausted, as if she had been burning the midnight oil and couldn''t shake of the fatigue Her head felt light. Perhaps she had slept too much. Yesterday, when Mary and Hayley pressured her to sign the divorce papers, she seemed indifferent, but deep down, it bothered her a lot. Maybe living in high-rise buildings really made people feel lonely and anxious She picked up a bottle of antidepressants, ready to twist open the cap, but paused Who must s put this here?" she frowned.
Someone had stick a small whitebel on the bottle, with the words "Take after meals" printed on it.
She remembered thest time she took this medication was at Molly''s apartment, and there was no suchbel.
Stephanie didn''t dwell on it. The note served as a gentle reminder. She ced the bottle on the table, went into the bedroom to grab a long coal, touched up her makeup, and headed downstairs for breakfast.
As she locked her door, she noticed a white drone abandoned to the left of her doorstep. It was about the size of a small stool, already unboxed with the remote control lying beside it Many residents in thisplex were families with children, so it was likely a child''s toy left behind, These drone toys seem pretty expensive," she murmured, ncing at it briefly before entering the elevator and heading down to the first floor Across the street from the neighborhood was a brunch restaurant with decent food and reasonable prices. Residents often came here early in the morning for breakfast.
Stephanie also enjoyed these delicate pastries. Living with the Wellingtons had taught her the habit of rising early. It was now 6 AM, and the restaurant was mostly filled with elderly folks leisurely chatting over breakfast.
She sat alone at a corner table, ordering some mullins and croissants. She thought that if she could set aside her worries, this kind of rxed, almost retired life could be quite enjoyable.
"I heard that Room 402 in Block F has been renovated and rented out again."
A group of five or six long-time residents were chatting at the table next to Stephanie. Normally, she wouldn''t pay attention to others'' conversations, but it sounded like they were talking about her since she was the one living in 402 in Block F.
"I saw her in the elevator a few days ago. She''s beautiful, but she looks pretty unwell, really thin, like she''s been seriously ill, one of them whispered, their voice dripping with mystery.
"Dude, don''t be so dramatic. You said she was sick before she moved in, not after"
"That''s not necessarily true. There must be some lingering effects"
empty fo for over half a
"Yeah, it''s kind of creepy: 402 was rented out the day before yesterday, and the very next day, 502 upstairs, which had been emp year, was leased too. Better safe than sorry. After all, someone did die there?
As their conversation continued, a chill ran down Stephanie''s spine, and her fork, holding a mufin, ttered onto the table.
"The management asked us not to mention that incident, so it wouldn''t affect property values here. It''s in everyone''s best interest"
"You think people don''t know just because we don''t talk about it? With the inte, anyone can look up ourplex and find out what happened. Besides, one-bedrooms here usually go for at least 23 thousand dors a month. If someone''s renting out Room 402 in ck F for only 1.3 thousand dors, anyone with half a brain would know something''s up."
Stephanie looked at the croissant in her hand, suddenly losing her appetite.
*Room 502 was also going to be discounted to rent it out, but that guy was freaking generous. Anson just threw out a random price, and he signed the contract without even haggling
"Anson is really unlucky. Apartments here are in such high demand, but he couldn''t rent out 502 for over half a year. And now the owner of 402 downstairs is threatening to sue him."
Stephanie listened intently to the elders'' conversation, feeling her scalp tingling.
Six months ago, a couple had lived in Room 502 of Block F in this neighborhood. One day, they had a heated argument that turned violent. The woman tried to escape, but the man hadcked the front door. She climbed down to the balcony of Room 402 below, hoping to find help.
then, the woman had already been stabbed multiple times in the chest. She was weak, and her clothes were soaked in blood, leaving a trail of Chapter 268
horrifying stains on her hands and the floor. She screamed desperately, banging on the ss door of the 402 balcony, but the resident inside was too terrified by her appearance to approach.
The resident intended to call the police, but before they could, the man from 502 jumped down from his balcony with a terrifying look on his face. He grabbed the woman''s shoulders and violently pushed her off the building. killing her.
The way that woman died was just horrifying, and so much of her blood had sttered onto the 402 balcony. Rumors began to circte about her spirit, haunting the ce. Over time, both 502 and 402 became vacant, Stephanie''s body stiffened, and she abruptly stood up. Her movement pulled at the tablecloth, knocking over a coffee pot. The ttering sound drew the attention of those around them.
"Hey, she''s the new tenant from 402," one of the elderly men remarked, staring at her in surprise.
Stephanie had aplex feeling. She turned to look at them. The old folks avoided her gaze. A waiter came to clean up the spilled coffee, and she paid her bill, grabbing a takeout box of pasta before leaving. Others might not know, but Stephanie had a secret she was terrified of ghosts.
Her grandfather, Thomas, had always said, "You''ll have nothing to fear if you haven''t done anything wrong." But she was still scared. As a child, she often heard faint noises and saw fleeting shadows. She had mentioned it to her grandfather several times, but he only vaguely told her that she was mistaken and overthinking.
Even as an adult, she was still wary of such things. Vincent would surelyugh at her if he knew.
Stephanie returned to the so-called haunted" 402, feeling uneasy the entire way.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.
As she was about to unlock the door, she noticed the white electric toy car still sitting outside. It was such an expensive toy, yet no one hade to im it.
She was in no mood bother about such things. She entered the apartment, took her medicine, and decided to take a nap.
Stephanie fell asleep quickly, but she couldn''t shake the feeling that she smelled a faint scent of burning herbs in the air. Her body felt weak and heavy as if someone was holding her down.
What was meant to be a short nap turned into a deep slumber thatssted most of the day It wasn''t until nearly evening that a sudden p of thunder jolted Stephanie awake.
A sudden downpour erupted, rainshing against the windows. The temperature plummeted, the cool air clearing up her senses.
ck if the doors and windows were locked.
Stephanie sat up in bed, her first instinct to check
Her one-bedroom apartment was so small that from her bedroom, she could see the living room and m the!
balcony. Suddenly, Stephanie froze, her eyes wide with horror as a dark figure flitted past the balcony door.
The
intensified, apanied by thunder. She hated these stormy nights, a mix of emotions welling up inside her. It wasn''t just the rumors about the haunted apartment. It also brought back memories of the night she had been cut open.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Stephanie turned on all the lights in the apartment, illuminating every corner.
She told herself there was nothing to fear, that all her anxieties were just demons in her mind. If she faced it head-on, they wouldn''t be so terrifying. Mustering her courage, she rushed to the ss door and pulled it open. A gust of wind and rain whipped against her face, the icy water sharpening her senses.
Stephanie scanned her surroundings carefully, but nothing seemed amiss.
Perhaps the fleeting shadow sh she had seen was nothing.
Yet, as she calmed down and prepared to go back inside, her foot stepped on a doorknob. The metal handle was noticeably loose.
tiny screw. She screw. She bent down to pick it up, her gaze falling on the
Rainwater, driven by the wind, seeped into the house. Stephanie was m drenched and pale. She raised her head, following the wall''s pipework and looking up to Hoom 502 above....
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