The Perfect Spot

Tatum felt relieved she didn't have to take the next flight of stairs.  She was exhausted from carrying most of the heavy things up the first flight by herself.   With a final burst of effort and an audible "umph!," she scooted the last box across the threshold with her foot, and closed the door behind her.  Leaning back against the door, arms crossed, she panned the room with a sense of satisfaction.  She had organized the packing so the boxes and tubs could be taken to their assigned rooms, and their contents quickly made to feel at home where they belonged.

Getting her second wind, she righted herself and began a room to room check of her new home.   When she had paid the landlord her deposit, he reminded her, almost as a scolding, "You have twenty-four hours to let me know if there's anything wrong with the place. If I find something wrong when you leave and you haven't told me about it, you won't be getting this back."  She recalled how he waved her check at her with a look of skepticism on his face.

He had seemed a bit cranky, perhaps hardened to the process, but he had come highly recommended as the most fair and reliable landlord in town, even if he was a bit peculiar. Tatum had considered one of his rental homes, but the thought of tending a yard every weekend made her back away from that idea like a child from a snake.  Apartment life with no outdoor responsibilities suited her just fine. 

She began her inspection by checked the doors to be sure they shut tightly.  They all seemed in good working order, latching properly and the like.  She checked the carpets for stains, and the ceilings and walls for holes or other issues that might cause her to lose her deposit.  She had hated paying a deposit equal to two month's rent, but she knew she would get half of it back, and having an extra cash the her pocket when she moved out would be like having a little surprise savings account, minus the interest, of course.

Over the next few hours, Tatum unpacked her belongings room by room.  It was lonely unpacking things by herself, but she knew the help she had asked for was truly only for moving, not unpacking. She had said her good-byes to her former neighbors with tears and a hug, and watched them drive away, knowing in her gut their friendship would eventually be forgotten.  But for now, they had all promised to keep in touch, and made plans to "get together sometime soon."  She smiled a sideways smile as she remembered how many identical plans had been made and broken with others over the years. Maybe this time will be different, she thought to herself.  But she knew it wouldn't.

The excitement of moving here was still fresh;  She was happy Neal had stopped by to help re-assemble her bed.  As payment, she offered to detail his car, but he brushed her off with a kiss on the cheek, and said, "No, sis.  It's O.K.  Brothers are supposed to help their sisters.  Besides, you've got the beauty, and I've got the brawn, right?"  He flexed his arms, bulges appearing under his tee.  "You definitely got the brawn," she said with a smile, remembering when they would razz each other about who was strongest.  Funny how in just a few short years her kid brother had become a man, although it was still hard to think of him that way.

It had felt good to reconnect.   She had welcomed his help, even though he couldn't stick around to talk.  The feeling of gratefulness lingered as she fell back on the bed, exhausted.  Hands behind her head, she looked corner to corner at the ceiling, and then noticed a small black mark near the center of the ceiling, no bigger than a nickel.  She hadn't noticed it before.  Something to make note of for the landlord, she thought..  Not giving it anymore thought, she continued to ponder the day, and eventually fell asleep without even getting under the covers.

It wasn't long before the urge to pee nagged her to wake up.  She felt annoyed as she made her way to the bathroom and saw she had left every light on in the apartment. Dad would have killed me by now, leaving all these light on.  She giggled at the thought of becoming an adult, as she started a proper bedtime routine that included brushing her teeth and turning out all the lights.  Then she stumbled into bed and properly tucked herself in under the covers.  "Curious," she thought, fixing her eyes on the mysterious pock, now barely visible in the grey.   It seemed larger than before, but maybe it was just her imagination. She vowed silently to check it out further in the morning.

"Goodnight new home," she said in a whisper.  With an exhalation of contentment that comes with finally being settled, she smiled and drifted off to sleep.

She had set her alarm for 8 a.m., and was surprised when she awoke ready to face the day without it.  She sat up and pulled the clock to her face to verify that she was indeed up earlier than she had wanted to be.  Confirmed: 6:30.   Ugh.  She flopped her head back down on the pillow in disappointment.  And then her eyes again took note of the ceiling.

The dubious area had grown.  It was three inches wide now.  It didn't appear to be a hole anymore, but more like a spot, mold perhaps.  Tatum slowly peeled the covers back, not taking her eyes off it.  She carefully got on her knees and with a wobbliness that was almost dangerous, rose to the middle of her bed to get a bit closer.  Just as she reached up to touch it, her phone rang.  She clumsily plopped down and rolled off the bed to answer it.

"Oh, Neal!   Yes, I'm doing fine.  Yes, it's perfect!   You're calling early, what's up?   Breakfast?  Give me twenty minutes and I'll be waiting for you outside."   She hung up, and began her morning routine at a quickened pace, brushing her teeth, putting her hair in a messy bun, and dusting her make-up with a much lighter application than her work-week required.  She pulled on her "Keep Calm and Coffee On" tee,  a gift from the office crew on her last birthday that had just missed the mark.  She wasn't a coffee drinker, and apparently they hadn't noticed.

Once outside, she realized just how much fun it was going to be, living in the same suburb as Neal .  Even though she had moved back to the area several years ago, they had both been too busy with their respective careers to make time for each other.  But now, each with a measure of success and the ability to enjoy what they had accomplished, they could seek out opportunities to "catch-up."  And living close to him was one of the benefits of her new apartment.

After ninety minutes of sharing the week's events,  Neal said he had to get back to start on his yard.  Tatum smiled inside, pleased with her choice to forego one.  She would much rather spend her time at home doing things she loved, not things she had to. With the unpacking nearly complete, this weekend would be devoted to getting to know the neighborhood better, scouting shops in the local strip mall, and driving around looking for places to eat that she and Neal might delight in over the next few months.  Although Neal had lived in this neighborhood for over a year now, he wasn't much of an adventurer.  Until now he had been perfectly content to grab coffee and a donut on his way to work and eat microwaved dinners when he got home.  He would surely appreciate her efforts to find a place that would make meals a little more enjoyable, especially in the company of his big sister. 
 
She returned home with pleasing sense of independence and accomplishment that almost brought tears to her eyes.  She climbed the stairs to the landing, inserted the key, and gave it a turn.  When the door opened, she smelled the familiarity of her things.  Home.

"Finally, my own place." she said out loud.  My own spot, she thought. And then she remembered:  The spot!

She moved toward the bedroom, eyes fixed on the ceiling as she approached.  As the realization of what she was seeing hit her, she felt the hairs on her neck stand on end.   In the light of day, she could see the spot had doubled in size and was not black, but black with a crimson outline, and a gooey, glistening center.

It wasn't mold.  It was seeping blood.  Someone's blood.  In disbelief,  she slowly pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.  Her heart sank as she began to dial 911.  She could only imagine what had taken place above her.  In reality, Tatum knew the emergency was over.  This was merely a report, and her next call would be to notify the landlord.