Today is December 3rd. Nothing important, except for a college student like me who had an exam.
Exam, test, etc. I guess I'm not the only one who hates them, or I hope I'm not. Even though it's winter, the temperature isn't that cold since I live in a temperate zone, between the Tropic of Cancer and the equator. So the cold temperature only peaks during January and February, but it returns to warm in March; as fast as an aeroplane.
While thinking about how many questions I've got right, I noticed that I was almost home. It's an apartment with more than four rentable rooms. The location is perfect since it's near the edge of a peak, and not many people pass through it. So it's perfect for a student and, let's just say, for anyone who's looking for a quiet place. And the inside is spacious: two small rooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom. The rent is affordable too. Everything was almost perfect, except some rainwater managed to seep in from God knows where during a heavy monsoon.
I quietly opened the gate so as not to disturb the dogs owned by our landlord. He named them Brownie and Blackie, probably because of their colours. By the way, they're extremely aggressive, and they may be the reason why no one comes in uninvited during midnight.
As I stepped inside the courtyard, I instinctively looked toward the garage, and to my dismay, I found an Ocean Blue Vespa.
It's not that I hate Vespas; it's because of the owner—my neighbour, a woman in her mid-twenties who works in some tech company and is extremely petty.
She moved in just after I moved into the apartment. Our first encounter isn't worth mentioning. It was a disaster. And after that first time, we constantly clashed with each other almost every week.
But to be honest, I don't really hate her that much—except that one time where she called me 'Kid'. But it's not like we're besties, so I was already exhausted just by seeing her vehicle.
Let's hope I don't meet her today. Those were my thoughts, as I didn't want any trouble for the day.
So I climbed up the stairs toward the second floor and turned around the corner where my room—my sacred sanctuary—was. A place more comfortable than anything else. That cozy bed was what I wanted. With that in mind, I took out the key to my apartment and unlocked it.
Creaaak
I forgot that my door creaks a lot. I quickly closed it as I got inside, put my backpack and keys on the table, and headed toward the bathroom.
I turned on the tap.
Hmm. What's that sound?
I heard shouting—from next door or from outside. What was that?
Probably nothing. And if it's something, better not get involved in someone's business.
So I started stripping and got ready to take a bath.
🎵 "There's no one like you under the heaven…
Why did you make me cryyyy?"
"I know that you'll never be mine…
But just for a moment can you look my wayyy…" 🎶
I like singing while bathing—who doesn't?
I don't care about anyone hearing because the walls of the apartment are thick. And the song I sang was just about to reach its peak…
Ding dong
Someone is at my door. I quickly stopped singing, grabbed a towel, wrapped it around my waist, and headed to the kitchen. I opened the door slightly.
Outside was a woman. She wore nothing but a black camisole under a long cardigan hoodie and shorts. Her hair wasn't tied up in a ponytail as usual. She didn't have much makeup—not that she wore much anyway. And she reeked of alcohol.
She looked down at me with her brown, piercing eyes, which were hazy and red. And with a slurred tone, she spoke:
"Soo. Evend you lav at my miseravle sdade nou? Dell me *hiic* is id fun?"
And then she—my neighbour—pushed me, dumbstruck, and pinned me down to the floor.