Clockwork Romance (24 page)

I go up to her maroon door, reading “11A,” and knock. She answers the door only seconds later,
greeted by her in her pink scrubs.

“Hi, come on in,” she welcomes. The door closes and she continues, “I was just about to change, go ahead and make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right out.”

“Sure,” I say. Her apartment is beautiful, just as I figured. It doesn’t look like an apartment. Instead, it has more of a layout like an actual house. A long hallway with two bedrooms and a bathroom. There is a nice kitchen, dining room, and plenty of living space. I walk into her kitchen, which reminds me of a domesticated house, with pots, pans, dishes, silverware, and glasses. The kitchen leads into the dining room, with wooden floors and mahogany furniture. The dining room has three entryways. One back into the kitchen, one that leads into the living room, and the last one that opens up at the end of the hallway. Hannah’s bedroom was at the end of the hallway as well.

I stepped back into the white-walled living room, and waited for Hannah to come back out.
She has pictures of her family set out on small tables against the wall. I hear her bedroom door reopen and soon see Hannah walk back into the room, wearing an orange blouse and jeans ripped at the knee. She looked happy in these photos. There’s even one of her in a fancy dress, like she’s at some kind of formal dinner.

“So what do you want to do? Sit back, watch television? Talk? I like your suit by the way,” she rambles with sincerity.

“Thank you,” I say, as she throws herself onto the couch. “Do you have any plans tonight?”

“No, not really, why?” she asks. “You got something in mind?”

“Actually, I do,” I say, sitting down next to her. “How about we go dancing?”

“Dancing?” she asks, intrigued and delighted. “Isn’t that a place for… couples?”

“Well, sure, but who says two friends can’t enjoy an evening of champagne and an orchestra?”

She thinks about it, with the look in her eyes already agrees with me. “Okay,” she says with an excited smile.

“Great, and I’ll even wear this suit,” I say, which makes her laugh.

“Well it does look good on you,” she replies, losing the humor and adding generosity. “But first,” she says, turning the television
on, “I have to tell you about my day.”

I sit comfortably next to her and enjoy her company
, just as she’s enjoying mine. We spend a nice afternoon together talking about what’s on the tube, as well as Hannah’s somewhat humorous private life, consisting of stories about people crying at the dentist’s office who need to have teeth pulled.

Once the evening came, Hannah took the time hiding in her room, getting ready for our night. I’ve been waiting for about forty-five minutes watching television and the sun go down, making the room grow darker. Eventually, the bedroom door opens and I hear Hannah’s footsteps walking down the hall. I had turned on the lamp in the room, so there would be plenty of light in order to full
y admire what Hannah is wearing. She walks in the room wearing a long light pink dress with diamond-like sequins across the chest to her left shoulder. Her right shoulder was bare, her hair looking elegant. I stood up in amazement, turning off the television the second she walked in.

“How do I look?” she asks, like she has no idea how beautiful she is.

“You look absolutely gorgeous,” I say with the raise of an eyebrow.

“Thank you. I have a few dresses, but I didn’t know which one to wear. I don’t
really wear them very often.”

“Well you look lovely,” I assure her.

“Let me just get my purse and we can go,” she tells me.

“Sure, but can I ask you something first?” I ask.

“Um, okay,” she says.

“I noticed earlier that you have two bedrooms in this apartment. Do you have a roommate?” I ask.

“No, I used to. She moved out a while back, but I loved this apartment too much to leave,” she explains.

“Oh,” I say.

“You ready?” she asks, holding a small purse over her shoulder.

“Yes,” I say.

We get to the ballroom, which has a traditional bar setting. It looks like a room from the early twentieth century. It had fancy floors, long drapes on the walls, and plenty of ladies and gentlemen dancing. Hannah and I walk to the bar, where we are greeted by a nice older gentlemen wearing a vest and a bowtie.

“What may I get for you two tonight?” he asks.

“I’ll have a bourbon,” I tell him.

“And me the same,” Hannah says.

He gives us our drinks and we hold the glasses while I think of a toast. “Here’s to…” I say. I don’t really have anything at the moment.

“Us,” finishes Hannah. We touch glasses and drink. There’s an orchestra playing and a man singing in an old-fashioned voice. Simpler times. That’s what this place reminds me of. “Do you like this kind of music?” she asks.

“Of course, it’s classic,” I tell her.

“I like it too, it’s just that I’ve never really listened to it,” she says.

“Then how about we dance? That way we can enjoy it,” I suggest. We put down our drinks and walk to the dance floor, moving through a crowd of other couples, some older, but only a few as young as we are. Hannah and I face each other, my left hand holding her right hand. Her other arm is around my shoulder and mine on her waist.

We don’t talk at first, just stare into each other’s eyes while
listening to the music. I felt like I was dancing with a high society woman at a party in the forties.

“You’re a good dancer,” she compliments.

“Thanks, I don’t get to practice very often. But I suppose it helps having such a good partner.” She offers a small smile, not showing teeth, showing she is flattered. When the song is over, a new one begins. This one is a slower, more loving number. We remain in the same stance, but Hannah rests the side of her face on my shoulder as we dance slower. There’s now a new feeling over me. I think I’m falling for Hannah.

I still love Karina, and I don’t want anything to happen to her. But I believe, like I’ve stated before, our time might be over. I might go over Karina’s place tomorrow to tell her we should stop dating. But I know I promised her I would come back today. We’ll just see how the rest of the night goes, and if I’ll have time to stop by later.

Hannah and I spend about another hour at the ballroom, returning to the bar periodically for a drink. Hannah tells me she’s been having the time of her life, that she wishes she had her own ballroom.

After dancing, I take her out to dinner, as we share another great meal together. I finally take her back home to end the night. Once we arrive back at her apartment, I walk Hannah to her door.

“I had a wonderful time, Luke. Thank you for taking me out. I had a lot of fun,” she tells me as me stand outside her door.

“You’re welcome. You’re great company. Have a good night Hannah. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I was just about to leave when Hannah stopped me.

“Luke, wait. I just have one thing to ask you,” she says.

“Sure, go ahead,” I say.

“Tonight. Did you consider it to be a… date?” she questions.

“I suppose… if neither of us has a problem with it… then maybe it could have been. What do you think?” I ask.

“I like that idea,” she answers. “But if that’s so, aren’t you forgetting the proper way to end it?”

I look at her as if I have no idea. “And what would that be?” I ask.

She leans in and gives me a small kiss on the lips. She leans back out, followed by a brief gaze into each other’s eyes. “Goodnight Luke,” she says.

“Goodnight.”

She steps into her apartment, as I take my time turning around and walking back to my car. I can’t help but to have a smile plastered on my face. I believe there is a new relationship beginning to blossom. At the same time, I am afraid, no, terrified that another one must end.

How will Karina react to what I have to say? Badly, I figure, but how badly? If she reacted the way she did when she thought I was cheating on her, I can only imagine how bad it will be when I tell her I want to date someone else. I can still be friends with Karina, can’t I? I can help her get back on her feet and be there for her.

Right now, I feel like the worst human in the world, leaving my girlfriend for someone else. I even question whether or not I’m ready for another relationship at all. If my relationship with Karina ends like this, should I really go heading into another one right away? I’m trying to decide whether I want to go over Karina’s tonight like I said I would, or wait until tomorrow, so I have time to gather my thoughts. Oh, Karina, why did it have to be like this? It’s like someone or something doesn’t want me to be with her, making me see and hear things that never happen when I’m with Hannah.

I get in my car and drive. I’ll decide what to do on the ride home.

Chapter 19

I drive up to the stoplight, my apartment only a few blocks away.
I could just keep going straight, go home, and go to sleep. Or I could turn right and visit Karina. I should get it over with now. I don’t want to wait, only to toss and turn the entire night.
Just go home. Just go home.

My hands turn the steering wheel to the right, now Karina’s apartment building stands straight ahead. I get closer and closer, trying to get my speech organized. Her heart will break, no doubt, but I don’t know what else to do. What is another outcome? After tonight with Hannah, am I supposed to tell her goodbye and get back with Karina, knowing things may not ever be the same between us? Now if I choose Hannah, I might keep my sanity, but will lose one of the greatest women to ever enter my life. However long we have to talk tonight
, we will come to a conclusion that will lift a burden, and all others to come, permanently from my shoulder.

I’ve parked, and before I know it, I’m already at the front door. I should walk slower, no need to rush. I walk inside, where there is no one in the lobby, which I should expect with it being so late. I breathe out slowly and slowly breath in, so to calm my nerves. I need to see if Karina is doing alright, after attempting to kill herself today. I don’t even know if that’s what she was trying to do. Maybe it was a cry for help, something to do to get me running back to her. I saw the wounds with my own eyes. They weren’t that deep, but enough for sufficient blood to show, enough to scare me to death. If that’s indeed what she was trying to do, maybe it’s better for me to end things now. I can’t be with someone willing to take her own life just to get back at
me. I just keep repeating to myself in my head, “What the hell was she thinking?” and I’d be frightened to find that my suspicion was true.

But what about everything else? Like the room with music on the ninth floor? The banging around behind that closed door that sent me running for my life? And what about that man hanging by the neck in that room of this building? Could they all be nothing more than figments of my imagination, or is there some kind of haunting going on against me?

I’m in the elevator going up to Karina’s floor while the light inside buzzes. The door opens, and I take my time stepping out, only moving at a snail’s pace to Karina’s door. I can feel my heart beating but not pounding. Still, I feel like it’s beating harder than it should, almost like I can hear it in my ears.

9C. I see the door only a few steps away, but remain outside while I rehearse what I will say to her.
Things just aren’t working out. We’re not right for each other. We can still be friends. I will always love you. This won’t be the end of us.
Something along those lines. I can’t think too hard about it, because then I’ll forget everything and end up saying something completely different from what I planned.

In and out I breath with my eyes closed, finally knocking on the door. I hear my heart beating, still normally, but as though it’s in my head. No answer. I do the same thing I did earlier and try to open the door. It’s unlocked, just like before. Now I remember that I forgot to tell Karina about keeping her door locked. There was so much going on at the time, it completely slipped my mind. But then again, what if something similar has happened. The first time, I walked in to find Karina’s wrists cut. Now that she knows I’d rather be with Hannah, there’s no way to tell what she could have done next. I don’t want to imagine the possibilities there are.

I open the door, and once again, she is not in her bed. “Karina!” I call out. There is no answer. I instantly think of the bathroom and rush there, only to find no one in there. Now my heart beats faster, but louder as well. She’s nowhere. Not here. Not in any of the rooms of the apartment. But while I’m checking out her spare room, the front door slams shut. I don’t even think I closed it after coming in.

I rush again back out into the main room, but no one is there. If Karina left, why would she have left her door unlocked? I have to have more faith in her than that. She’s not the type who would leave her apartment susceptible to break-ins. But at the same time, it is clear that she is not here. I guess I’ll just come back tomorrow to talk to her. But wait a second. Her lamp is on. It’s been on this entire time. Would Karina have it on this entire time, even if she wasn’t here? I suppose it makes sense, that way when she returned, she wouldn’t walk into a pitch black room.

But why did I hear the door slam? Who could that have been? There’s no window open, so it couldn’t have been the wind. Besides, the door slammed harder than the wind would be able to make it do. Being here thinking about Karina is driving me crazy again. This is precisely the reason why I can’t see her anymore. The very thought of her provokes me to see and hear things that aren’t really there. I need to get out of here.

I’ll try calling her tomorrow. But the door is locked. I can’t open it. I pull on it as hard as I can, but it won’t budge. I try putting my foot on the wall to add some leg force, but still no luck. I use every muscle in my body to try and get this door open, but it feels like I would have better luck trying to push a mountain. My face reddens,
my body getting weaker as I yank back and forth on this stubborn door. Just as I’ve about given up, a crashing sound hits the other side of the door, making me jolt back and fall to the floor.

The sound continues, like someone trying to kick the door in. bang after bang after bang. I crawl backwards until my back has reached the bed. The banging is so loud, I can’t even hear my heart anymore. Then the banging stops. I hear a creaking noise, like the door is being pushed from the other side. The sound of lightning and thunder enter my ears, a storm just starting outside. The door bends, I can see it. It’s bending towards me, like something is pushing its way in. The door bends a little, then goes back, then bends out farther, making the door creak. Doors shouldn’t be able to bend like that, and I wonder if it’s just me going crazy again.

I hit my head with my palms, trying to snap out of it. I close my eyes, and with my palms pressed against my forehead, l let out a loud scream. The door is normal. The bending has stopped. Was it all just in my head? The rain outside persists, making me increasingly uncomfortable. I stare at the door, hoping everything has returned to normal. I still sit on the ground, breathing in and out. The doorknob starts turning. Someone is trying to get in. Maybe it’s Karina. She’ll think I’m crazy if she walks in and sees me on the floor like this. But I don’t think it’s Karina on the other side of that door anymore. It’s obvious that whoever it is doesn’t have a key. It started off with the doorknob gently turning, but then it gets more aggressive. It sounds more like the attempt I tried at opening it.

The doorknob yanks back and forth, as something is trying to break in the door. It yanks faster and faster, harder and harder. I spring up and go to Karina’s kitchen area, keeping my eye on the door. I walk backwards with haste to find something to use as a weapon. I pull out a large cook’s knife from a wooden block, taking my eyes off the door for only two seconds.
In those two seconds, the sounds stops and the door slowly opens.

I hold out the knife in front of me and slowly walk toward the door, remaining careful. I can hear my heart beating in my ears again. The door is fully opened, and I can see nothing in the
hallway. No one. Inch by inch, I’m nearing the open frame of the door. I stand, with the tip of the knife directly under the door frame, waiting for something to come in. A little further, and my hand makes it into the hallway. I look in both directions when my whole body has made it out, but I see nothing.

This doesn’t make sense. When looking right, I see the hallway curves, just as it should. But when I look to the left, the hallway curves that way too.
There’s no elevator at the end like there should be. Both directions, the hallways curve at the exact same angle. Knife still in hand, I go right. Walking and walking, I don’t reach any end. So I walk and I walk, but I only feel like I’m walking in circles. I walk faster, almost jogging, but still I find no end. I look at the numbers on the doors, but there are none. It appears as though they’ve all been pried of the doors. I notice the holes where the nails used to be. Still, somehow, I manage to press on, clenching the knife in my hand, scared to death that I’m not going to make it out of this building alive.

I slow down and come to a stop, realizing I’m only wasting my energy. I’m going nowhere. What the hell is Karina doing to me? I look behind me to see nothing there, only the worthless distance I’ve walked so far.
My eyes turn to look at the door I’m standing next to. This one has letters on the door, but I don’t believe what they are. 9C.

I stare at it as if it’s going to go away. This can’t be right. Why would it say that? Is Karina’s room really behind this door? Should I find out? I get the feeling that something wants me to. My hand place itself on the doorknob and twists it open. I let the door open by itself while I stand outside. Everything looks normal. Everything looks the way it should be. Her bed, dressers, décor, all of it the same. Step by step, I go inside, wondering if it’s possible this could be happening. Where is everybody? Does nobody live on this floor?
Why has no one found me? This doesn’t feel like a dream, although it should.

I walk around the room, trying to get it together while the rain outside beats on the window. Just as I’ve halfway calmed down, the room begins to shake, like an earthquake is taking place. It strong enough to almost make me fall to the floor. I grab a hold of the bed to keep steady while everyth
ing shakes. But then it stops. And starts again. Off and on, over and over, like aftershocks. Karina’s things move around, falling over. The lamp just about falls to the floor. I get up, able to keep my balance, and walk backwards out of the room, holding the knife out again. The fan on the ceiling is shaking as well, as if it’s about to fall off.

Inch by inch, I make my way back into the hallway
. All I care about right now is getting the fuck out of this building. I’ve had enough and am about ready to jump out the damn window. The door slams shut on its own, splattering something on my face and clothes. I look at the door and see that it’s covered in blood. Fresh blood, still running down the length of the door. My head turns to look at everything surrounding me. The walls, floor, ceiling. All covered in blood, like a giant massacre took place.

Breathing in and out, I feel like I’m about to go into shock and have a heart attack. I turn in circles, only to be unable to escape the sight of blood. Some of the blood is in splash patterns, as if people were actually murdered. The rest drips from the ceiling or runs down the walls. I look down the see the knife covered in blood as well, but not from the dripping from the ceiling. It’s looks as though I’ve just stabbed someone. Over and over and over.

I release the knife, letting it fall to the floor. But as soon as it touches the floor, the elevator rings. The elevator is back to where it should be, at the end of the hall. But who could be in the elevator? I stare at the door, which is taking time opening up. My eyes don’t move. They’re fixated on the doors. I can hear myself breathing in and out, not noticing how quiet it is. It’s really quiet, enough to make me almost pass out, but not before those fucking doors open. Seconds go by, which feel like minutes, but then the doors do something. They explode.

The doors blow open, along with more blood spraying on the walls and down the hall, like a bomb was placed inside the elevator. The blood goes everywhere, even on me. I try to block to block my face and turn around, but I’m still hit. The inside of the elevator is completely red, more like maroon. I rush back inside Karina’s room and shut the door. But when I turn, I have another surprise waiting for me. All of the furniture and all else is trashed. No
light, except for what moonlight the room allows and the sporadic lightning that brightens up the room like morning.

Cobwebs cover everything. The bedroom, the kitchen, and the corners of the wall. I repeat to myself, “This isn’t happening.” Lightning lights up the room, forcing me to watch this decayed room. The bed is off its frame, chairs lie on the floor, the lamp is on the floor, and dishes are broken in the kitchen. I see the window straight ahead and think my earlier idea wasn’t that bad of one. I go over the window, trying to pull it open. Even though I’m on the fourth floor, somehow I think I’d rather risk it than be stuck in this madhouse one more second. It’s only when I get the window open and look outside do I get a reality check. Plus, it’s raining, and there’s no way for me to climb down. No fire escape, nothing. There’s only a four story drop to the hard concrete ground below.

“Shit!” I yell, overcome with grief. I hear the door opening behind me again. I look, and from what I see, the hallway looks normal. No blood on the walls, but the inside of this room still looks the same. I dismiss the idea of potentially killing myself by taking a leap of faith out of the window. I walk slowly to the door, but before going out, I shut the door. What if everything changes again the second I step out? What if this building has another trick up its sleeve? I stick my head out into the hallway to find it back to the way it was. Clean. Normal. I take my time stepping out, but when I do, it all seems to be in order, just as it should be. I’m not so much scared anymore then I am angry. Thinking this is it, the nightmare is over, I go to the elevator. Looking at my clothes, I see that they still have blood on them. I wipe my face. There is still blood. I watch the blood drip from my fingers and onto the clean floor.