The Ghost From Apartment 6B.

moving day was supposed to be exciting a fresh start new beginnings and all that I'd been looking forward to the change especially after a rough year and the new apartment seemed like the perfect place to leave my baggage behind sure the building was old and the hallway smelled faintly of mildew but it had charm and the rent was unbeatable almost suspiciously low but who was I to question a good deal my new unit 6A was at the end of a dimly lit Corridor on the sixth floor the elevator groaned like it was protesting every trip

and the walls were painted a tired shade of beige still it felt like home until I no noticed the door across from mine apartment 6B it was boarded up not just locked or taped off boarded up thick planks of wood crossed the door frame held in place with long Rusty Nails the boards were splintered and weathered like they'd been there for decades though the edges of the door frame looked newer as if someone had replaced it there was no sign or notice to explain it just that ominous barricaded door glaring at me from across the

hall I paused the last moving box in my arms and stared at it for longer than I'd care to admit something about it didn't sit right I wasn't sure if it was the state of disrepair or the way the boards seemed out of place but a faint chill crawled up my spine oh you've noticed 6B said a voice behind me I jumped nearly dropping the box and turned to see an older woman standing a few doors down she was peeking out from her slightly cracked door her wrinkled face framed by silver hair pulled back into

a tight bun she wore a small necklace with a silver pendant shaped like the letter e hung Loosely around her neck catching the dim light she wore a robe that looked like it hadn't been washed in weeks and her watery blue eyes gleamed with a peculiar intensity I didn't mean to startle you she said stepping out into the hallway that's my fault I'm Mrs cartright you must be new yeah just moved in I replied setting the box down and trying to shake off my nerves what's the deal with that that I nodded towards 6B her

expression darkened and she glanced at the boarded up door before looking back at me oh that old thing just some maintenance issues this building's ancient you know I raised an eyebrow maintenance issues didn't usually require planks and Nails seems a bit extreme for a leaky faucet she smiles but it didn't reach her eyes you'll get used to it just don't go poking around where you shouldn't some things are better left alone with that cryptic remark she turned and shuffled back into her apartment the door closing with a soft click behind her the rest of the

day was uneventful but I couldn't shake the image of 6B from my mind every time I passed the door while hauling boxes I felt its presence looming over me like it was watching by the time I finished unpacking I was exhausted but too wired to sleep that night as I lay in bed scrolling through my phone I heard it a faint sound just barely audible over the hum of my window AC unit tap tap tap my thumb hovering ing over the screen the sound came again a soft rhythmic knocking it wasn't at my door it

was coming from the hallway from 6B my heart started to pound I told myself it was just the building settling or maybe one of the neighbors but the knocks continued steady and deliberate swallowing hard I got up and crept to my door pressing my ear against the wood the knocking stopped slowly I leaned down and peaked through the peephole the hallway was empty bathed in the dim flickering light of the overhead fixtures the boards on 6B looked untouched the nails still firmly in place but as I started to pull away something caught my eye a

shadow not mine and not from the light fixtures it was tall and faintly humanoid stretching out across the floor and creeping toward my door my breath caught in my throat as the shadow shifted as if turning to face me then it vanished I stumbled back my heart hammering in my chest for a long moment I stood Frozen my eyes locked on the door waiting for I didn't even know what but nothing came eventually I forced myself to crawl back into bed leaving the lights on for the rest of the night sleep didn't come easily and

when it finally did I dreamed of a man with no limbs lying in a pool of blood Whispering my name the next morning I woke up groggy and unsettled the Dream from the night before still clung to me a man limbless lying in a pool of blood his Whispering voice calling my name I shook it off chalking it up to stress and exhaustion moving was always a hassle and I'd barely had a chance to settle in but as I moved around my apartment unpacking boxes and trying to make the place feel like home I couldn't

shake the feeling that something was off the air felt heavier and the silence wasn't comforting it was oppressive like the building itself was holding its breath by midafternoon I decided I needed a break I grabbed my jacket and stepped out into the hallway hoping a quick walk would clear my head the corridor was as dim and lifeless as ever the overhead light above 6B still flickering I tried not to look at the boarded up door but my eyes were drawn to it like a magnet as I passed I thought I heard something a faint tap

tap tap I stopped in my tracks heart pounding it was so soft I almost convinced myself I'd imagined it almost swallowing hard I glanced at the door the boards were still firmly in place the nails rusted and unmoving the sound didn't come again I shook my head and kept walking maybe Mrs cartright was right I just needed to leave it alone but as I reached the elevator I noticed something strange the carpet near 6 B's door was damp dark patches of moisture spread out from the base of the door frame as if something had leaked

out it wasn't water it was darker almost reddish brown I didn't stop to investigate the rest of the day passed uneventfully but the unease never left me that night as I lay in bed scrolling through my phone I heard it again tap tap tap this time there was no mistaking it The Sound was deliberate rhythmic and coming from the hallway my heart raced as I sat up straining to hear tap tap tap it was wasn't at my door but it wasn't far slowly I got out of bed and crept toward the door my feet silent

on the floor I pressed my ear against the wood and held my breath the knocking stopped for a moment I stood there Frozen then against my better judgment I leaned down and peered through the peephole the hallway was empty bathed in the dim flickering light of the overhead fixtures I waited my breath fogging up the glass but nothing moved the silence stretched on and just as I started to pull away I saw it a shadow not mine and not cast by the lights it was tall and humanoid but distorted as if someone had stretched it

out of proportion it slid across the hall way floor moving towards 6B my breath caught in my throat as it reached the boarded up door and seemed to seep into it Vanishing beneath the cracks I stumbled back from the door my pulse pounding in my ears for a long moment I stood there staring at the door waiting for something to happen but the hallway stayed silent nothing moved eventually I crawled back into into bed leaving the lights on for the rest of the night the next morning I decided I needed answers I headed down to

the lobby where a small office was tucked away in the corner the landlord a wiry man in his late 50s with a perpetually harried expression sat behind a cluttered desk he glanced up as I approached raising an eyebrow something wrong he asked no not really I lied I was just wondering about the apartment across from mine 6B what's the story with it his expression darkened and he leaned back in his chair why do you want to know I Shrugged trying to sound casual it's just boarded up I heard some noises coming from it last night

night and I was curious he frowned his gaze flicking to the office door as if checking to make sure no one else was listening finally he sighed it's vacant has been for years just leave it alone all right you'll sleep better but why is it boarded up I pressed he shook his head building's old weird things things happen sometimes don't worry about it it was clear he wasn't going to say more so I thanked him and left frustration gnawing at me he knew something I was sure of it but for now I'd hit a dead

end that night the knocking came again louder this time it echoed through the hallway rhythmic and insistent I stayed in bed clutching the Sheep my heart hammering in my chest I didn't dare approach the door but as the knocking grew louder it wasn't just coming from the hallway it was coming from inside the walls the next few days passed in a haze I went through the motions of unpacking eating and working but my thoughts were always elsewhere the knocking the shadow it was all too real to dismiss and yet I couldn't bring myself to talk

to anyone about it who would believe me I avoided the hallway as much as possible especially at night during the day I'd force myself to leave the apartment for errands or a walk but every time I passed 6B I felt the same thing a heavy oppressive presence that seemed to seep through the cracks in the boards it was on one of of those reluctant trips that I ran into Mrs cartrite again she was standing by the elevator clutching a small grocery bag her silver hair was neatly pinned back and she greeted me with a faint

smile settling in she asked as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open trying to I said stepping in beside her this place is a little creepy at night though she raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything as the elevator descended I hesitated before adding what's the deal with 6B I keep hearing things coming from it her expression darkened and for a moment I thought she wasn't going to answer then she sighed you've got a curious mind that's not always a good thing in a place like this what do you mean I asked she shook

her head just leave it alone dear some doors are meant to stay shut before I could press her the elevator dinged again and she stepped out onto the ground floor I watched her go a cold knot of unease tightening in my stomach that night I woke up to a new sound it wasn't the real rhythmic knocking I'd come to dread but something else entirely a faint scraping noise like nails dragging across wood I froze my heart pounding as I strained to listen the sound was coming from the hallway against my better judgment I slid out

of bed and crept to the door the scraping continued slow and deliberate like whatever was making it wanted me to hear my hand hovered over the door knob but I couldn't bring myself to open it instead I leaned down and pressed my ear to the wood help me the whisper was so faint I almost thought I'd imagined it but it came again clearer this time help me I stumbled back from the door my breath coming in Shallow gasps the scraping stopped and for a moment everything was silent then the knocking began tap tap tap I

grabbed my phone and opened the camera holding it up to the peole the screen showed the hallway bathed in the dim glow of the flickering light it looked empty at first but as I watched a shadow emerged from the edge of the frame it moved moved slowly unnaturally sliding across the floor toward 6B my hands trembled as I tried to hold the phone steady the shadow reached the boarded up door and stopped for a long moment it was still and then it began to rise the shadow stretched upward taking on a vaguely humanoid shape it

pressed against the boards its dark form bleeding through the cracks like smoke I couldn't move couldn't breathe as the figure seemed to turn as if it was looking directly at me through the peephole the knocking stopped the shadow vanished the hallway was silent again the next morning I knew I couldn't keep ignoring what was happening I needed answers and Mrs cartright was the only person who seemed to know more than she let on I knocked on her door but there was no response the hallway was eerily quiet and for a moment I wondered if she'd

moved out but her grocery bag had been full the day before she wouldn't have left so soon I glanced at 6B the boards still firmly in place and shivered then I turned back to Mrs cartright's door and knocked again again louder this time the door creaked open an inch as if it hadn't been latched properly Mrs cartright I called pushing it open slightly the apartment Beyond was dark the air stale and heavy I hesitated every Instinct screaming at me to turn around and leave but curiosity won out I stepped inside the living room was sparsely

furnished the couch and chairs covered in a fine layer of d dust a faint smell of mildew lingered in the air and the windows were covered with heavy curtains that blocked out the sunlight Mrs cartright I called again my voice trembling no answer just the oppressive silence as I turned to leave my foot brushed against something on the floor I looked down and saw a single photograph lying face up it was old and yellowed the edges curling with age the image showed a man and a woman standing in front of the building the woman in

the photo was young perhaps in her 20s her face unfamiliar but the man beside her was just as strange I picked up the photograph my pulse quickening as I stared at it something about the man's face seemed wrong his smile was forced his eyes empty and his hands were resting on the woman's shoulders but they looked oddly stiff almost unnatural a loud bang from the hallway made me drop the photo I turned and ran slamming the door shut behind me as I locked myself in my apartment my hands trembling I realized I'd made a terrible

mistake I'd gone looking for answers and now something new I was searching I sat on my couch for hours after locking my door staring at the wall with the photograph clutched in my hand wait hadn't I just dropped it or did I just think that I dropped it I hadn't even realized I'd brought it with me until I noticed the crinkled edges pressing against my Palm my mind raced with questions all of them circling back to the same point who were the people in the picture and why did the man look so wrong the photo

itself was old its Corners bent and Faded the woman's smile was warm her eyes bright with a joy that seemed misplaced in this building the man on the other hand looked like he didn't belong his eyes were Hollow his smile stiff and his posture unnaturally rigid the longer I stared at him the more I felt like he was staring back a part of me wanted to throw the photograph away to burn it and forget I'd ever stepped into that apartment but I couldn't it felt important like a piece of a puzzle I didn't yet understand

by the time morning came I decided to get out of the apartment the air inside felt heavy stifling as though the walls themselves were closing in I stepped into the hallway the photograph tucked into my jacket pocket Mrs cartrite was just coming out of her apartment as I locked my door good morning dear she said giving me a warm smile she was carrying a small basket filled with what looked like knitting supplies eyes morning I replied trying to sound normal heading out just to the lounge downstairs she said sometimes it's nice to sit where there's

company even if it's just the quiet sort I hesitated then decided to take a chance do you know much about the building's history I asked it's a little little strange isn't it her smile faded slightly but her tone remained polite every old place has its stories but you're better off not poking into them too much it's like stirring an old pot of soup you might bring something unpleasant to the surface I nodded Unsure how to respond before I could ask anything else she added have a good day dear and shuffled toward the elevator leaving me

standing there with the photograph burning in my pocket I spent the day running errands trying to clear my head but no matter where I went the photograph stayed with me its weight a constant reminder of the questions I couldn't answer by the time I got home the sun was setting and the hallway was cloaked in its usual dim light I hurried past 6B without looking at it that night the noises started again not the scraping or knocking but something else a faint Whispering like a voice carried on the wind I couldn't make out the words

but the tone was insistent almost pleading I sat on the couch clutching the photograph trying to block it out help me the words were clear this time and they weren't coming from the hallway they were coming from inside my apartment I shot to my feet the photograph slipping from my hand and Landing face up on the floor the whispering stopped replaced by a low rhythmic thuing that seemed to echo through the walls my eyes darted around the room searching for The Source but there was nothing there nothing visible at least the thuing grew louder shaking

the walls the photograph skitted across the floor stopping near the door to my bedroom I didn't want to follow it but I couldn't stop myself my feet moved on their own each step bringing me closer to the photograph when I bent down to pick it up the temperature in the room plummeted my breath came out invisible Puffs and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end the thuing stopped replaced by silence so heavy it pressed against my ears then just as I turned to leave the room I saw it a shadow moved

across the wall tall and humanoid its inhumanly long limbs stretching unnaturally as if they'd been forcibly glued onto its body grotesquely mismatched and wrong it didn't have a face but I could feel it watching me my legs buckled and I stumbled back clutching the photograph like a shield help me the voice said again louder this time the shadow loomed closer its form shifting and writhing like smoke my vision blurred and the last thing I saw before everything went black was the shadow reaching out its fingers stretching toward the photograph when I woke up I was

lying on the floor the photograph still in my hand the shadow was gone and the apartment was silent but the air felt different heavier whatever was in that photograph wasn't just a memory it was alive and it wanted something and I was starting to think it wasn't just the man in the picture who needed help the morning after my encounter with the Shadow the photograph felt like a brand in my pocket I couldn't stop touching it tracing the edges as if the answers I needed were hidden in the worn paper my apartment was silent now

but the air still carried the weight of something unspoken a presence that lingered just Out Of Reach I decided to take another walk hoping to shake off the oppressive feeling as I passed by 6B I stopped briefly studying the door the boards were still there as solid as ever but something was different one of the nails rusted and bent was sticking out further than before as if it had been pushed from the other side a chill ran down my spine and I quickly moved on when I reached the elevator Mrs cartrite was already there knitting

something with red yarn as she waited good morning dear she said without looking up morning I replied forcing a smile she glanced at me her eyes sharp despite her kindly expression you look tired bad dreams I hesitated yeah I guess you could say that she nodded knowingly this building has a way of seeping into your sleep happens to everyone at first does it I asked my voice quieter does it stop Mrs cartright's fingers stilled on her knitting she tilted her head as if considering her answer you'll get used to it she said at last her

voice carrying a note of something I couldn't quite Place pity maybe or warning the elevator arrived with a ding and she stepped inside giving me a small Smile as the do slid shut I stood there for a long moment wondering if she knew more than she was letting on that night I sat at my kitchen table the photograph spread out before me I'd stared at it so many times but now I was looking for something specific details Clues anything that might explain explain the Shadow The Voice or the Relentless weight pressing down on my apartment

the man in the photo was still as unsettling as ever his hollow eyes boring into mine the woman on the other hand seemed almost too perfect her bright smile and warm demeanor a stark contrast to the building's oppressive atmosphere my gaze fell to their hands resting awkwardly on each other's shoulders something about the man's hand looked wrong his fingers were too long the knuckles misshapen almost as if they belonged to someone else entirely I traced the edges of the photo wondering if there was anything hidden beneath the surface my fingers brushed against a slight tear

in the corner and without thinking I pulled at it the top layer of the photo peeled back back revealing something underneath it was another image faded scratched and almost unrecognizable but unmistakably darker the woman was still there though her smile was gone replaced by a blank expression and the man he was limbless his arms and legs were gone his body twisted and broken lying in a pool of something dark his eyes though lifeless seemed to stare directly at me accusing I dropped the photograph as a wave of nausea hit me my breath came in short

gasps and the room seemed to tilt around me help me the whisper was faint but unmistakable and it was coming from the hallway I stumbled to my feet my legs shaking as I moved toward the door The Voice came again louder this time but still tinged with desperation help me I pressed my ear against the door every muscle in my body tense the hallway was silent for a moment then came the sound of shuffling footsteps not heavy or purposeful but uneven dragging as if someone or something was struggling to move my heart raced as I

peered through through the peephole the hallway was empty except for the flickering light above 6B but as I watched a shadow began to creep along the floor slow and deliberate it wasn't like the shadow I'd seen before this one was more fluid less defined as though it hadn't fully taken shape yet it stopped near 6B stretching upward toward the boards like a wisp of smoke I stumbled back from the door my mind racing I didn't know what was happening but I knew one thing whatever was in this building it was getting stronger and it wanted

something from me I spent the rest of the night sitting on the couch with every light in the apartment turned on the photograph sat on the coffee table the hidden image now visible no matter how much I wanted to I couldn't look away from it by the time the sun rose I'd made up my mind I needed to understand what was happening and I needed to figure out what the photograph meant but most of all I needed to know what was waiting for me behind the door of 6B the day after I discovered the hidden

image I felt like the walls of the apartment were closing in on me no matter how many lights I turned on or how loud I played the TV the silence in the building seemed to creep into my bones it was as if the entire sixth floor was holding its breath waiting I tried to distract myself by going about my day but every time I passed 6B I felt its pull the boards on the door looked worse than before another nail had shifted bent as if forced from the inside the damp patches near the door were

spreading staining the carpet in uneven shapes that looked almost organic I avoided Mrs Cartwright not intentionally but because part of me wasn't ready for another cryptic conversation her calm demeanor unnerved me more than I cared to admit instead I turned to the photograph again hoping for answers that evening I spread the pieces of the photo out on my coffee table the hidden image was chilling but I couldn't stop studying it the man's body twisted and limbless looked even worse in the flickering light of my living room the woman younger and colder in the second image

stared blankly at the camera her expression unreadable I noticed something I hadn't before the background found in the second image the one hidden beneath the first wasn't the same as the bright outdoor setting of the original it was darker almost entirely black except for faint jagged lines that could have been wooden boards the more I stared at it the more it looked like the inside of a room no not just any room a door my stomach Twisted as I realized it looked just like 6B that night I barely slept the air in the apartment felt

heavy almost suffocating and every sound from the groaning pipes to the hum of the refrigerator seemed unnaturally loud just as I was starting to drift off I heard it tap tap tap the knocking was back louder and more insistent than before I sat up in bed my heart racing the sound echoed through the walls rhythmic and deliberate I grabbed my phone and crept to the door hesitating for a moment before peering through the peephole the hallway was bathed in dim flickering light it looked empty at first but as I watched a shadow began to form

at the far end near the elevator it was taller now more defined than before and its movements were unnervingly smooth the shadow glided across the floor its inhumanly long limbs stretching unnaturally as if they'd been forcibly glued to its body it stopped in front of 6B for a moment it was still and then it began to rise its form twisting and writhing like smoke the boards on the door groaned as if protesting its presence one of the nails popped loose clattering to the floor with a metallic ring that made me jump I stumbled back from

the door clutching my phone like a Lifeline my hands were trembling as I tried to record but the screen only captured the empty hallway whatever the shadow was it didn't show up on the camera then the voice came again help me it was louder this time more desperate and it wasn't coming from the hallway it was coming from inside my apartment the next thing I knew I was standing in my living room the photograph in my hand The Voice had stopped but the air was electric charged with a tension that made my skin crawl my

gaze flicked to the coffee table where the hidden image stared back at me and then I saw it the shadow was in the room its form stretching along the walls impossibly long and distorted its limbs dragged against the ceiling and floor moving with a slow deliberate Grace I tried to back away but my legs wouldn't move the air felt thick like I was waiting through water help me it said again and this time the voice came from everywhere at once it wasn't just a plea it was a command the photograph slipped from my hand Landing

face up on the floor the shadow stopped its form coiling like smoke for a moment everything was still then with a sudden Lurch it surged toward the photograph its elongated fingers reaching out I don't remember screaming but I must have the next thing I knew I was huddled in the corner of the room the lights flickering wildly the photograph was gone the shadow was gone and the apartment was silent again I spent the rest of the night sitting in that corner too afraid to move by Dawn I knew one thing for certain whatever was in

that that photograph whatever was tied to 6B wasn't going to leave me alone by the time the sun rose I couldn't take it anymore my hands were shaking as I clutched my phone in the photograph the weight of the previous night pressing down on me like a lead blanket I had to tell someone anyone what was happening and the landlord was the only person who might have answers I stormed down to the lobby adrenaline and fear fueling my steps the landlord was behind his desk sipping coffee and leafing through a stack of papers he looked

up as I approached his expression shifting to mild irritation morning he said something wrong I need to talk to you I said slapping the photograph onto his desk now his brow furrowed as he picked it up what's this look at it I said my voice trembling really look at it he squinted at the image his fingers tracing the edges his face remained blank as he examined the first layer The Smiling couple standing in front of the building then slowly he peeled back the top layer revealing the darker image beneath his hand froze what the hell

is this he muttered his voice barely above a whisper he stared at the photograph for a long moment his eyes narrowing then he set it down looking at me with a mix of confusion and weariness where did you get this it doesn't matter I said my words tumbling out in a rush there's something in 6B someone Shadows voices knocking in the middle of the night and then this I jabbed a finger at the photo who are these people what happened in that apartment the landlord sighed heavily rubbing his temples for a moment I thought he

might brush me off but then he leaned forward his voice low his name was Edward crane he said he lived in 6B decades ago back back in the 70s quiet guy kept to himself but there were rumors people said he wasn't normal his wife Amelia was the one who killed him what do you mean I asked leaning in closer she went mad he said his voice hushed people heard screaming coming from the apartment one night the cops showed up but by the time they got inside it was too late they found Edward in the living

room limbless lying in a pool of blood she'd cut him apart my stomach turned and I had to grip the edge of the desk to steady myself and her what happened to Amelia the landlord glanced toward the lobby door as if checking to make sure no one was listening she killed herself he said flatly right there in the apartment slit her wrists they said the police called it a murder suicide but nobody bought that there was something wrong about it what do you mean wrong I asked my voice barely above a whisper he hesitated the

limbs Edward's limbs they were never found and the way the cops described the scene blood everywhere but it didn't make sense it was like something had dragged his body but there were no Footprints no evidence of anyone else being there a chill ran down my spine and the woman in the photo I asked pointing to the younger version of the woman who had been smiling in the top layer is that Amelia the landlord St stared at the photograph his lips pressing into a thin line if it's Amelia then he trailed off shaking his head I

don't know maybe before I could press him further the phone on his desk rang shrill and insistent he grabbed it muttering sorry I have to take this I stood there fists clenched as he answered the call he waved me off his voice Curt as he spoke into the receiver yeah yeah give me a minute wait I said my voice Rising you can't just he held up a hand cutting me off I've told you all I know do yourself a favor don't go digging any deeper whatever happened in 6B whatever is happening you don't want to

get involved I stared at him my frustration boiling over I can't leave it alone it's in my apartment too Shadows voices it's everywhere the landlord frowned his face hardening look I don't know what you think you've seen but this building is old old places make noise they Creek and groan it's just the way they are you're scaring yourself over nothing nothing I snapped you just told me a man was murdered in that apartment and you're calling it nothing he stood abruptly his chair scraping against the floor I'm telling you to leave it alone he said

firmly move out if you have to but don't dig any deeper without another word I grabbed the photograph and walked out of the office my mind racing Edward crane Amelia the name echoed in my head mingling with the shadows and Whispers that haunted my nights the landlord might not believe me but I knew what I'd seen and I wasn't going to stop until I found the truth I returned to my apartment with the landlord's words echoing in my head Edward crane Amelia a dismembered body missing limbs it was too much to process I placed the

photograph on the coffee table its hidden image glaring back at me like an accusation but the Shadows didn't give me time to process that night the knocking started earlier than usual it wasn't just 6B this time the sound came from all around me the walls the ceiling even the floor it was rhythmic purposeful as as if it was trying to tell me something then came the voice help me it whispered so faint I barely caught it over the knocking but it grew louder more insistent help me I grabbed my phone switching on the flashlight and

crept toward the door the hallway stretched out before me in its usual dim light but the flickering overhead fixture above 6 be cast shifting Shadows that danced unnaturally along the walls the boards on the door seemed to pulse as if something behind them was breathing help me the voice said again louder this time I couldn't stop myself my hand trembled as I reached for the boards my fingers brushing against the splintered wood but before I could do anything a loud crash from my apartment snapped me back to rea it I spun around my heart hammering

in my chest the sound had come from the living room I stepped inside cautiously shining the flashlight around the photograph was gone the next morning I knew I couldn't keep doing this alone the landlord had told me to leave it alone but he had mentioned Amelia if I could find out more about her maybe I'd understand what was happening I headed to the city archives a small Dusty building tucked into a forgotten corner of downtown the clerk at the front desk barely glanced at me as I asked for records on the building after a few

clicks on her keyboard she directed me to a row of microfilm reels I started with the 70s scanning through articles about the building most were mundane Renovations tenant disputes minor crimes but then I found it the headline read double tragedy in downtown apartment husband murdered wife dead by Suicide the article described Edward Crane and his wife Amelia who weirdly enough last name was not mentioned I assumed it was Amelia crane it painted a picture of a quiet couple who kept to themselves neighbors reported hearing arguments in the weeks leading up to the tragedy then one

night they heard screams police arrived to find Edward crane dismembered in the living room his limbs were missing and his body was surrounded by strange symbols painted in blood Amelia was found in the bathroom her wrists slit a knife was clutched in her hand but the article noted an odd detail there were no fingerprints on the blade I leaned back my head spinning the symbols the missing limbs the photograph it all felt connected but the pieces didn't quite fit I scrolled further hoping for more information when a single line in the article caught my eye

neighbors claimed to see Amelia's silhouette in the apartment Windows days after her death I returned to the building with my head swimming if Amelia's presence lingered after her death could she still be there could she be the shadow I'd seen the voice that called to me as I reached my floor I stopped in my tracks Mrs carright was standing in front of 6B her back to me she wasn't carrying her usual basket of knitting supplies instead her hands hung limply at her sides and she seemed to be staring at the door the boards creaked slightly

as if responding to her presence Mrs cartright I called my voice hesitant she didn't turn for a long moment she stayed perfectly still her head tilted as if listening to something on the other side of the door then slowly she turned to face me her expression was calm but her eyes they looked different colder sharper be careful dear she said softly some things can't be undone without another word she walked past me and disappeared into her apartment I stood there staring after her my pulse racing The Voice came again muffled through the boards of 6B

help me this time I wasn't sure if it was asking for my help or warning me after a restless night I couldn't let the landlord's dismissiveness stop me I waited until I saw him alone in the lobby again no phone in hand or tenants interrupting my stomach ched as I approached clutching the photograph I'd taken back after our last conversation do you have a minute now I asked trying to keep my voice steady he looked up his face pinched you again didn't I tell you to let it go I need answers I said slapping the

photograph onto his desk again you mentioned Amelia Amelia crane who was she really the landlord sighed and leaned back in his chair St staring at the photograph he seemed older than before weighed down by something I couldn't see her full name was Amelia cartright he said finally she was Edward's wife people said she was the quiet type polite but distant nobody saw her much except when she went to the market or sat on the stoop to read but behind closed doors well it must have been different because one night she lost it killed him in

Cold Blood my breath caught in my throat cartright what do you mean cartright she lives here now the landlord frowned what are you talking about Mrs cartright I blurted she's on my floor I've talked to her she warned me about 6B about digging too deep his expression darkened you're not making sense there's no Mrs cartright living in this building yes there is I insisted she's been here since I moved in she has an apartment just a few doors down from mine he rubbed his temples sighing I've managed this building for over a decade there's no

Mrs cartright no Amelia Nobody by that name has lived here in years you're wrong I said my voice shaking I'll show you I led the landlord up to the sixth floor my heart pounding with every step the hallway was as dim and oppressive as ever the flickering light above 6B casting unnatural Shadows along the walls I stopped in front of Mrs cartright's door and pointed this is her apartment I said she's in there the landlord crossed his arms his expression skeptical this door yes I said exasperated I knocked firmly the sound echoing down the empty

hallway Mrs cartrite are you there no answer the L landl Lord raised an eyebrow looks like no one's home she's always here I said knocking again Mrs cartrite when there was still no response I tried the door knob it turned easily and the door swung open with a soft Creek my stomach dropped as I stared into the apartment it was empty no furniture no curtains just bare walls and a Dusty floor as though no one had lived there for years my heart raced as I stepped inside the landlord following close behind see he said his

tone laced with frustration I told you this unit's been vacant for a long time no I whispered shaking my head that's not possible I was here I saw her she spoke to me right here the landlord gave me a long hard look maybe you should take some time to rest moving can mess with your head especially in a place like this I turned to him desperate I'm not crazy she was here she is here he didn't respond he just shook his head and walked out muttering something under his breath I stood there staring at the

empty room my mind reeling it was as if Mrs cartrite and everything about her had been erased when I finally left the apartment I noticed something else the photograph was missing I searched my pockets retraced my steps but it was gone and when I passed 6B on my way back to my own apartment apartment the boards on the door seemed darker more splintered than before one of the nails was hanging by a thread ready to fall the day I moved out the building seemed quieter than it ever had too quiet the hum of the hallway

lights and the faint groaning of the elevator felt like Whispers of something watching me leave my boxes were packed haphazardly and I didn't care I just needed to get out but as I waited for the elevator to arrive the questions clawed at my mind the photograph the Shadows Mrs cartright Amelia none of it made sense why had Amelia killed Edward was it rage Madness or something else entirely the way she had dismembered him the symbols painted in his blood it wasn't just a crime of passion there had to be a reason a purpose but I'd

never know what it was and then there was Edward the shadow I'd seen was it him was he the one reaching out begging for help or was it something else entirely something darker if it was Edward what did he want from me to uncover the truth to suffer as he had or had Amelia never left had I been talking to her ghost all along her warnings meant to steer me away from the horrors she'd Unleashed but if she'd been trying to help why had her presence disappeared so completely why was there no trace of her

no apartment no Mrs cartright was she real or had she been some manifestation of the building's Madness conjured by my own mind the elevator dinged pulling me from my thoughts I dragged my boxes inside and pressed the button for the ground floor as the door slid shut I cast one last glance down the hallway 6B loomed at the end its boarded up door as ominous as ever the flickering light above it cast Jagged shadows and for a moment I thought I saw movement behind the boards but I didn't wait to find out the moving truck

was small barely big enough to hold everything I owned the driver gave me a nod as I climbed into the passenger seat my stomach twisting with unease as we pulled away from the building I couldn't help but look back the windows stared blankly at me and for a fleeting second I thought I saw a figure standing in one of them a tall Shadow unmoving watching I didn't look again the new apartment was brighter cleaner and blessedly ordinary no boarded up doors no flickering lights no oppressive silence it should have been a relief but the questions

followed me they hovered in the back of my mind Whispering at the edges of my thoughts why did Amelia do it why did she kill Edward in such a brutal deliberate way what happened to his limbs what were the symbols painted in his blood meant to accomplish and the voice the desperate plea for help was it really him or was it something that had taken his place and then there was the most troubling question of all had anyone else seen Mrs cartright right or had it only been me I don't have answers I probably never

will all I know is that I'm gone and whatever haunts that building is still there I don't know if it's Edward imelia or something far worse but as much as I try to leave it behind I can't shake the feeling that it's not done with me yet sometimes late at night I hear faint knocking it's probably nothing just the sounds of an old building settling but I never check just in case