Page 7 of Puck with Karma
We all laugh because she is not wrong.
“Good thing she’ll never get to see it,” Riley quips, putting a hand up to cover the grin stretching her mouth. She always seems so self conscious, unable to just let go and show that she is happy.
“Show us the rest of the building,” Hannah requests. “I want to see the laundry room, and I want to see this gym you have there. Who lives in a building with its own gym? That just sounds so fancy.”
I make sure to pocket the key to my apartment, then, with my besties still on the video call, I start walking the hallways of my building.
“I have a laundry room on my floor.” I read off the paper with instructions that Burt, the doorman, handed to me earlier. When I get there, it doesn’t look like anything special.
“Well, that’s disappointing,” Hannah declares, making Riley laugh.
“It’s just a laundry room, what did you expect?”
“Meh, I don’t know,” Hannah shrugs. “Now I’m scared to see the gym.”
I look at my paper to find where our next destination is located.
“We have to go to the basement for that,” I explain as I walk back toward where the elevators are.
“Is the elevator fancy?” Hannah asks. “Or laundry room level?”
I step inside the car and push on the button that will take it to the underground of the building, looking around in confusion.
“Well, it’s… Uh… an elevator?”
I’m not sure what she’s looking for here. It runs smoothly, and I don’t feel like I am about to crash to my death, so that’s a plus.
“It’s safe.” I settle on that.
“Safe is good,” Riley bobs her head up and down like a cartoon.
“Safe is boring,” Hannah declares at the same time.
I remain staring at the screen, although they can’t see me since I have the camera flipped around so they can see where I’m going. Listening to them sparring about whethersafeis boring or not is making me laugh, and it’s also making me sad. It only reminds me that they’re not here with me. It is day one, and I already feel lonely without them. That’s not good.
“How many more floors to go, Abby?” Riley’s sweet voice reminds me to focus. I wanted this so badly, I can’t mess things up before they even started.
My eyes go to the screen that shows me the progress of my descending into the basement.
“We are… here.” I whisper when the doors glide open with a gentle swoosh. It really is a nice elevator, I chuckle to myself.
“Eww, that looks a little creepy, Abby,” Hannah mumbles. “Maybe don’t go down there by yourself.”
“But I’m already here,” I remind her. “You made me.”
“Ugh, I really did,” she admits. “I’m sorry. Please run back.”
“It’s not that bad,” I wave her worries off. The hallway is very well lit, clean, and not scary. However, it is very quiet. That part is slightly creepy.
When I reach the door to the gym, I notice that it is locked. Sliding my hand in my pocket, I take out the keycard to my apartment, wondering if it would work on this door as well.
“Maybe you shouldn’t go in there by yourself,” Riley whispers. Her voice sounds loud in the quiet hallway. The fine hair on my arms stands up, causing chills to run up and down my spine.
My hand hovers over the doorhandle when I see it moving from the other side. I take a step back and stare at it. I’m not sure what I think is about to happen here, but I do know that there’s a good possibility I might pass out from stress before it actually happens.
“What the hell is going on there?” Hannah sounds half worried and half annoyed.
“I…”
