Inheritance

The Apartment

Anna pushed the last box under the kitchen counter. Last one and she was done.

The whole apartment still smelled like Grandma, old and musky, with a note of decay. Anna could close her eyes and see Grandma standing right there, nothing but judgment in the old woman's eyes. To say she was surprised by her inheritance was a mild statement.

The apartment was not posh or in a prime location. It was not nice in the most basic sense of the word, still, it was the place her grandma had resided for many decades, right up until the moment of her passing. Matter of fact, she was found in this room...

Thoomp. Thoomp. Thoomp.

Anna’s thoughts were cut short. The person who lived upstairs seemed to be in a mood. Usually, Anna could chuckle and let it go since she was that type of person. Easy-going, laid back, or weak, as her grandma had said. It was a little over midnight, however, and Anna was exhausted to the bones after hours on the plane. She desperately needed a long bath, followed by uninterrupted sleep, preferably until the next day’s afternoon. She was so not in the mood for this.

Anna grabbed the broomstick next to the fridge and climbed on the dining table. She stabbed the ceiling furiously three, four times. The stomping stopped. Anna got down and headed to the bedroom.

As she lay there, thoughts circled in her head. They said Grandma was dragged to the living room, but from where?

The stickiness of the nylon bedsheet made her uncomfortable, and the smell.

Formaldehyde.

Anna finally could put a name on it. She should've known sooner. She had spent countless hours at the lab not to know.

Wham.

The sudden noise pulled Anna to her feet. She was pretty sure the apartment door had been kicked down.

Bam. Bam. Bam.

All four corners of the room shook. Anna's heart jumped to her throat. Her clothes were drenched in cold sweats. What on Earth could've produced such a sound?

I'm all alone.

Anna's logic struggled to take over. There must be hundreds of people in their apartments at this hour. Someone must have heard this. Someone might call the police. Someone would come to her rescue.

With newfound courage, Anna inched to the door. Her clammy hands managed to turn the handle.

The living room was frosty. The door stood there, untouched, in its full maroon glory. Anna’s breath formed a thick mist. Everything was clear, then blurry, then clear again. October should not be this cold in the city.

Anna clenched her teeth. She was pretty sure she had cranked up the heat earlier, but she could be wrong. Maybe it was the problem with old buildings. They were never insulated well.

Anna looked at the thermostat in the corner and thought of readjusting it. Her eyes caught movements.

The window’s curtains were pulled back. Anna’s reflection was pale and lonely, contrasted with the pitch-black sky outside, but it was not the only thing that stared back.