Mazes Of Red

CHAPTER 29 : Bump Goes The Night

(PHOTO IS MEANT TO BE WAYNE MANOR)

LAURENS POV

I wiped down the bar exchanging tired glances with my co-worker as the night wound down at the Black Cat.

"Long shift" my colleague remarked eyeing the emptying room.

"Tell me about it" I replied nodding towards the clock ticking past midnight. "Time to call it a night."

As I bid farewell to my colleague and stepped out onto the dimly lit street a warning drifted after me. "Be careful out there Lauren Gotham's not the safest at this hour."

I laughed a hollow chuckle born from the routine of the caution. "Isn't it every night?"

The familiar path home took me through the shadowy alleys and quiet streets of Gotham. 

With each step the feeling of being watched lingered at the edges of my senses. 

I glanced around but the darkness held no secrets no lurking figures in its depths.

Finally reaching the dinged-up apartment I called home I purchased at 19.

I stepped inside greeted by the warm glow of fairy lights I had strung across the room. 

It was a modest space but it held a homely charm—a haven I had fashioned from the earnings I'd saved up scrupulously accumulated during my time at Pennies.

The walls were adorned with posters and mementos each telling a snippet of my journey.

 A well-loved couch sat a few feet from  the window offering a view of the city's skyline from the old rickety metal fire exit stairs that adorn the back of the building.

 The kitchen though small boasted a comforting aroma of spices and warmth custom to my fire hazard obsession called candles.

After a hot shower to wash away the remnants of the night I settled onto the couch flicking on a movie to unwind. 

Time seemed to blur scenes passing in a familiar dance of comfort and distraction.

Suddenly a loud thud echoed from the apartment above jolting me from my reverie.

 It was a regular occurrence these late-night disturbances but tonight it grated on my nerves more than usual.

"This has got to stop" I muttered to myself frustration tinged with exhaustion. 

I'd had enough of the constant disruptions the lack of consideration from the neighbors.

I stormed up the stairs the frustration from the persistent disruptions fueling my determination to resolve the issue once and for all. 

My knuckles rapped against the door in a firm but deliberate rhythm.

A few moments passed before the door cracked open revealing a disheveled figure on the other side.

piercing green eyes met mine with a mix of confusion and annoyance.

"What do you want?" His voice held an edge a demand rather than a question.

"Look I live  below number 15 and the noise—" I began my tone sharper than intended a response to his abruptness.

Before I could finish my request a sudden noise of pain emanated from the man behind the door. 

It caught me off guard a momentary pause in my annoyance as concern flickered through me.

"Are you okay?" I started to ask but before I could complete the question he interrupted.