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vocab_drabbles2023-08-05 01:06 am
but_can_i_be_trusted) wrote in vocab_drabbles2023-08-05 01:06 am
Entry tags:
[Challenge #23: Egregious] Original Fiction: 'The Cost of Living'
Title: 'The Cost of Living'
Fandom: Original Fiction
Author:but_can_i_be_trusted
Rating: PG
Word Count: 448
Characters/Pairings: Original
Warnings: Slightly disturbing concepts
Notes: Crossposted togenprompt_bingo
Summary: "I need to talk to your super!"
All that served Cal as warning was the shriek that filled the air.
He spun on his heel, expecting to have to protect Sheila from some masher's egregious attack. Instead, his heart, helpless from terror, almost stopped at what he was witnessing.
The corridor was a narrow one. This prevented any escape on his girlfriend's part. Several arms, coated in crackled skin, with bones now and then peeking through, had grasped her firmly. Before Cal could move to help, Sheila was pulled through the wall.
"Sheila!" Cal sped to the stretch of wall. To his shock, it looked as ordinary as any other; there wasn't even a scratch, or a chip of paint, to show that anything had occurred. He banged on it, desperate to find a way to retrieve her. "Sheila! If you can hear me, speak to me!"
Further down the hall, a door popped open. An older woman's head peeped out.
"Hey! Keep it down," she demanded. "People are trying to sleep!"
"Help!" Cal ran to the woman. Pushing past her, he reached for a telephone on a nearby table. "I need to talk to your super!"
"This building doesn't have a super."
He turned to her. "What? Every apartment building has, as far as I know--"
"This one doesn't," the woman stated firmly. "We don't need one."
"That doesn't make sense! Someone has to be in charge around here," Cal insisted.
She shook her head. "No one is, here. Well, if you want to get technical, I guess you could say the building itself is in charge." Cal's face must have become a confused blank, for the woman rolled her eyes as she continued: "You must be new; otherwise, you wouldn't be so shocked. This building..." The woman rubbed her face, searching for the best words. "It likes to take a...a sacrifice, now and then. We never know who it'll be. One day, someone'll just disappear; and we'll know that they were chosen."
"Are you serious," Cal asked, his voice hoarse. "Are you seriously telling me...but how can any of you live here, if there's a chance that you'll be next?"
She shrugged. There was a scared weariness in her eyes. "It's a small price to pay for what we get in exchange, though I can understand an outsider not seeing it that way. Nothing ever needs repairs, and we never have to worry about break-ins, or any other sort of emergency situation. Everything you want in life has a price tag attached. If you think the cost of living here is too high," she finished, leading Cal back out of her apartment, "then you should probably find another place to stay."
Fandom: Original Fiction
Author:
but_can_i_be_trustedRating: PG
Word Count: 448
Characters/Pairings: Original
Warnings: Slightly disturbing concepts
Notes: Crossposted to
genprompt_bingoSummary: "I need to talk to your super!"
All that served Cal as warning was the shriek that filled the air.
He spun on his heel, expecting to have to protect Sheila from some masher's egregious attack. Instead, his heart, helpless from terror, almost stopped at what he was witnessing.
The corridor was a narrow one. This prevented any escape on his girlfriend's part. Several arms, coated in crackled skin, with bones now and then peeking through, had grasped her firmly. Before Cal could move to help, Sheila was pulled through the wall.
"Sheila!" Cal sped to the stretch of wall. To his shock, it looked as ordinary as any other; there wasn't even a scratch, or a chip of paint, to show that anything had occurred. He banged on it, desperate to find a way to retrieve her. "Sheila! If you can hear me, speak to me!"
Further down the hall, a door popped open. An older woman's head peeped out.
"Hey! Keep it down," she demanded. "People are trying to sleep!"
"Help!" Cal ran to the woman. Pushing past her, he reached for a telephone on a nearby table. "I need to talk to your super!"
"This building doesn't have a super."
He turned to her. "What? Every apartment building has, as far as I know--"
"This one doesn't," the woman stated firmly. "We don't need one."
"That doesn't make sense! Someone has to be in charge around here," Cal insisted.
She shook her head. "No one is, here. Well, if you want to get technical, I guess you could say the building itself is in charge." Cal's face must have become a confused blank, for the woman rolled her eyes as she continued: "You must be new; otherwise, you wouldn't be so shocked. This building..." The woman rubbed her face, searching for the best words. "It likes to take a...a sacrifice, now and then. We never know who it'll be. One day, someone'll just disappear; and we'll know that they were chosen."
"Are you serious," Cal asked, his voice hoarse. "Are you seriously telling me...but how can any of you live here, if there's a chance that you'll be next?"
She shrugged. There was a scared weariness in her eyes. "It's a small price to pay for what we get in exchange, though I can understand an outsider not seeing it that way. Nothing ever needs repairs, and we never have to worry about break-ins, or any other sort of emergency situation. Everything you want in life has a price tag attached. If you think the cost of living here is too high," she finished, leading Cal back out of her apartment, "then you should probably find another place to stay."
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