Turn Off The Dark (Frerard)

Part Five

-Frank's POV-

A couple of weeks passed. Everything was, more or less, the same as it usually was. No surprises. Nothing new. Just a neverending life cycle. The most intreresting part of my day was probably my job watching the weird old building.

I admit, the first few times I was on the job, I fell asleep on the desk. I was used to staying up late at night, actually, but I wasn't used to sitting in one spot in a silent place, not doing anything. I was never huge on reading, but after those few days I began borrowing books from my mother and bringing music to keep myself from head-bobbing. I even started drawing again. It'd been years since I had really been serious about drawing, but since I suddenly had quite a bit of silent free time on my hands I figured, why not?

Usually the job was solitary. Nobody would come through the lobby at such an atrocious hour. On occasion I would pick up on the sound of someone upstairs shuffling through their apartment, presumably to their bathroom or to go to bed.

And other times, one person would pass through. I never once saw him leave, but I noticed him coming back in.

He was a guy probably a few inches taller than me, dressed in an aging leather jacket and dark jeans. I never really caught sight of his face straight on, but I did take note of his shaggy black hair. He never looked up or around, just shuffled quickly across the lobby and up the staircase.

Tonight I sat reading Slaughterhouse Five. I had still caught no glimpse of this supposed psychotic man that lived upstairs. I guess he really did keep to himself. I yawned.

Closing my book at the mark I left on, I put my head down on my arms, prepared for a small nap. Tonight I was just too tired to stay up. Who knew, tonight could be when the crazy man would slip past my closed eyes. I just hoped no harm would come to any other residents.

Or me.