Short horror stories

Im not supposed to tell

It all started this past November. I had a major job interview in Toronto at a graphic design firm. They needed me in the city for a few days, as there were 2 training sessions I had to attend along with this interview. Because I live in Niagara (about a 2 hour drive away), I decided that it would be wise just to stay at a hotel so I wouldn't have to drive back and forth every day.

About a week before the interview, I was at my boyfriend's house looking online for relatively cheap hotels that were close to the graphic design firm. He brought up that I should go on a website called 'Airbnb' which is an online, trusted marketplace where guests can book spaces from hosts like apartments or houses.

I ended up finding a woman who was going on vacation for about a week during the exact time I was supposed to be in Toronto. She was renting out her apartment for $50 a night, which I thought was very generous. I ended up giving her a call and we arranged the time I would be coming over.

The apartment building was very run down; the windows looked like they hadn't been cleaned in years and the brick walls were crumbling and discolored. I took a deep breath and considered telling the woman that my interview was cancelled so that I could find somewhere else to stay. But $50 a night seemed so perfect compared to hundreds of dollars a night at a hotel. I decided that I would at least check out the room before making the judgment.

I knocked on the old wooden door with the number '14' painted in gold and waited a few moments before the woman swung it open and greeted me with a smile. She was a lot younger than I expected, maybe in her late twenties. Her voice sounded so tired and ragged on the phone; I had thought she was at least 50. Her blonde hair was tied up into a messy bun that paired quite perfectly with her blue tracksuit with a small hole in the shoulder. "You made it!" she exclaimed, "Come in, come in."

She gestured into the room which I am relieved to say was very clean and welcoming. It was definitely one of those "Don't judge a book by its cover" moments. I've always hated that saying, by the way – heard it too often as a kid.

She gave me the quickest tour of an apartment that I have ever received. Briefly pointing to the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and hallway closet. It was a small space, but perfect for me. Her place was filled with vintage collectables; lace, elaborate curtains, old candleholders. I was still examining my surrounding when she interrupted with "So you're all set then? I'm going to go." I barely had any time to speak with her; she seemed to be in a huge rush. "Wait," I said, trying to catch up to her as she made her way out the door carrying a large backpack. "Is there anything I should know?" She shook her head slowly, locking eyes with me for a few moments too long. Without speaking, she left. I made myself comfortable for a little while, unpacking and fixing myself a quick snack in the kitchen. I had about 45 minutes before I had to leave for my interview. I'll skip past the details of the interview because they aren't even nearly as important as the occurrences that happened afterward.

It was very late when I got back. The apartment building was pitch black except for a small light at the top of the staircase that flickered every few seconds. I used the light from my phone to make my way up the stairs to apartment 14. I wondered who else was living in the building. I hadn't seen anyone since I arrived. It was too quiet.

It took me a few moments to find the light switch on the wall when I entered the room. From the doorway, I was able to see into the bedroom. The first thing I noticed was that a few of my clothes were sprawled over the floor. I quickly kicked off my shoes and approached the mess. I came to the conclusion that I must have been in a rush when I was getting ready for the interview and forgot to clean up.

I was tired so I had a quick shower and jumped into bed. The mattress wasn't very comfortable but I was so exhausted that I drifted right into sleep. A loud shuffling somewhere in the apartment woke me up with a startle. I sat up and squinted to try and see through the darkness. Just before I was about to lay back down to sleep, thinking it was just one of my neighbors in their apartment, I saw a shape.