Series: My grandmother and I moved into Apartment 3B at the historic Fenwick Building three weeks ago, adopting a stray hound named Buster who roamed the alley.

The flashlight lay on the floor, its beam pointing uselessly at the ceiling. Pendelton stood trapped in the dark hallway, Buster a snarling, unmoving barrier [more…]

I scrambled out from under the bed, my legs wobbly from shock. Buster, now quiet, nudged my hand, his soft eyes looking up at me. [more…]

Marcus’s sedan idled in the dark courtyard, its headlights cutting through the predawn gloom. He was backing towards the narrow alley exit, his escape route. [more…]

Detective Kross, flanked by two uniformed officers, approached Marcus’s car. Marcus, his face now sickly pale, slowly opened his door. “Marcus Gable, I presume?” Detective [more…]

Chloe continued to read, her voice breaking only slightly when she got to the most gruesome details. The crowd listened in shocked silence, the police [more…]

The news from Apartment 4B sent a shockwave through the courtyard. The human silhouette, the four inches of brickwork—it was all too real. Detective Kross [more…]

The following days were a blur of activity. Forensics teams descended on Apartment 4B, carefully dismantling the brick façade of the chimney flue. Grandma Martha [more…]

Three weeks later, the Fenwick Building still hummed with an unsettling energy. Though Marcus Gable was behind bars, and Pendelton was awaiting trial, the memory [more…]

The following month, our new apartment on the south side of town felt different. It was a sunnier space, with high ceilings and wide windows [more…]