I had to leave.
The day I graduated high school, I took a train to the city. I took a job in a book shop called "City Lights." The job provided an apartment in an building across the street. The pay was low just enough for basic living. I did not care. All I wanted was to not be in that soul sucking town I left.
The job started 8:00 AM sharp, as I was told by a snappy voice over the phone. I arrived at 6:25 AM and decided to walk around the area until my performance interview.
My new boss sent the keys to my apartment in the mail. I climbed out of the stairwell from the transit station that opened next to the new store I would be working.
The shop looked like any dusty old book shop. The shop had only been closed for a week and already the every shelve was caked with dust. The door was tied with a heavy cast iron chain with a large lock that looked older than the book shop. I looked closer and on the back wall of the shop I saw a large gapping hole. For a second I thought I saw, eyes. I shook my head and decided to explore the area in which I would be living.
I looked down the street and saw an old statue in front of he largest building in town, I guessed this would be my apartment building. I decided to see my new home and drop off my back pack.
The side walk was dirty, but seemed to be clean of any litter. As I walked I remembered the little town I came from.
No one wanted to leave or even dream bigger than working in the steel mill. I never heard anything that did not pertain the steal mill in one way or another. My father was the mill floor manager. My mother was the office floor manager.
Dead end jobs. Dead end lives. I wanted nothing of this future, so I disappeared into the night.
I walked up the street a ways past a laundry mat and an old church. An old statue of a war hero stood in the middle of the street. Beyond it stood a sort of run down building with a sign that read Maplewood Crest. I walked across the empty street into the building. I walked to the stairs not wanting to speak to anyone.
I climbed and climbed to the top floor. In the envelope was a note that read:
The apartment is not marked by a number only a large scratch over the door.
Take care of the place it is one of the nicest in the building.
The coach is a fold out bed.
Take care of Scrap for me.
- J.B. Johnson
The note was more of a list of thoughts than a note.
I reached into the envelope to find a rather large key that turned to sound a satisfying click. I open the door to find, books. Shelves lined every wall except one wall of only windows. Light streamed in the large room to rest on a worn coach and a dog bed in the center of the room.
I looked to my right to find a small kitchen that seemed slightly outdated but in regular use.
This was amazing.
I walked over to the kitchen and found a large hole in the wall the same size as the one in "City Lights."
I decided to investigate later. I walked over to the wall of windows and found a small door off to the far left. It led out to a small balcony that had sturdy wooden chair and another dog bed. As I turned to go back inside I found a wooden latter. The latter led all the way up to the roof. I ran back inside and tossed my backpack across the large room onto the coach.
I climbed the latter to the top of the building and found a run down roof top garden. Instead of exploring I sat on the edge of the roof and watched the city wake.
Cars started streaming through the streets like mice. I could see a network of trees surrounding a giant weeping willow that was then surrounded by shops. I could even see the "City Lights" from here.
I looked down at my watch to see it was 7:30 AM. I climbed down the latter and back into my new home. I walked out of the apartment and locked the door. I walked down countless flights of stairs and walked out of the entrance without seeing a single person, strange.
I walked down the same block back to "City Lights" passed the commuters that seemed to have sprung up with the sole purpose to clogged the sidewalk.
I arrived to find a man wearing a purple Zoot-suit standing outside the store. The moment I saw him I knew I was not going to like him.
"My name is C, and yours?"
"Call me William."
I reached for his hand, but he stepped back and shook his head."
"There will be none of that, William."
A silence stretched for several seconds.
"This is the shop... I believe you will find a list of directions on the counter."
With that he handed me a key ring and walked down the alley next to the book shop."
I unlocked the door and walked in to my new future. All that mattered to me was that this was not a dead end job and that i would not have a dead end life.
