lemoniain
04-03-2011, 10:11 AM
I press 29 then ring and wait to be let in. I'm listening to the sound of electricity humming in the rain . The boy leaning against the grey building buries his head deeper into the crux of his arm with every droning hiss. Between his feet in mud the boy has written 'lizard 10'. Despite his face being buried he senses I'm noticing him so he drags the right side of his face against his forearm, making sure it hurts, making sure I know it hurts. He watches the litter and leaves pile up against the concrete wall from a small gap between his forearm and thigh.
The buzzing stops and without a voice letting me know it was open the door beeps and I enter. I walk over to the lift, press the button and wait. I stare at the glowing button number 5, breathing in the smell patchouli oil and listening to the unmistakable slap of heavy feet on hard steps. Behind the thick wooden door to the stairs a man shrieks, ''The bottoms of my feet, I swear they're on fire'', I look at button number 5 still bright and head for the stairs. Through the small square glass in the door I can see an elderly man standing with his ash-coloured dog. I find myself thinking 'say nothing' as I open the door, I don't even attempt to hold it open which isn't like me. I should never have looked but I did and in the briefest of glaces he appeared overwhelmed and bothered.
I count the steps, I find it helps distract myself from the self attacking thoughts. Between the second and third floors I pass ten people standing together on the stairs ''I'm suspicious of anything that black'' says one of the women, pointing her finger as she takes a closer look at a tear in a leaf that she plucked from the plant outside her flat. She watches me closely as I pass, her eyes are raw and as tormented as I've ever seen.
I reach the 5th floor and exit the stairs only to be met by the noise of wrong-sounding vocal cries coming from the half open windows along the corridor. I look down at a boy sitting on the pavement and an old man lying unable to move, both letting out awkward cries. I turn and look down the corridor, outside flat 29 a young girl dances, she's pointing, waving, happy to see me. So people disappear, something terrible does seem to have happened.
The buzzing stops and without a voice letting me know it was open the door beeps and I enter. I walk over to the lift, press the button and wait. I stare at the glowing button number 5, breathing in the smell patchouli oil and listening to the unmistakable slap of heavy feet on hard steps. Behind the thick wooden door to the stairs a man shrieks, ''The bottoms of my feet, I swear they're on fire'', I look at button number 5 still bright and head for the stairs. Through the small square glass in the door I can see an elderly man standing with his ash-coloured dog. I find myself thinking 'say nothing' as I open the door, I don't even attempt to hold it open which isn't like me. I should never have looked but I did and in the briefest of glaces he appeared overwhelmed and bothered.
I count the steps, I find it helps distract myself from the self attacking thoughts. Between the second and third floors I pass ten people standing together on the stairs ''I'm suspicious of anything that black'' says one of the women, pointing her finger as she takes a closer look at a tear in a leaf that she plucked from the plant outside her flat. She watches me closely as I pass, her eyes are raw and as tormented as I've ever seen.
I reach the 5th floor and exit the stairs only to be met by the noise of wrong-sounding vocal cries coming from the half open windows along the corridor. I look down at a boy sitting on the pavement and an old man lying unable to move, both letting out awkward cries. I turn and look down the corridor, outside flat 29 a young girl dances, she's pointing, waving, happy to see me. So people disappear, something terrible does seem to have happened.