A Tall and Small Collection | S2

One Word

Ashlynn only laid in bed for another few minutes before forcing herself upright, legs dangling over the edge of the bed and hovering just above the ground. It had become a habit even after all of this time – to pause and wait before setting her feet on the ground and to listen for a voice or tapping of feet much smaller than her own.

It was something she sorely missed ever since her move from the old apartment to the one she stayed in for a short time before recently moving here in the Starlight Paradise Apartments. It was a lovely place, but it wasn't like staying in that first place. These walls didn't have the faint smell of old wood and plaster that was painted rather than redone after being soaked with water. The floors didn't squeak where the foundation had shifted. These walls, this place, wasn't filled with memories she made.

Ashlynn couldn't spend the day reminiscing, though she wished she could. If she didn't get up and moving, traffic would keep her from moving for hours. She pushed herself out of bed, running her fingers through her head instead of a comb, and dressed herself for the day. A quick glance in the mirror revealed a presentable businesswoman, something Ashlynn wouldn't have pegged herself for all those years ago; but, as it turned out, she had a knack for it. With a sigh, she gathered up her things and made the drive into the office.

She went in through the front door and gave a nod to the secretary and her co-workers, exchanging various pleasantries and smiling at them. It wasn't forced or fake, but her mind was preoccupied and going through the motions helped get her day started and back on track. She sat at her desk, checking various emails and messages, before the dreaded pre-afternoon meeting. Thankfully, she had a showing and would have to miss it. Being a realtor had its perks, and one of those was getting out of the office.

It was just after lunch when she arrived back from the showing of a cute little apartment unit when she ran into one of her co-workers, Emmett. He was a nice guy, a little friendly at times, but he knew where the line was drawn. He waved and smiled, leaning back in his desk chair.

"How's it going? Did you sell the place?" asked Emmett. Ashlynn rolled her eyes, folding her forearms and leaning on the cubical wall.

"Yeah right," she muttered. "They seemed interested, but who knows." Emmett smiled reassuringly.

"Don't sweat it. You always do," grinned Emmett. There was an odd pause and Ashlynn was about to excuse herself back to her own area when something caught her eye on his computer screen. It was a picture of her old apartment complex and the neighborhood surrounding it. Just seeing the vinyl exterior instantly brought back the dream from that morning and a flood of memories dancing before her eyes. It lasted only for a moment. Why does Emmett have a picture of where the neighborhood she used to live in? Ashlynn shook her head from its stunned state and cleared her throat.

"Anyway, what are you working on?" she asked, trying to shake the chill that charged her nerves.

"Oh, this? They're working on revamping the area. They're putting me on to selling the new units and making some online ads. I have all of the floor plans pulled up if you want to see them," replied Emmett as he pulled up some of the floor plans. They were quite nice in Ashlynn's opinion, but her ears caught onto the word "revamp."

"Wow, those look nice; but where are they going to put them?" she asked, leaning further over the edge of the cubicle to get a better view of the sidewalk and street designs.

"Oh, well, they're demolishing the older units. It's a pretty good thing too. They're really outdated and need a lot of work. They were talking earlier about...."

Emmett continued talking, but Ashlynn didn't hear. All she could hear was the ringing in her ears as the same word echoed over and over again in her head. Demolishing. It was true the older units needed some repairs, but had they really gotten that bad? Or was it more economical to tear down the homes and build new ones rather than repair what was there. A sinking pit filled her stomach as her mind flitted back to her dream and the memories of the place. She could help but think to herself – Are Soren and his brothers still living there?

"Ashlynn? You okay?" Emmett's words snapped her back to the present.

"What? Oh, yeah. It's just... I used to live in those apartments. Sorry, memories," apologized Ashlynn as her eyes locked onto the new floor plans. "When is this happening?"

"Naw, it's all good; and they're planning on breaking ground immediately after the last tenant moves out. I think her name is Susan Bonnier or something like that," Emmett replied as he began searching through scraps and fragments of paper for the name.

"Bonmeyer. Susan Bonmeyer," said Ashlynn. "She was one of my neighbors."

"Right! That's the name. Anyway, I've been talking with her and it sounds like she's moving out at the end of the week. They'll break ground next Monday." Monday. Less than a week away. Ashlynn nodded a few times, thanked Emmett for his time, and headed back to her station, mind reeling with worry.

Soren said that moving was a big deal, but they've done it before. Are they okay? Do they know about the houses being demolished? What if they're still there. I mean, if they don't know...

Ashlynn couldn't bear to finish her own thought. It was a work night, but she didn't have any showings the next day and had planned on teleworking anyway. It didn't matter where she was as long as she was working, right? Her mind was made up.

At the end of the day, Ashlynn hurried back to her apartment, grabbed a few essentials, tossed them into a bag, and headed out the door for the few hour drive ahead of her. Before she left, she glanced at the countertops by her breadbox and calendar where a small box of safety pins and thumbtacks sat. It was out of habit, keeping things like this as well as small bowls of chips open and around, but it was for good reason.

She knew it wasn't her imagination playing tricks on her. There were a few less pins in the container and the one red thumbtack were gone. A smile turned the corners of her lips. This wasn't the first time that little things went missing, and Ashlynn suspected why. Still, she acted like she didn't notice as she slung her bags over her shoulder and locked the apartment up behind her, making the long drive to the place it all began.