Room & Board

Part 8

After the ordeal of dealing with Jemma and setting up a cage for the gliders, the following weeks, ironically, were quiet. Or maybe you were just so laser-focused on finding a house, nothing else permeated your thoughts.

Tabaeus  and you continue the established feeding schedule. They still 'snacked'  when they could get away with it. However, they did honor your denials.  An unforeseen benefit of the sugar gliders was Tabaeus wasn't prone to  lonely wanderings to find you when you went to work. It was honestly a  relief. The day after he brought the new furry family members home,  you'd been so concerned they'd show up again. It was almost eerie when  they didn't.

Your real estate search also eventually bears fruit.

The  house you find, the one that calls out to you, is an old house, built  in the 1800s, with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. A lovely shade of  blue, with a large porch and fenced-in backyard. There's even two stone  gargoyles that keep watch from the stoop.

It is located  downtown, in an older part of the city. Which essentially means a  diverse neighborhood filled with old homes, remodels, renters, and  homeowners along with families, childless couples, and singletons.

With  two stories, plus a basement and attic, it's roomy enough for your -  grudgingly - growing family- ...er, roomateship? Plus there's a detached  garage and roomy kitchen with plenty of storage for appliances. Off the  dining room, a greenhouse is attached. The basement is unfinished, which  means Tabaeus is less likely to sleep there, but the freezer the  previous owner left behind made up for it.

Strangely, it  has been on the market for the better part of a year. Either no one had  placed an offer or the owner was excessively picky. Regardless, you  contacted your real estate agent and asked for a tour. You and Tabaeus  walked through the house, pointing out little things you liked and  little problems that would need fixing.

By the end,  however, the two of you agreed it certainly felt like home. From there,  it had been back-and-forth discussions, inspections, and negotiations.  It looked like the closing was on the horizon. Which meant gathering the  additional funds together for the house and closing costs was needed.

That led you to your current undertaking with Tabaeus. Which entailed the two of you bumbling about in the local sewers.

"Why in the world do you have a cache of treasure here?"  It's not the first time you ask the question and it likely won't be the  last. Every inch of your body is covered in clothing, plus a mask to  fight off the stench of the sewage. The acrid scent still manages to get  into your nose and you're certain you'll have to burn the clothes once  you get back to the apartment.

Tabaeus throws you a  look, as if to say 'Are you genuinely asking that of I, your amnesiac  vampire friend?' Their expression is no less stormy than yours.

They  are dressed in just as much as you, in a dark hoodie, their hair tucked  under the hood, and long pants and boots. Only their red glowing eyes  are visible above their mask. An odd comfort, you realize.

Your  expression doesn't falter and they sigh, shoulders slumping as they  turn their flashlight back down the corridor. "I honestly do not know. I  just know it is here."

"Well, hurry it up. We're not even supposed to be down here." You hiss, jumping out of the way of a rat scurrying by.

"Patience,"  Tabaeus sighs, swinging their lone beam of light to and fro. They're  mumbling to themselves, their gloved hand tracing the wall. There's no  way a hidden compartment or room is down here, you think. There's  literally no way. The city would know about it! And if the city knew  about it, it would've been pilfered a long time ago.