Chapter 1: The Stumbling Fool

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~Y/N= Your First Name. L/N= Your Last name~

~*~*~

I walked aimlessly down the cold streets of London. It was March, but cold. A slight breeze whipped at me, chilling me to the bone. I needed to find a place to stay... to rent, something! I couldn't afford the flat I once thought was cheap. I barely made £176.00 a week. Wow, that seems like a lot! No. No it doesn't. Between spending it on food, daily uses, and the flat rent, I can't keep up anymore. This was my last try; 221 Baker Street. I had been hanging out in London for a few days in hope to find an affordable place to rent. London also had great new opportunities for jobs. I had needed a fresh start. 

A women named Ms. Hudson owns an empty flat. I had saw her few flyers around London lately. She says no one has lived in it for years and lowered the price drastically to try to get people to move in. No one did. 

Finally, I knocked on the large door knocker and waited for an answer. A small woman with a floral print skirt and white blouse answered the door. She licked her lips quickly and adjusted her glasses.

"Oh, hello, dear! You must be Y/N L/N." Ms. Hudson smiled. "Come in, out of the cold, dear!" She ushered me in the door way. I looked around slightly. There was a stair case going up, one door on the floor level and another hallway to the left. The place smelled of sweet tea and perfume but it wasn't unpleasant. 

"Would you like a cuppa' tea, Y/N?" Ms. Hudson asked sweetly. I nodded thankfully. She smiled and opened her door, I stood outside the door thinking she was going to fetch the keys and come right back. I wasn't sure if I was invited in... or what I was to do in general. "Oh, come in! Oh," she smiled, "You have such good manners, unlike the boys upstairs." As I was about to ask, a voice called out from upstairs.

"Ms. Hudson? Do we have a client?" the man asked. Ms. Hudson was about to answer before a deep voice answered back.

"Of course not, John. The woman downstairs is probably interested in 221C..." the man mumbled. 'John' nodded and half waved at me and disappeared back into the room above.

"That was Sherlock and John, they were the boys I was talking about," Ms. Hudson explained, handing me a warm cup of tea. I smiled, the name Sherlock and John sounding familiar. 

~*~*~*~

After the tea, Ms. Hudson lead me down the hallway to the door. It read 221C Baker Street, etched in small print on the door. She unlocked the door that revealed steps down to the flat.

"Be careful, dear, these steps are older than they look. I am sorry," Ms. Hudson said truthfully.

"Oh, that's fine, as long as they serve their purpose!" I said my voice shaking slightly. I could fix these stairs easily, right? Probably not. We reached the bottom of the stairs a few steps later. The flat was blank, empty, save for the small amount of peeling wallpaper. A few windows let a dull light in. The windows were up at the top rather than centered in the middle all but one. One big window stood centered in the middle of the left wall. A white stained curtain made the light in the room dance while cars zoomed past outside. A fireplace stood against the back wall, it looked old; dust and crumbles were scattered around it. All of the floor was carpet.

There was an exceptionally large crack in the right wall, but nothing I couldn't cover up or fill in. There was also an oddly placed mirror snug in the left corner of the room. The main room itself was small, but comfortable. Hidden from the staircase view was a narrow hallway. Ms. Hudson waved her hand absently to the hallway and we walked down the hall; Ms. Hudson giving me space to look and ponder.

Three doors were in the hallway, at the very end was a small window with an empty flower pot. I entered the first door on the left side of the hallway. The door creaked open and revealed a small room. Dust fell from the door and the big window shined into the room casting a dusty look. A closet lay off to the side. I am guessing this was a bedroom. I could easily live here, I don't have too many belongings and seemed modest and homely. After I walked out of the bedroom, I reached over for the door on the right side of the hallway. I turned the doorknob which fell off and hit the floor with a thud. Both Ms. Hudson and I jumped.

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