Empire Estates

Welcome to the Empire

It was all so new, and as a detective I couldn't help but feel it was bad.

We just moved into a new apartment building, and it wasn’t just any apartment building it was Illinois’ very exclusive Empire Estate. My mother said it was time to start a new life, but I knew we only moved because our old house reminded her too much of what happened that foggy night.

What happened that foggy night?

It’s the one mystery even I can’t solve. I unpack my bags as Mr. Hollow springs out of the passenger seat cup holder. I hadn’t noticed his absence until I heard a low toned growl.

“Banjo, I told you to keep that thing in its cage.”

My mother could never understand the need for a detective to have a side kick, even if he was a 5 year old ferret. He was bold and Relentless. He reminded me of my father, except I was dad's side kick. I direct my eyes over to see Mr. Hollow standing in front of two gold framed glass doors marked with two letter “E” that resembled backward number threes. On the other side stood a pitch black pit bull about the size of a wolf. The white hairs forming a thunder bolt on Mr. Hollows black fur stand on end as I crouch down to retrieve him.

“that your skunk?”

I look forward to notice a pair of black work boots, realizing they were connected to a person,  I stand dusting myself off. In front of me stood a tall honey colored boy, his black, silky hair slightly corn rowed into a small high man bun exposing the shaved arrow head pattern extending from the center of the back of his head to the nape of his neck. I make eye contact and freeze, his eyes are a strange mix of red and brown, his face chiseled to the point you could see a scar that could have been weeks old but looks fresh.

“Hello?”

I snap back to reality “He’s a ferret not a skunk.” I take one step back so I wouldn’t have to look up at him. “that your… animal?”

He smirks glancing  down at the closed doors behind him where the giant pit wolf stood angrily. “Something like that.” He turns back in my direction his eyes glancing at the loads of suitcases my mom unloaded in front of the side entrance. “You movin’ in?”

Shocked at how he could have known I turn to see the suitcases stacked behind me. “Uh, yea, my mom’s  boy- my step dad thought it would be a better place to “start” a family.”

Getting no response I turn to see the boy making the straightest, most uninterested face I’d ever seen.
“I’ll help you get settled then.” He walks past me grabbing a pink and white striped duffel bag and a neon green suitcase with wheels. He then turns passing me, bobbing toward the entrance. “The names Carter, Carter Rodriguez.”

In my head all I could do was question what was happening, I guess my detective instincts began kicking in, because as I stuffed Mr. Hollow in my yellow back pack I immediately pull out my clue journal and follow Carter in to the building.

“Banjo Haywood, Teenage detective.”
He stops, turning his head slightly to reveal a smile. “Teenage detective, huh? You any good?”

I continue walking until I over take him “The best this side of Chicago.” I smirk
He smirks back raising his head impressed “Then I just might have a case for you.”

Pulling my special purple glitter pen from the back of my ear, I flip to a new page in my clue journal.

He let’s out a settle laugh “Lets drop this stuff off first.” He walks past me entering the empty gold pleaded elevator waiting for me to follow. As I approach the edge of the elevator doors I feel a slight shove knocking me in to Carter’s arm. The doors close as a dark figure, cloaked in a black trench coat, stands with what I think was his back facing us. Carter’s arms no longer wrapped around me, Mr. Hollow peaks his head out from my bag hissing at the figure. The figure turns slightly revealing one beastly red eye floating between a fancy black top hat and the collar of the his trench coat. He stares at Mr. Hollow, letting out a low growl. I take a few steps towards Carter, who stands to my left.

“The key says 12B.”

“Well, I guess this means we’re headed to the seventh floor. Your mom’s probably worried sick, I mean you running off with a stranger and all.”
I turn back towards the elevator door where the dark figure stood watching the floor numbers change. I couldn’t tell Carter, a total stranger, that I, a 17 year old girl who he just met, had gotten a room to herself because her new step dad owns the place.

After what seemed like years had passed the elevator doors open on the seventh floor.

The dark figure from the elevator seemed to have vanished with the opening of the elevator doors. The hall appeared  endless as sparkling gold lining etched on the edges of the black painted walls enhanced the halls majestic.

At the end of the hall sat a black door with a gold plate reading 12B.
“wait out here, I can take in the bags myself.”

Carter hands me the bags, glancing around. “parents not back yet?”
What an odd question. “Mom wanted me to explore the building, and meet her in in the lobby for dinner.” I drop my bags behind the black door, quickly locking the room with out a glance inside I turn to Carter who now stands with his hands in the pockets of his black jeans. “So what’s the case?”
“What? Oh, right. Let’s get back to the elevator.”

As we begin to walk towards the elevator, Mr. Hollow leaps from my back pack and down another hall with the strap of my clue journal latched around his neck.

“HOLLOW!!”

He doesn’t stop to the sound of my voice as my red clue journal drags across the floor in a blur. In my whole detective career I never actually needed to literally chase after clues.
In an attempt not to step on Mr. Hollow, Carter and I follow from a distance. We stop at the end of another hall, cornered Mr. Hollow stares at a giant gold lion stencil etched on a black wall. I lean forward to grab my journal as I get a whiff of fresh paint.

“How long has this been here?” I question unraveling my journal from Mr. Hollows neck.

“I've actually never seen this place before…” I turn to see Carter starring at the wall in shock.
He begins to walk towards the door reaching out.

“Carter, I don’t think-“

Before I could finish my sentence he pushes against the lion face revealing a door, with a red metallic plate reading 13D.

He stands frozen in shock with his arm still extended towards the door. Mr. Hollow begins to hiss once more as the white hairs along the thunder bolt on his back stand on end.

“Who are you” an eerie voice echoes through the hall.

I turn to see the figure from the elevator hovering behind me. I freeze from shock going and against all my instincts I stand. “You again?”

“AGAIN!” HE hunches over howling as the sound of bones breaking fills the air. “WHO ARE YOU?!”

The trench coat falls from his back revealing a scarred animal. An animal the size of a wolf. The animal from before.

As the creature approached the lights flickered off, it’s eyes still glowing bright red. I feel a strong tug on my arm launching me back towards where the lion face once hung.

I land on my back in an aching thud. I turn to see Carter standing behind me pacing back and forth.

“what? Where are we? What was that?“

He stops pacing and glances at me. “This is room 13D. That was… a were wolf. And you, Banjo Haywood, are in danger.”

I sit in silence. Thinking back on all my cases trying to make sense of my current predicament. Nothing. The one thought that flickered in my head was that one foggy night. That one foggy night where my old house fire place burned brighter than any sun and the wolves howls echoed through the woods. That one foggy night my father disappeared.