Iðunn's Apples

Beaivi

"Wait... the headquarters are underground?"

Ashley giggled. "Well, of course they are. The Varkolaks may be able tolerate the sun, but they don't do it gladly."

There were five floors, as it seemed, waiting below us. Ashley pressed the button for the minus second floor.

"That's the 'commoner's' floor," she said, with a hint of humor. "The main part of the human and Varkolak population live here. First floor is mostly for the finer parties, important meetings and conferences." The doors slid open, and she led me out into a large room, which was dominated by minimalistic couch sets. There were five hallway, one two the left, one to the right, and three straight ahead. She led me down the middle one. "Third floor is where people like me go - mostly shops, bars and restaurants."

"You have... shops?" I asked.

"Yes, of course," she said. "You'd be surprised about how many of the world's leading businesses sell here. IKEA, for one. That makes it a lot easier to move in here. No need for move men asking unnecessary questions."

I raised my eyebrows, impressed. "That's brilliant."

"Indeed," she said as she took a right turn. "Fourth floor is mostly accommodation for high-standing members of our society, while fifth floor is the exclusive one. Mostly snobbish parties, a few apartments - and then there's a rumor that there are hidden rooms, only accessible by very few, and intended for secret ceremonies."

"What kinds of ceremonies?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Religious, I suppose. Mostly, it's either Illuminatos or Lilithians that own these secret rooms." She snorted. "If you ask me, it's nothing. Here, apartment two hundred and five." She handed me a key. "This is you."

I unlocked the door and entered the apartment. To my shock, it was filled with furniture. "It's... not empty."

Ashley smiled. "Compliments of your high standing friends." I must have looked confused, because she elaborated. "Aquila Vespillo, maybe."

I looked around me. It was tastefully decorated in typical Scandinavian minimalistic style. The hallway opened up into a living room to the right and a kitchen to the left. Two beige couches, a glass table and a flatscreen filled the living room. The walls were off-white, and two white plastic flowers in a thin glass vase were placed on the kitchen island that separated the two rooms. The kitchen was dominated by white and black stone.

"It's definitely better than my place," Ashley noted. "Well, I'll leave you to it."

Once I had seen her out, I peeked in through the door to the right of the entrance. It led to a bathroom, which had the same color scheme as the kitchen; white walls and toilet, black stone encasing a white bathtub and a long mirror above the sink.

In the living room, on the wall to the left of the flatscreen, there was a door. It opened into a nice bedroom with a double bed, made with white linens, a white closet with full-size mirrors and a window that I assumed to be fake, as it showed a view over a small, unmoving street.

I let myself fall down onto the bed with a sigh of relief. After exactly five seconds of pure bliss, the doorbell rang.

"Hey again," Ashley said when I opened the door. "I forgot to get your phone number. So that I can text you about that party tomorrow, I mean."

I made myself to smile, mostly because I didn't want my current tiredness get in the way of making friends here, and listed the numbers.

"Great." She waved her phone. "I'll let you get some sleep, then."

I smiled. "Thank you for your help."

"Oh, no problem. Just glad to be of help. See you!"

I slept the rest of the day and most of the next. Once more, it was Ashley who interrupted my blissful rest, this time in the form of a phone ringing. My bedside clock revealed that it was one in the afternoon.