t's Thursday and it's six o'clock in the afternoon. Email is full, the page of my calendar does not fit one more task to do, Ramsey scratches the door because he needs to go for a walk, my stomach rumbles because I didn't have time to eat.
My head is going to explode!
I decide to take a break and go for a walk. I put the leash on Ramsay and go down to the garden of my building. There’s not a soul on the street, it doesn’t matter, the air is more enjoyable.
With a clear head, I return to my place, the office chair with wheels that I wanted to give away was finally of some use. Thanks quarantine!
A little music to help me concentrate, how about some Chopin? No, Tchaikovsky instead. Yes, Tchaikovsky.
My neighbors are asleep, Ramsey lies on my lap and I go back to work. I look at the clock… 7:40 pm? SHIT! More stressed than before, I turn down the volume and concentrate. Everything is silent, I only hear the crickets of every night. It’s already 8 o’clock and everything is progressing well. Suddenly…
I start to hear strange noises, it seems that chairs are being dragged in the apartment upstairs. After a while, they start hitting the floor. I don’t know what’s going on, my neighbors… Are they remodeling? Never mind, I’ll keep working.
It’s nine o’clock and I get a call from my boss, I finish the tasks due today and he tells me to get some rest; I turn everything off and go to bed with Ramsey.
I turn on the TV to lull myself to sleep and turn down most of the volume, I start yawning and then the noise comes back. Now it sounds like the carpet is being dragged from one place to another, there’s a “bang, bang”. I ignore it as I try to sleep. I hear a scream: Ahhhhhhhhhh!
I wake myself up and think: Will they be all right? Will they need help? After a couple of minutes, the noise dies down and I go to sleep.
It’s Friday, almost eight o’clock at night and I’m in the same place as yesterday.
I get up from my chair to stretch my legs and suddenly, the same noises as last night. It seems to be an alarm that starts ringing at the same time. How strange! The same banging, screaming, I don’t know what’s going on!
Saturday arrives and it starts the same, at the same time, the same noises… I can’t take it anymore! I’m going to investigate.
I put the leash on Ramsey, take my keys, a mask and antibacterial gel. I go upstairs and just as I’m getting to the door, I hear the same woman scream:
Ahhhhhhhhhh!
I’m nervous, there’s no one else outside and I don’t know what’s waiting for me behind that door. I wait a few seconds, take a breath and gather courage. “Knock, knock,” I knock on the door.
I hear voices. I turn around and go back the way I came. I’m nervous. “Ramsey, let’s go!”
Before I can turn around, they open the door. Out comes a slim, exercised girl, covered in sweat. It’s my neighbor, I didn’t know her.
– Hi! Do you need something?
I look in the background and see a guy just as sweaty, the furniture pushed to a corner of his living room and his screen with a “yoga at home” video playing.
What a shame! I stop for a moment and can only answer:
– Hi, do you have any rubbing alcohol? I’m out of it and the pharmacy doesn’t have any.
It’s Monday, it’s eight o’clock at night and my neighbors have already started their yoga class.
