Getting Back to The Short Stories
How has it been over a year and a half since my last short story? Time does fly when you are working on other projects I guess. As many of you know I took a step back from writing short stories to work on longer-form content. Let's just say it's been a struggle but I'm still pushing through. I figured it might be best to take a break and clear my mind of my one story and come up with something new. It didn't take me long to write this.
Unit #142
Unit #109
I fumbled, my thumb hitting the 3 instead of the 2. “Damn it.”
I waited 10 seconds and tried again. This time saying my phone number out loud. (303)-720-5622. A number I sometimes forgot even after having it for over 16 years.
5622# I pushed the pound extra hard confirming my code.
The metal gate began to open but from the other side. STAY BACK, GATE OPENS QUICKLY rolled by a snail’s pace. Maybe 30 years ago this would have been true, but now it seemed like an eternity before the gate would clear. Impatient, my fingers drummed the wheel becoming one with the radio.
My eyes subconsciously drifted to my rearview mirror. Instead of train tracks, a black car blocked my view. Startled by the sudden appearance my eyes shot straight ahead as if I was a child again, not allowed to stare at others. Even in the split second, I saw the man patiently waiting behind me, his eyes laser-focused ahead behind a pair of glasses and a brimmed hat. Hopefully, he hadn’t noticed. It’s not like I had expected him to be there in the first place.
With a loud click, the gate succumbed leaving an entry wide enough for my car to fit through. Before shifting into gear, I paused thinking of the multipage lease I had signed a few weeks back.
DO NOT LET ANYONE IN BEHIND YOU!
Unlike the rest of the type found in lowercase, this had been posted several times stating if caught doing so would result in the lease being terminated.
“What the hell,” I said shifting into drive. No one would notice. The storage unit facility contained no onsite personnel only rickety old fences keeping potential robbers at bay with rusted locks practically falling off at the hinges. I drove in filing past the other rows of units. The fresh spring air filled the car the radio still playing the latest hits. It was days like today I loved the most. Out and about with no one around to bother me. I turned left and creeped to a stop at my unit. Unit #109.
We, and by we, I mean Molly and myself, had been renting the unit for only a few weeks now. It was a steal we were lucky to get, almost $100 cheaper than other units half the size. It was perfect for our plan.
A few weeks back while watching a short video on how a young lady was going to transform a mini truck into a bookmobile, I swiped out at the end credits and immediately sent the link to Molly. For several years we talked of renting a petite coffee hut to craft and sell drinks to customers. I, myself, wasn’t much of a coffee drinker, but the thought of owning a small business was a childhood dream. Nothing came of it though.
But after watching the video and sending the text, “We have to do this," and a quick reply of “Yes, I’m in,” everything was set into motion. I put my dad on finding the exact truck the girl had purchased knowing anything else wouldn’t do. Within the hour he had located one a few hours from us, on a Hutterite farm. The next weekend we found ourselves driving a U-Haul going 55mph pulling a trailer we weren’t sure was going to work. After several hours and a hell of a time trying to figure out if the wheels were too close together, the 10-year-old Hutterite boy launched the truck on the trailer with ease. Now we were in the next steps of purchasing books to fill the shelves of the truck.
I smiled thinking of us driving back with the truck still in shock we were going through with our plan. It was so… so… spontaneous for the both of us. Something none of our friends would classify us as. Little did they know we had an entire business about to roll out in a few weeks.
I reached for the cord pulling firmly upwards. The door rolled open the metal clanging as it went. I peered inside. To some they might find a large storage unit practically empty strange, and a little serial killerish. But the books hadn’t arrived yet. I was waiting for Molly to arrive back tino town from her grandmother’s funeral, a shock to the whole family. For now, it was nice to come out here and work on whatever I could to get ready for the chaos. I turned to throw the lock and car keys into the driver’s seat when I noticed the man who’d been behind me at the gate. He was across the aisle a few units down. #142.
Of course. Out of the hundreds of units in this place his had to be right next to mine. Usually, something like this wouldn’t bother me but it was rare I was alone often. Living with roommates plus managing a team at work on top of friends constantly needing advice it was hard to breathe sometimes. The last few Sundays had been almost a reprieve coming out here. A little annoyed I grabbed an armful of items I planned to drop off and decided to get to work. The man didn’t seem to be paying any attention to me anyways.
Blasting some Taylor Swift I began organizing the books we already collected into their proper genres and removing stickers if there were any. Pulling out a bowl, sponge, and water bottle I laid out the books which needed help scrubbing softly until the sticker gunk and fingerprints faded. It was as if the book were brand new.
Satisfied with my work, I grabbed my cleaning supplies and headed back to the car to snatch the keys from the front seat. I peered over, the man whose unit seemed filled to the brim with shelving, tools, and boxes upon boxes was hunched over one shuffling through its contents. I went back inside to grab my phone still playing the latest Swift album when I heard a cough. I whipped around to find the man from Unit 142 standing at the entrance, his hands in his pockets staring at me.
“Not much in here,” he stated the obvious fact.
“Nope, not yet,” I replied. “It will be soon. I’m waiting for my friend to bring some stuff.” It was a lie and one I had made quickly upon seeing him blocking the doorway.
“It kind of looked to me like you were about to lock up,” he pointed to the keys in my hand, the door to my car open.
“Oh, I was about to sit in the car with the AC blasting until they showed up. It gets so hot in these you know?”
The man pursed his lips shaking his head in agreeance. “Why yes, yes they do.”
My heart was beating fast. Why had I come here alone? We were out in the middle of nowhere with no one knowing my whereabouts. I gripped the keys in my hand sliding them between my fingers, something I used to do while walking across campus at night. For safe measures. It was never needed, but this, this felt different. I took a step forward, his eyes shooting to mine. I stopped in my tracks.
“Come see what’s in my unit.” his voice was steady, monotone.
“Oh, I’m good. My friends will be here any minute,” I said without hesitation while stepping forward again. This time keeping my eyes on his.
“That wasn’t a request.” His hand shot up, fingers closing around the cord. He yanked down, the metal clanking loudly closing us in complete darkness.
Unit #142
I waited in the tall shrubs and trees, my car blending in with the shadows. Sundays were always a hit-and-miss with other renters showing up to the units. Today, I didn’t mind waiting though. The breeze drifted in from the open windows while the birds chirped along to the song that was springtime. I took a breath releasing it through my nose. The anxiety and pent-up energy felt over the last several weeks seemed to vanish the last few days. Spring having to do with some of it.
A car rolled up, stopping at the security gate. Turning the ignition, I rolled from my covert spot pulling behind the silver car. The girl ahead seemed to be fumbling with the numbers. She must have been new to the spot, or just forgetful, or even both.
I watched as she pressed harder her lips moving as if she was saying the numbers out loud. The gate clicked, then groaned as it slowly opened from one end to the other. I could see the girl drumming her fingers across the steering wheel impatient with waiting. It seemed most people these days couldn’t be patient wanting instant gratification for everything.
The sun peeked out from behind the clouds, a ray of sunlight hitting my face. It was warm and comforting, something I hadn’t felt in a while. When I looked forward again, the girl was staring at me through her rearview mirror, her eyes glancing away when she had been spotted. I chuckled, my laugh blending in with the creaks of the gate as it came to a stop.
The girl pulled forward and I followed. Driving through the I could see the rows upon rows of aisles empty. No one else seemed to be here this lovely afternoon. Most likely out to Sunday brunch in their church attire. I pressed forward following the silver car ahead.
Seeing my row coming up I slowed and so did her car. “Fuck.”
She turned left as did I. What was the chance she would turn down the same aisle? I had been coming here for years and never had such an encounter. I guess it was bound to happen though. We continued on until she pulled over to the side. Almost directly across from my unit.
Unit 142, the same unit I had had for over 20 years. Besides the gate becoming slower each year, the rest of the joint looked almost the same as the day I signed the lease. At a distance it looked like a well-established place, but the closer you got the mirage disappeared.
Surrounded by dilapidating gates, they were barely held together with rotting locks to keep perpetrators out. There wasn’t even barbed wire at the top. The paint was flaking, and potholes lined the roadway to and from rows. A small office was attached to one of the units but collected spiderwebs and mouse droppings. The only time it was used was the first of the month when rent was due. They didn’t even have security cameras in case the lock box was robbed. The old man who owned the place didn’t seem to care though.
All this to say, it's the reason for renting Unit 142. I didn’t want to be watched and monitored like these newer units constantly under lockdown. I wanted to go about my day undetected.
I staggered out of the car my back cracking at the release of sitting for so long. The girl didn’t seem to notice at first but when she did, she didn’t seem too happy with my presence. I wondered if I looked the same.
She didn’t linger long disappearing into her unit, Taylor Swift’s voice echoing a few seconds later. I got to work, flinging the door open to find my hoard of items collected over the last 20 years. Shelving, boxes, tools, you name it, they were probably in here.
I opened the hatch revealing a large rubber barrel along with a saw, and some rope. Seeing them together my heart tightened. Anxiety slowly filled my chest again like it had so many weeks ago. I could usually push it at bay but over time it would swell. Swell until I couldn’t hold it anymore. It often led to fits of anger and outbursts and afterward the feeling of freedom. But those seems to be getting further in between.
I collected the saw and rope placing them carefully in their spots. Back at the car, I calculated the strength I was going to need to roll the barrel from the trunk with little to no bounce as it hit the asphalt. Gripping the sides in a bear hug, I twisted from one side to the next. The barrel inching forward. At the edge, I left half of the barrel dangle, my arms were the only support keeping it in place. If I let go just right, it would slide the barrel and then bounce towards the unit. Just what I wanted. With gritted teeth I let gravity take over. The barrel slid forward hitting the ground with a bigger bounce than I had anticipated. Even so, the momentum was enough to get it rolling to its final destination. In the back, hidden away with the others.
With a few grunts and one or two curse words, I was able to push it in place sitting it upright. I patted the top, “Thanks for cooperating.”
I counted the others. Eight full, five empty and ready to be used. When I first rented the unit it only held one barrel, and it did for some time. Alone, to collect dust. But after a couple of years, another was added and so I repeated the process. It was cheaper to buy the barrels in bulk. I figured I would eventually use them, so put up the extra cash. An investment I reminded myself.
I coughed, the dust always finding my lungs in this case. I pulled my attention away from the barrel, placing my eyes on a box. Inside contained my collection, my reminders. I opened the car door reached into the glove box and pulled out a clear baggie. Inside, a gold locket. The gold sparkled in the sunlight. It was gorgeous and mine. My heart filled again, this time with excitement. I couldn’t wait to add it to the box so hurriedly peeled back the lid to reveal the other baggies. Bracelets, rings, hair ties, they were all there. Carefully, I laid the locket next to the others. Even though the collection was lovely, I knew it wasn’t complete. Something was missing but I wasn’t sure with exactly what.
The tightness in my chest hit again this time a little harder.
“No,” I pleaded. It was too soon. Way too soon.
I closed the box, and walked over to the barrels, giving them a final pat. “Until next time.”
The unit clanged shut, and I latched not one but two hefty locks to the outside—Taylor Swift which had been drifting in and out cut out with a jangle of keys.
I peered behind. The girl was getting ready to leave. I looked around, no other cars were in our aisle or the one across the way. My heartbeat fast tightening with every thud. “No.” I shook my head clenching my fists. But then I saw her. The girl’s face which seemed so annoyed before was now calm, content. I hadn’t noticed how beautiful she was with freckles lining the bridge of her nose and cheeks. How her strands of curly hair bounced off her shoulders.
She disappeared into her unit, and this time I followed. Unlike my unit filled to the brim, hers was practically empty. One would think a scene from a Criminal Minds episode.
Gazing at the row of books she seemed happy with whatever she had gotten up to in the moments we were here.
I coughed, the dust in her unit more prevalent than mine. The cough got her attention pulling her eyes to mine.
“Not much in here,” I said. Her eyes widened with fear. Just how I liked it.
“Nope, not yet,” she shifted. “It will be soon. I’m waiting for a friend to bring some stuff.”
Ah, she was quick on her feet, but she didn’t know I was a pro with my acquired skill set. She didn’t know I could see through her lie.
“It kind of looked to me like you were about to lock up.”
As my pulse raced through my ears, she had said something, something about the unit being hot. I pursed my lips. “Why, yes, yes they do.” I replied realizing she must have mentioned something related to the unit. I watched as she shifted closer this time keys falling between her fingers. She was onto me.
“Come see what’s in my unit,” I nodded knowing this could throw her off. Again, her eyes widened. She was definitely scared now. Oh, I was so close, and when she stepped forward, I felt it hit. The climax hit my body as it rushed through me.
“That wasn’t a request, " I stated knowing it would send us both over the edge. I grabbed hold of the string yanking it down behind me as I stepped in, closing us into complete darkness.
Final Thoughts
I wrote this one pretty quickly and on paper originally. Something I haven't done in years. Let's just say reading my handwriting should be a crime lol We are lucky I was able to translate any of it at all!
If you are wondering what happens next, well I have more of the story written but I'll be keeping those scenes to myself for now. Don't forget to subscribe if you haven't already! You can also check out my last few short story challenges here:
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