5 Arc One (4)

For someone like Nicholas, the standard of living in this Chicago apartment block was beyond the limits of his dreams.

The elevator was shiny with gold trim and Nicholas had to work hard not to make eye contact with his own reflection. Even the hallway reflected the opulence of the building, with plush emerald carpets that muffled the sound of his footsteps, and antique tables placed strategically along the walls to provide a subtle barrier between apartments.

Reaching his own apartment was an entirely new experience. There was no handle on the door, merely a small silver panel that popped open after he looked at the security camera on the roof just above his door. Inside the panel, he discovered that the lock for the apartment was a thumb print rather than a key or even a passcode, and when he stepped through the door he discovered that the lights in the apartment were motion-sensored.

Anyone looking through the window (maybe a jaded pigeon idly flying by) would have been treated to the sight of a grown man running from room to room; first enjoying the power of the light following him, then testing to see if he could make it through a room before the sensors picked up on the movement. He was unable to trick the motion sensors with speed, but if he was happy to spend 47 minutes and 13 seconds crawling across his loungeroom then he could do so in the dark.

The kitchen was his next discovery that brought joy to the afternoon. Not only was it all state of the art and obviously designed by a professional, but the French door fridge was stocked with food. Apparently the original had enough of a sweet tooth that an entire shelf was dedicated to Bavarian cheesecake, bottled drinks, and gourmet chocolates. Nicholas pigged out on a combination of all three until his previously feigned stomach ache became real.

Then he discovered the bathroom.

Not only did he finally discover what a bidet was, but the shower had multiple heads and he could manually choose the temperature on the control panel next to the sink— no more adjusting the taps and playing the "too hot then too cold" game.

Playing in the shower lead to the discovery of the spa, and by the time Nicholas left the bathroom, mirrors steamed up and face red from the heat, night had fallen and from the loungeroom he was treated with a floor to ceiling view of the Chicago night.

So engrossed in the lights laid out before him, Nicholas didn't hear the musical beep as the apartment alarm deactivated.

The luxurious carpet swallowed the footsteps and the click of the door was so soft it barely counted as sound.

Completely enraptured by the view before him, the first Nicholas knew he was not alone, was the reflection of his best friend's face in the window above his shoulder.

That, in itself, was not alarming; the memories he gained from the original informed him that both Gabe and Louisa had the access code to the apartment. Both were also frequent visitors with little to no warning. He'd actually half expected a visit before now, or at least a teary phone call imploring him to come to the hospital. Had the accident not happened the same way a second time? Was Lousia still okay?

He started to turn and face his friend when alarm struck.

Those narrowed eyes seemed filled with rage, rather than grief, but that could just have been a trick of the reflection.

What wasn't a trick though, was the black pistol that cracked against his forehead.

As he collapsed to his knees and his vision faded to black, Nicholas fuzzily noticed several pairs of black boots file into his apartment, standing at attention behind the man now looking down at him.

"What…" Why was this happening? What had gone wrong?