Page 2 of Dark Moon Secrets

“Come on, you two,” Caleb called as he walked on ahead. “No need to vote. We’re going there next Saturday anyway.”

“Oh, really. And why is that?” I ran up to him, laughing as we turned and walked the length of the apartment building.

I instinctively noticed the lights in the windows to see who was awake on the ground level. I couldn’t help it. I liked to know whether or not my neighbors were at home.

“Because it’s time Mia got hooked up,” answered Caleb in a somewhat arrogant tone.

“It is not,” said Mia, catching up to us.

“I reckon there’s someone Caleb has his eye on at the club,” I baited. That was the most logical reason I could think of why he’d want to go back.

“Maybe I do.” Caleb spun around to face us, hands on his hips, looking smug.

“I knew it,” I whispered triumphantly, trying not to be too loud. I didn’t want to draw more attention to us for being out in the early morning hours.

“Who? The redhead? Or the blonde?” Mia asked.

“Not saying. You’ll just have to come along next weekend to find out.”

Mia huffed with frustration. “Fine, then.”

“And make the first move on the chick you have your eyes on, then I might reveal who has caught my attention.”

“That’s blackmail,” Mia snarled, looking a bit stormy at how Caleb manipulated her.

Caleb shook his head. “It will make for a fun night out and give us all something to look forward to while suffering through our boring jobs during the week.”

“Mine’s not that bad,” Mia challenged. She was training to be a veterinary technician.

“At least you get to cuddle animals all week while I’m stuck at a desk,” I spoke before pausing in front of apartment number thirteen.

The lights weren’t on, and that was unusual. The elderly lady, Maria, lived alone. She was an alternative person, and while I had rejected that part of my parents, Maria was the only person in the building I’d connected with.

At the beginning of each month, I’d bring down a pot roast to her apartment, and she’d bake a cake. We would talk during our meal, dissecting aspects of our lives, the weather, the loud neighbors we’d want to kick out of the place, and what we hoped for our future.

“Tell me… why did I choose to be an accountant?” Caleb shook his head.

“You love numbers way too much for an ordinary, sane person,” Mia stated while she walked with Caleb.

I was rooted to the spot and couldn’t move. A shiver shot through me again.

“Come on, Tanjie, you better get inside to warm up.” Caleb must have seen me shiver and called out as he waited by the door he’d pushed open that led to the stairs.

My apartment was on the second level of the older five-story building. It wasn’t one of those modern places with only one entrance, sliding electric doors, and a key code to be able to use the elevator. The building had multiple entrances, and the bottom door was always unlocked.

I kept looking at the window, knowing Maria enjoyed sitting up late watching Netflix, especially if they involved mysteries.

Why wasn’t her light on?

This building was built in the fifties and had the charm of the era. Concrete staircases were located at multiple points along the length of the building, and mine was at the end in the shadows.

I bought it because it wasn’t only what I could afford, but I had also fallen in love with the rustic nature of the place—its simplicity. All I needed was a bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen to be comfortable. I didn’t even need a car.

The small living area was large enough to squeeze air mattresses in for my besties to sleep on the floor after a night out. They still lived at home and preferred not to disturb their households by stumbling in late. That was how much I’d grown up in the last year or so after losing my parents—I was the only one of us out on their own.

Plus, the apartment was close to my work. In the trendy eastern suburbs of Sydney—Randwick, to be exact—I had the best of a few different areas where I could enjoy life. Pubs, clubs, beaches, and shops meant I could get out and enjoy myself with friends when I wasn’t working.

Maria was a friend too. Even though when she started talking too much ‘New Age’ stuff, I’d call an end to our chats and leave. It reminded me of my parents too much and what I didn’t want to know. One time, she’d even pulled out a pack of tarot cards.

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