Old Mr. Carter

“Come on now, Bella,” Mr. Carter grumbled,

He must be about to take his old dog for his evening stroll. Jake thought in panic. Jake's first instinct was to hide, but where could he go? He was completely exposed and ****, with no way to cover himself. He tried to make himself as small as possible, hoping that Mr. Carter wouldn't notice him. But as the old man shuffled past, he looked directly at Jake and let out a loud chuckle.

Jake's face burned with embarrassment as he realized that he was about to be the talk of the building.

Mr. Carter looked him up and down. “Well, well, what do we have here?” Mr. Carter said grinning widely, “Looks like that witch is up to her old tricks.”

Jake realized he couldn't hide from Mr. Carter and felt embarrassed by his exposed state. “Please help me, Mr Carter.”

“'Fraid not, old chap. She's chosen you tonight, whoever lends you a hand is marked for torment too.”

“Please Mr. Carter,” Jake pleaded with Mr. Carter to reconsider, but the old man simply shook his head and walked away, leaving Jake feeling helpless and alone. What did the old man mean? Why couldn't he just let him inside? Jake cursed himself for not being brave enough to just push past the old man as he opened the door.

Jake watched helplessly as the old man continued on his way with Bella, wagging her tail happily. He turned away and tried to think of a way to get inside, beginning to circumnavigate the apartment block. His mind raced as he skirted around the building, clutching his junk. He was overwhelmed by the sheer embarrassment of the situation, but he just wanted to be inside his apartment.

He knew he was loosing precious time. The thought of the another one of the tenants or old man catching him again or even calling the police made him think twice. He knew he had to come up with a plan quickly before the old man returned with Bella.

As he walked around the building, he noticed a small window on the second floor that was slightly ajar. He thought it might be the window to the hallway. He knew it was risky, but he had no other choice. He wheeled the nearby dumpster over and climbed on top of it, using it to reach the window. He carefully pushed it open and crawled inside, grateful that he had made it in without anyone noticing. As he looked around, he realised that he was indeed in the right hallway, but it was dark, and it took him a moment to get his bearings. His apartment was at the other end of the hall, but even if he did get there without alerting anyone, he still didn't have his key. He crept along the hallway, hands covering his nakedness, his heart racing with every step.

He prayed to find his door open by some bizarre miracle, but as he frantically tried the handle, he found the door locked. Obviously. He was starting to really panic, and he could feel his palms getting sweaty.