Rental Crisis Ch. 01

Searching for an apartment was getting ridiculous. I had looked at 4 places this week already, and 12 the week before. I was getting evicted from my current unit in 3 days now and all applications I had made for apartments had all been outbid by others!

I had just parked at this next property, it was in a far from ideal location and there were at least 20 people already parked up on the street ready to go in. The property manager was running late and I could see a crowd waiting by the front door impatiently. The thought of walking through the shabby home with all of those people was making my hands clammy with sweat and my heart beat fast.

"I should wait to go through last," I thought to myself.

When the property realtor finally arrived 10 minutes late in his BMW he looked flustered rushing out of his car. He had dark sunglasses on and wore a formal shirt tucked into tight navy pants. His blond curly hair that gave him a rugged yet professional look with his attire. I waited patiently for people to mill through the home until 20 minutes later there was no one else going in. I walked across the street and quickly whipped through the front bedroom, ensuite and living area, "good enough," I thought. I proceeded into the kitchen where the realtor waited with some pamphlets.

"I thought there was no one else looking, you must be the last person through?" he said looking at me briefly whilst holding his phone.

My throat instantly went dry and my mind raced with planning the right socially acceptable response.

"Yes, I'm the last person here," I croaked out dryly. He nodded and checked his watch, something I've noticed people to do when they want to leave.

"Can I sign the application now please? I can do $250 a week," I said quietly.

"Ah sorry I just had an application approved by the owners for a couple I showed through yesterday for $300 a week," he nonchalantly replied whilst still scrolling busily on his phone.

I felt blood rush to my face and instantly felt warm. Why would he even bother to open it today if he had already shown the unit yesterday! I tensed my hands into fists and stared at his stupid looking face, handsome men always were terrible people, I hated his angular jaw and pristine skin. I pushed my raw reaction down and tried to remember the advice I had read online to try and be friendly with realtors as they can have properties not yet listed.

"Do you have anything else that is opening up I could apply for?" I asked determinedly staring at him.

The realtor paused and looked up from his phone, talking the time to look at me properly for the first time. Again, I felt my face grow warmer. I never was the type of person who could socialise well with people, maybe my tone had been abrupt? All he would see when looking at me would be my awkward tall gaunty body. I had always towered over other women, being 5'10", and now due to this darn stress over being evicted I had lost over 15kg in the last month from my stomach refusing to let me feel hungry. I pulled at the long sleeve of my black My Chemical Romance band t-shirt and felt out of place wearing my black skinny jeans, doc martens boots, and shoulder bag across my body with my favourite anime show featured on the cover.

He finished staring up and down at me and replied, "Nothing in the near future no... It's quite competitive at the moment, Have you been looking long?"

"A month... I'd take anything, it doesn't have to be nice, really," I said. He smiled revealing a set of perfectly straight white teeth, the completeness of his features took me aback for a second and I felt myself take a breathe in. I just noticed that he seemed to be quite tall as well, around 6'2".

"I really don't have anything that's come up formally," he laughed. I fumed with the thought that this was somehow funny to him, my anger brought back my growing resentment of my current landlord who had decided not to renew my lease shortly after I had requested the heating to be fixed over winter.

"What about informally? Anything at all?" I retorted back to him. I felt my eyes fill with water from the intensity of the whole rental situation.

"Hmm... Have you tried looking for a flat share instead of a full rental?

Lots of young students are doing that at the moment. There's that "flatmates.com" website I've heard," he replied.

His voice had gotten lower and his eyebrows were furrowed, was he feeling bad for me? Maybe he had noticed my watery eyes.

"I can't really live with others," I say looking down.

"Why?" he encouraged.

"I'm autistic and very sound sensitive, I can't really handle the sounds of a flatmate," I flatly reply with my well known disclosure script.

There was a pause and I stared up into the corner of the room, studying the old cracking cornice. Maybe I shouldn't of said anything... But I mean he did ask.

"I've got ADHD, so I guess neurodivergent buds hey?" he warmly replied.

I instantly felt my jaw relax and my shoulders release pressure I didn't know I was holding. It was so much easier to communicate with other neurodivergent people, even if he was a damn realtor. I forced myself to look at his face again and saw that he was smiling and looking at me. I quickly looked away and wondered what I could say next.

Interjecting into my thoughts, he spoke, "My friend told me on the weekend he had a friend looking for a flatmate, apparently they do a lot of work away so are not home much.

Would something like that work for you?"

My brain immediately started to shut down at the thought of it, but I try to remember that this may ultimately be one of the options I have to do.

With a deep breath I reply quietly, "I might be interested... Can you share their details with me?"

He continues to smile warmly yet, there was something on his face that I couldn't quite place, some emotion or thought pattern I couldn't interpret.

"I actually could show you today? I said I would visit and take some photos for them, would you like to meet me there?" he asked.

My mind clenched up with the prospect of this sudden change, and I couldn't seem to think about anything he just said.

"I don't drive," I mumbled while looking down, I quickly chanced a glance at his face and saw that he was still raptly staring at me with that same unplaceable expression.

"Not to worry, you can drive with me," his voice seemed commanding, like an order rather than a suggestion. My stomach was in knots, I did not want to go in a stranger's car to a stranger's home, especially when I was suppose to get the 826 bus home at 1.27pm!

My mind was racing and I felt paralysed in not being able to safely express a polite "no thank you" to this man. I hate that I always find it so hard to talk when placed on the spot like this, I hated making decisions and planning my life. It was just decision and burden after burden.

Again he interrupted the buzz of my thoughts with a deep and commanding voice, "Struggling to decide hey?"

He gathered up his files on the bench and stepped closer to me, "not to worry, just come with me and if you don't like it I can drive you straight home, or wherever you would like. Just trust my judgement enough to look," he said with a wink.

My mind went blank with the faint feeling that alarm bells should be ringing for me. I don't think it is normal for a realtor to offer that? Maybe it is? I feel like I remember this happening on a episode of a show before... But this surely was not a good idea going with this man? My mouth seemed incapable of speech at this point in time and I could feel my heart hammering quickly in my chest again.

Before I could decide what to say or what to do, I felt his warm hand on my lower back pressing me out of the kitchen. The shock of him so casually and firmly touching me further drove any coherent thoughts of a plan from my mind. I said nothing while he guided me to the front door. He paused and reached into his pocket to lock the front door and I realised now was my chance to try and make an escape.

"No thank you i will find another property. Have a good day goodbye," I bursted out while turning away from the door and starting to take a step away. Suddenly I had been hit with the force of his arm moving across my body and placing his firm hand on my hip, effectively stopping me from taking any steps away from him.

I looked up at him and saw him smiling darkly down at me, his lips just next to my ear, "I really must insist, I think this will be perfect for you truly," he whispered quietly. My body felt very small and weak against his strong arm and grip...

"Please move your hand, I am not interested," I said firmly whilst looking directly ahead surveying my environment. There was a small enclosed garden, with a shady tree blocking almost all sight of the road in front. The garden was enclosed by a fence covered in a tall hedge and a small path leading to the driver's seat of his black BMW car. There wasn't a damn person in sight.

"My apologies," said this terrible man whilst he suddenly released his grip and returned to locking the door. Relief flooded my body and I stood in shock for a moment before quickly taking a step away. I heard the "ka-clunk" of the door lock and his slow step away from the property, I couldn't walk quickly enough away from this garden. I could see the street now and almost was past his car when my mind flooded with stress. There was a tight hand pressing over my mouth and nose, I couldn't breathe at all. I felt a warm body press up behind me and realised that he had one arm around my neck with his hand on my mouth and the other arm wrapped around my torso. I froze. I couldn't think. What the hell was happening?

I felt my body being picked up tightly and he walked past the back seat door, using one hand to open it up. He lifted me to lay on the back seat with his hand still tightly over my mouth and nose. My vision was getting blurry, his other hand was now tight on my throat. I weakly tried to lift my arms up to pry his hands away and I heard a distant chuckle followed by a voice saying, "I don't think so sweetheart". I fought to keep my eyes open but darkness was pushing in from all sides of my vision.