Aparment of 1230

 I woke up and felt the warmth of the sun and my cat on my face. Jane often liked sleeping on my head. I turned my head to look at the fading white paint on my wall, 
‘I really need to repaint everything one day’ the thought popped into my head.   
Getting out of my comfy over padded queen sized bed, I picked up Jane to look out the big windows that were adjacent to my bed, I looked out into the street, and there weren’t many people around.  I started looking around the room next to the windows sat my old red chair with my small bookcases surrounding it, There were several platforms on this book nook, for my cat. Scanning the room even more I found my dresser set and next to it was a coffee table and a huge mirror. My stomach rumbled, and I moved through my empty hallway to the living room. Looking at the two open doors that were on my way to the living room, one was my office, and the other was Tessa’s old room. The living room was lively, bookcases filled with family photo albums; pictures of my family, weddings, graduations.

We had a fireplace in which there were more pictures prompted against. 
“Meeeoooow” Jane meowed. 
“oh alright Jane, let’s get you something to eat”. 
We headed into the kitchen, which was a fading yellow color, it was small and none of the appliances were new. Walking into the pantry I picked up an oatmeal can and a cat tuna can. I opened both of them up, cooking my meal first, after I got a warm steaming bowl of brown sugared oatmeal, I grabbed Jane’s food bowl with the tuna, and set it out side on our small porch, there were plants covering the porch, but there was just enough room for two chairs and a small table to be set, there were bird feeders and humming bird feeders attached to a makeshift wood pole sticking out of the railing. 
“I remember when my husband made that, the kids were so excited to make new animals friends, It looks like it needs a repainting, maybe I should ask if Arthur would like to help me repaint everything".
I looked at Jane, then to the sky, pondering of when they would be free to do such a thing.

A Shopping Cart Brunch.

It was eleven o'clock and Elsie had a brunch date with her friend and boss Linda, they were meeting at the Paigeman. They met outside the diner. From Elsie's knowledge, the diner had been there ever since the apartments had been built. The Buildings were twins, matching of bricks. There was shrubbery outside, along with large decorated pots of flowers in a line by the door. It was getting chilly, and of course the fog from the storm last night wasn't helping. Elsie stood by the Paigeman waiting for Linda. Riding a blue bike, Linda rode up to the corner, greeted her friend with a smile, while she locked her bike onto a nearby tree. After welcoming each other, they walked together to the inside of the diner. "Hello There Ladies" said a voice ahead of them. It was Alex Brommer the man who was the owner of the Paigeman, Standing behind a counter reading a newspaper.  
"Take a seat wherever". 
We sat down at a booth by the window, and were handed two huge breakfast menus. While looking at the menus we gathered in some small talk.
"So have you been working on anything new for the upcoming holidays Else?" said Linda.
"Yes, actually I have been, you'll see them soon enough. It will have something to do with our annual Pumpkin Man".
"Oh, right I forgot about that, well I suppose we'll just have to wait and see for your surprises"
"Yes, you will, Linda. So how is Bria-"
"Can I take your orders now?" an obviously annoyed teenager waitress asked.
"Yes, I will take an order of the sunny day breakfast number two" said Linda,
"and I'll have the fruit pancakes and grits" Elsie said.
There was a ring of a bell from the door, 
"Welcome to the Paigeman" the staff said.
 In walked through the door was a scruffy looking man in a long black coat.
"Is that all?" the waitress asked.
"Yes" we both answered.
As Linda and Elsie were talking about their families, the scruffy looking man was asked by Mr. Brommer "Can I help you with something?". 
"Ye..ees.." the man replied.
In a swift movement he held a gun to Alex Brommer's head. There were gasps around the diner from everyone. Everyone looked at the man with horror. The man had a face of anger, and his eyes were bloodshot. 
"T-TH-THERE I-IS .... A SH-SH-OPPING C-CART!!!" He yelled.
"A SH-SH-OPPING C-CART!!" he yelled again while forcing the gun on Brommer's Head. 
"Wait.. Wait.. Maybe we can help you... w-what's this about a shopping cart?" Brommer said.
"I-IN, T-THE GR-GR-GRAVE-Y-YARD!!!" the man screamed.
"W-Wait. I will help you.. I'll move the shopping cart"
"y-you'll, m-m-move... it?" the man whispered.
"Yes, I'll move it."Brommer replied.
 The man lessoned his grip, and Brommer followed him out of the Paigeman, towards the graveyard. Everyone was in shock until they both left the Paigeman, then they got out their phones to call the cops. There were sirens in minutes, and flashes of blue driving past them. They ran out of the Paigeman towards the cop cars, wondering and worrying about Alex. In the end they were each called in for questioning, and they were told they found the scruffy man digging up a grave with his hands and Alex's hands. The man then buried his own gun in the hole, and then proceeded to cry and ask Alex if he would push him around in the shopping cart. The cops then pulled up and found the man who escaped from prison that same day.

It was a Dark and Stormy Morning.

It was a Dark and Stormy Night; well actually it was the early morning of seven o'clock. Elsie, Tessa and Arthur were getting ready to move out the boxes from the apartment, and get them into the lobby. About two days ago Arthur arrived at his mother's apartment, to spend time with his sister and mother before he takes them to Juniper Tree College.

They walked around a lot, greeting Mr. Ling Ling, and meeting old family friends like Martha and her daughter Rosa who lived in apartment 802. It was moving day and Tessa was excited to be moving out of the town where she lived for all of her life.
"Alright Tess, Let's get moving with these boxes".
Arthur said while carrying at least three big boxes. Tessa grabs two boxes and starts to head out with her brother. Elsie holds the door open for Arthur and Tessa, while holding two suitcases. Elsie closes the door behind them, reminding herself that she should repaint the door. It was a faded red color, and one could see that the old color had been an ugly dull brown color; there was rusty numbers on the door that stated the apartment 1230. She walks towards the pair of elevators; Tessa and Arthur are already going back for their second round of boxes by the time Elsie gets there; she had grabbed the wrong suitcase, so she had to go back to get Tessa's suitcase. 
She walks down the very familiar hallway, the one she has lived by for so many years. It changed a lot over the years; the once white carpets were grey, dusty, and you could see that many years had worn it down. The light sky blue of the walls have turned to a light gray color due to the staff trying to use cheap paint over the old luxurious paint that had hugged the old walls. It smelled of mildew, and of dust. Someone put a plug in scent sprayer on the wall. Trying to mask the scent, using the scents of Coconut and Pina Colada.  As she walked she could hear the raindrops on the building, and the occasional thundering outside.  Turning the corner, she hears a curious sound. Its one of the elevators, It has an ‘Out of Order’ sign on it. Elsie could clearly tell why. There was a pounding of buttons; the elevator buttons make a bell sound whenever you might push them. It sounded as if someone was pushing the buttons nonstop.  It was giving her a slight headache, and she tried to ignore it by going to the working elevator and started to put everything on the elevator, so they could start loading things into the car. Tessa and Arthur come back and forth, and soon enough all of the boxes are in the elevator. They go down to the lobby, and pull out all the boxes, and put it in a stack by the lobby sitting area. They wait until Arthur goes and gets the car from O’Leary’s parking lot.  Arthur takes quite a while to get back, but when he did, he drives a medium sized van in front of the apartments.
“Sorry it took so long, the road was blocked by a couple cop cars, they said the CVS had been broken into.” said Arthur, through the window.
“Oh, dear. well let’s hope they catch who ever did it, but now we have to load up the van” replied Elsie.  So they loaded up the van, carrying the boxes, and organizing them, wearing bright yellow ponchos so not to get wet, seeing the average staff person loafing around. When everything was in the van, nice and neat and ready to go, Tessa and Elsie went back up to apartment 1230. So Tessa could say goodbye to the place she had lived all her life. Remembering the crowded but happy life she had when her father was still alive, when she shared a room with her sister, and when she sword-played with her brother. She remembers when the red door was slightly brighter. Hugging her Mother, she takes her last remaining items; her backpack, the last box of books, and the small painting her Grandmother painted for her of her family. Tessa heads down stairs, but Elsie remains to re-check everything to make sure everything is downstairs. She looks everywhere, in Tessa’s old room, the living room, the Tessa’s bathroom, the kitchen. In the last room; the office, Elsie spots Tessa’s favorite tote bag; with a picture of ten cats all wearing funny hats. So she picked it up, and brought it down stairs. Tessa only said her journals were in there so it felt too heavy to be just her notebooks, but she went down anyways. Putting the tote bag down, she hugs her daughter in the lobby. They both start to tear up, and Arthur joins in on the hugging. They hear a rustling, and turn to see Jane, running towards a young man, who had a cut on his jaw. Before Jane jumped on him, Elsie ran to grab her. Once she did Jane began to meow loudly. 
“I’m so sorry, young man, Jane is usually very friendly to everyone, she has never jumped at anyone before”. “Well Tessa, looks like Jane was trying to follow you to college” Arthur said, and began to laugh. 
“Well, it’s alright now, I've got her, now come and give me one last hug before you go on your way” They gave their Mother another huge hug, with Jane meowing in the middle. Tessa and Arthur get in the van, Elsie speaks to them through the window.
“Now, I’m sorry I can’t go with you again, but I have to go help at Cake Cubed, Anna has already been covering for me, plus I’m the main patisserie. If I miss anymore days we will be late for orders, and I’m already late for today.”
“I know Mom, It’s alright” “I know, I know, but you will phone me everyday right, and I’m sure you’ll be fine you've got your brother, and your sister once she comes back from studying abroad.” Elsie said. “Yeah, Mom, I know, we can also video chat too, you remember the day I taught you, right?”,
“Yes, Tessa, I do, now we’ll see each other at Thanksgiving, I love you, Take good care of her, Arthur."
“Will do, Mom,” Arthur replied. 
“I love you too Mom, and I’ll see you then, I love you too Jane” Tessa blew both of them a kiss.
“Ok, see you later Mom” Arthur started the car and drove off. 
I hugged Jane to my chest, and went back upstairs, to drop off Jane and get my bag. Walking to the bakery, which was right next to the Chain of Bishop's Businesses, I thought of when I went off out into the world, and wondered if that was how Tessa is feeling. Off into the real world, feeling a little bit scared, but hugely excited for the next step of her life.
Cake Cubed was a newer building than most, much older than the angelic ‘CVS’. She walked in, hearing the familiar 'ding' of the bell above the door.
“Welcome!” ,“Hello Linda, sorry I’m late for today”, 
“It’s alright Elsie I know you were helping Tessa move out today, but we still have a list of what you have to prepare for today, Brian has already made some of it, but he left the rest for you ” said Linda, 
“Okay, I’ll get started on it.” I walked in the locker room, put on my uniform, went to the kitchen, and started on the rest of the list for the day.

Good Morning

The day started at ten thirty, quite late for the usual early bird Elsie But the night earlier she was helping her daughter Tessa comply a list of things she was going to be taking for college, and her daughter was having trouble on thinking on what to take. So they stayed up and called her other children, her eldest Arthur H. James-Hart, the Third, and the middle child Lucia K. James-Hart. Arthur who was driving his visit to his family this week, answered and told them the basics of what she would need during dorm and school life. Which helped them get some things sorted out. They also called Lucia but all she had to offer was what would be most cheap to buy for school supplies. So they went to bed at the late time of 11:50pm.

Elsie woke up at 10:30, already late for breakfast, she walked out of her cozy room and into her small run-down kitchen. She started to make Brunch for her daughter and herself. French Toast and Eggs, once she was done she knocked on Tessa’s door and called her to brunch.  “Good Morning Mom” Tessa said.
“Hello Hun” her mother replied. 
“Well this is really early, I’m eating breakfast, I haven’t done this since the last day of school...” 
“Yes, Well you’ll be waking up earlier soon enough” 
“Yeah, Mom, I know..” 
The classic tune of Claire de Lune started playing, Elsie got up from her seat at the table, and found Jane her 2 year old, White, American Curl cat sitting on her phone.