Thumps sounded overhead, as if a block of lead had slipped off a low chair, landed on an edge, then had enough momentum to end up on its side. Heavy, slow, loud enough for Acute to glance up from his desk. He then heard several footsteps rush downstairs in the hall and half-expected someone to knock on the door to the apartment he and his siblings shared. Every other day they were getting some form of complaint about someone being too loud--- kids banging pots, the deep bass of a song, pets howling and squawking. The burden of apartment life.
THUD....THUD
The exact same two thuds... followed by footsteps running down the stairs. Acute waited for someone to knock, but again, no sound came from the door.
The Moon Rabbit stood from his desk and made his way to the living room, where he picked up the ring of keys for the floor above him. He then headed into the hall, yellow with low light. He listened again. Two thuds... footsteps. He hurried down the hall to the stairwell, grabbed the railing, swung around, expected to see someone barreling down the stairs.
No one.
The fur on Acute's body stood up straight. He took a deep breath, and against his better judgement, his instincts, both Boss Monster and Human, he headed up one step at a time. He envisioned the layout of his apartment downstairs, knew the sound was coming from right above his room, so he found the door that matched up to the apartment that should be his room's ceiling. He knocked.
No response. No footsteps towards the door, no one calling out for him to wait a moment, or telling him the door was unlocked and he could come in. Nothing.
He found the key to the door, unlocked the knob and pushed the door opened just a crack. "Hello. It's Acute," he called inside. "Is anyone here?"
He already knew the answer.
The apartment was empty, save for a distinct smell. Like iron mixed with damp soil. Who had lived here before? Acute couldn't remember, but he felt like he should be able to....
"Mr. Acute?"
His visible eye widen at the soft voice coming from the door. He whipped around to see a little girl peeking from around the threshold. He recognized her, one of the Humans from the last refugee wave.
"...Did you hear it, too?" she asked.
Acute stared for a moment. He often forgot that Human children could be sensitive to these things. "...Yes, I think so," he answered.
"It's not trying to get out," her voice was a whimper. "I think it's trying to get in."
"Is that so?" Acute questioned, turning back to the empty room, glaring at the darkest corners. "A tag-along of some sort? It doesn't really matter. I just hope you know your rent is already well overdue."