It was raining again and Becca's forehead was still dripping with sweat. She had told the landlord about her heater being stuck five too many times but nothing had been done to fix it. Typical. She put her forehead against the glass of her window and felt a cool shiver course down her spine. Much better.
“I can't take this anymore.” Becca sighed as she reached over to grab her coat and said a goodbye to the calico cat lounging on the back of the couch. Becca darted down the stairs, not wanting to get trapped in the ancient elevator. The heel of her shoe caught on the last stair, sending her tumbling forward when suddenly she felt something wrap around her arm, holding her upright so she didn't face plant on the cement flooring. Gasping in an attempt to catch her breath, Becca turned to face the stranger who had kept her and realized it was her next door neighbor.
“Are you alright?” He asked with a warm smile as he let go of her arm and placed his hand back in his pocket.
“Yes, thank you.” Becca said with a blush, embarrassed about falling in front of him.
“Are you going to the Anderson's Halloween supper tonight?” He asked, referring to the dinner that their landlord and wife were hosting though his eyes lingered over Becca's frame.
“I don't think so.” Becca said. “But I have an errand to run so I'll see you around.” She added lamely in an excuse to get away. The man only nodded before turning to go towards his apartment as Becca continued her jog downstairs.

The streets were freezing which was a comforting change from the furnace that was her apartment but the sidewalks were empty, something that was rare for Halloween. Maybe the trick or treating came later? She pondered as she continued to walk.
Suddenly a dash of black, orange, and white shot across the barren street and over Becca's feet which sent her backwards into a rather large puddle of water. “Oh come on.” She protested as she examined her now soaking jacket and pants as she stood up. Following the blur into the alley Becca could hardly see a foot in front of her but she trudged onwards in an aimless quest.
A few homeless men shouted obnoxiously to Becca as she moved on but she continued on without glancing in their direction, not wanting to provoke them. Soon she approached a dumpster near the opposite end of the alley and heard a faint scratching sound. With her clothes still stuck against her frame, Becca peered over to see a calico cat that looked startlingly like her own scratching at a small black door with peeling paint chips on the ground.
Without thinking twice Becca reached over and opened the door so that the cat could get inside. Being as curious of a person as she was Becca peeked inside the door and saw that it was a rundown kitchen of a restaurant that must have gone out of business years ago.
She stepped inside and found a few kitchen towels piled in the corner and began patting down her backside in a fruitless attempt to dry her clothing. But it was to no avail and she decided to poke around some more.
It was a small dream of her's to own a restaurant someday and maybe this place would be a good home for such a dream. Granted she would have to put a lot of money into redecorating...
The floor tiles were cracked and stained with tar-like pools of black and the wallpaper hung in strips. The counters however were savable except for a quick dusting. She happily noted that there were drawers full of nearly unused utensils and a full set of knives were hanging on the wall next to what looked like an office door.
Becca entered the door of the office where a litter of newborn kittens had been safely nested inside a knocked over trashcan. This must have been what the cat was looking for... She mused and bent down to give each kitten a small pet on the head. They meowed their appreciation before she stood up and made her way back into the kitchen.
Was it her eyes or had there been a full knife set here before? Now it appeared as though two knives had gone missing from the wall but Becca though nothing of it. She hadn't heard anyone and this place was clearly old. Maybe she was just tired.
Making her way to the opposite side of the room Becca saw a locker room where employees probably hung their coats, especially in rain storms like this one... She thought as a crack of thunder rumbled overhead. Looking through the lockers, Becca found the calico cat from earlier curled up in the beneath an untouched wool coat.
“Hey there, kitty.” She smiled as she bent down. “Did you see your babies?” She asked as she petted beneath the collar of the cat with a shocked gasp. That was her cat's collar with her information printed on a silver tag. How had she gotten out? Becca had locked the door before she left and all of the windows were painted shut.
“Jenks?” She asked softly as she crawled forward towards her cat who had yet to move. “JENKS!” She yelled though there was no response. Tears began to slide down Becca's cheeks as she gently shook her cat. “Jenks what happened to you?!” She yelled.
“Curiosity.” Came a menacing voice from behind as hands found their way around Becca's waist and shoulders, gripping her back with iron strength.
“NO! HELP!” Becca screamed though her voice became muffled by a damp kitchen towel she had used earlier.
Becca felt her hope diminish as duct tape wound around her body to contain her fighting back before the shadowy figure of a chef dragged her into the kitchen's basement she hadn't bothered to notice earlier.