The lightning flashed in the sky, briefly illuminating the room through the tall windows, many paned, and bent on altering the shadows that seemed to crawl around the room as Bette and Tina walked across the creaking floorboards.

"Why in the world did you want to look at this creepy old warehouse?" Tina asked as she reached for Bette's hand. She swept the cobweb from her line of vision as she glanced around the high-beamed room with trepidation.

"I actually don't find it creepy," Bette replied, lost in her fascination with the space. "I think it has a lot of character. It's so different from what is typically available for lease in this city."

"It's what I always imagined a set from a horror movie would look like," Tina stated flatly. From the moment they drove up to the building, her intuition had been scratching at the edge of her subconscious, making her nervous about their presence here. "Are you sure it's not about to be condemned as unfit for human habitation?"

"You do like to be dramatic some days, don't you?" Bette said rolling her eyes. Tina would not have appreciated it had she caught that particular facial expression. "You're not usually anxious about things like this. What's got you on edge?"

"I read a couple of scripts this week that really got under my skin," Tina replied. "They weren't your typical slasher movies. They were more along the lines of a psychological thriller. Something that could actually happen. I think it just freaked me out a little."

"The realtor should be here soon, Tee," Bette said, trying to comfort her. "I'm sorry I didn't think to bring a flashlight, I thought he'd beat us here."

"I'm sure the rain is making it difficult for a lot of people to get around the city," Tina replied. Another flash of lightning streaked across the sky.

Tina gasped at the sight of someone standing at the top of the seemingly rickety stairwell they had only recently ascended.

The unknown visitor lit the flashlight that he held, obscuring their vision of him with the bright light.

"Mr. Strathmore?" Bette asked as she tried to shield her eyes from the intensity of light.

There was a pause before the gentleman in question turned the beam towards his own face, lighting his visage from beneath his chin.

"You must be Bette Porter. Sorry I didn't mean to startle you two," he said with a smile. "This place isn't quite as foreboding in the light of day. I apologize for the lack of electricity. I just received a message that someone vandalized one of the circuit boxes in the last 24 hours. It's going to make it hard to have a good look around."

"Great, another time then," Tina released Bette's hand and grasped her elbow to tug her toward their only exit. "We've got other things we can attend to this evening."

"No one is expecting us anywhere tonight," Bette said with a confused look on her face. "We might as well see what we can see while we're here." She turned toward a narrow hallway, barely visible with the light that was coming in from the full moon and streetlights. She separated herself from Tina's grasp and strode purposefully through the heavily beamed archway that lead to the hall in question.

"If no one is expecting you, we can certainly make the most of the time that's available to us," Mr. Strathmore quietly spoke to Tina as he passed her, keeping pace with Bette's intended direction.

Tina's eyes grew wide at what she could only describe as Bette's stupidity. Alone, in the warehouse district, surrounded by abandoned buildings, with a strange man touring them around a derelict squatter's den, Bette had seen fit to inform him that they 'weren't expected anywhere' that evening. The goosebumps on her flesh foreshadowed at least the bizarre, but possibly the menacing.

Tina was reticent to follow them down the dim corridor. She instead veered left into the wide room that preceded Bette's path deeper into the heart of the building.

She caught sight of an unusual shape lying flat on the floor against the far wall, surrounded by random pieces of wood and what appeared to be glass, reflecting what little light made its way into the room. As she neared, she became gradually more aware of what she was looking at. It was the shape of a human torso.

Her scream reverberated throughout the upper level of the building. Bette and Mr. Strathmore ran back to determine what had precipitated Tina's response.

He shone his flashlight into the corner where Tina stood transfixed by her own terror.

"Tee, it's an old dress form," Bette said, shocked at Tina's uncharacteristic reaction.

"It used to be a fashion design studio," Mr. Strathmore explained. "There are a few of these things around, along with some bolts of dust covered fabric."

"I think I'm just a little on edge," Tina said apologetically. "It's been a long week, and I've been reading too many horror stories lately."

"Do you want to go?" Bette asked. "If you're tired, perhaps it's just better if we head home and turn in early."

Tina felt as though Bette was being a bit patronizing with her tone.

"I'm not tired Bette," Tina replied curtly. "Finish seeing what you're able to see and then we'll be on our way."

"What's in that room?" Bette inquired, motioning to the opposite end of the loft like space. A doorway, just adjacent to the top of the stairs, blocked a good portion of the upper level.

"I think we need to save that for a return visit," Mr. Strathmore started. "It has not been adequately cleaned and does not yet reflect the quality I think this space has to offer."

A mouse chose that moment to scurry its way across the floor between them.

Tina's eyes followed it, first as it made its mad dash, and then as it worked its body between two boards in the wall. Random body parts in deserted buildings scared her. Mice did not.

"Was that a rat?" Bette asked, angry that the agent would think to show her a building that was infested by pests that could very well harm the very product she was hoping to showcase. She had made her requirements perfectly clear over the phone, and this was a clear violation.

"This building was examined within the last two weeks by the best exterminator in the city," he hurried to explain. "There was no evidence of any rodents or termites, and the structure of the beams is impeccable."

"So perhaps a family just got transferred in then?" Bette inquired sarcastically.

"Our firm will guarantee any agreement we come to under the terms of your lease," Mr. Strathmore explained. "There are things that can be done to virtually eliminate the possibility that any pests could invade this property."

"I would hold you to that Mr. Strathmore," Bette drew herself to her full height in establishing her bargaining position. "I think I do need to return in the light of day in order to make an adequate assessment."

"Bette, there are mice all over these old warehouses, you can't expect to be in an abandoned building and not see a rodent here and there," Tina said. Bette was having a meltdown over a mouse, when she should have been worried about this stranger guiding them around the twilight zone.

"I've seen enough this evening," Bette said. "I'll be in touch sometime tomorrow Mr. Strathmore."

She took a breath and regained her calm before addressing Tina.

"Are you ready?" Bette asked simply.

"Absolutely," Tina replied.