>The Greentext Archive

>be me
>worked maintenance for a high-end apartment complex in Denver
>not luxury exactly, but the kind of place young professionals drop money on to feel like they made it
>you know exactly the kind of place that I am talking about
>polished concrete, smart thermostats, lobby smelied like expensive candies 24/7
>most people stayed less than a year, nobody really settled in
>it was for those kinds of people
>good pay, easy work
>mostly spent my shifts fixing jammed garbage disposals and resetting smart locks people forgot the codes to
>weirdest call I ever got was for unit 412
>I remember it clear as day
>I mean, you'll learn quite quickly that there is a reason why I will never be able to forget what happened
>I got a request that came in through the work order system around 2 AM I think but it might not have been that exact time
>this is quite weird because residents usually went through security for emergencies, not maintenance
>i'm thinking wtf man why do I have to pick up the slack for other people
>ticket was one line "Unresponsive smell in 412. Tenant won't open door.
>no name, no attached contact info
>got flagged as high priority
>high priority?
>please tell me someone isn't dead in there
>that is definitely way too high above my pay grade
>was haif-asleep but protocol says health risk means we have to check
>drag myself in, thinking maybe someone OD'd or had a heart attack
>hallway outside 412 smelled... wrong
>not exactly sure how to describe it
>not decay exactly, not sewage either
>thick, sour, metallic
>like copper and vinegar hanging in the air
>just lingering
>and it hit you hard when you walked into it
>knock a few timeson the door but I got no response at all
>standard protocol says if no answer and a health risk is suspected, we can key in
>it's very very rare that you get to do this
>it usually never happens so it's already something strange for me
>it was my first time
>use my override, door unlocks smooth
>lights already on inside