'The Other Tenant', a new short story, is out on Kindle
Just in time for the Easter holiday! For those with gruesome and grim tastes, a new short story is humbly plated up for you.
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The story was sparked by an old tenement building that I was shown recently. On the way up the stairs, the broker and I encountered a perfectly ordinary man in the narrow hallway and he flattened himself against the wall to let us pass. It led to me imagining a little story based on that simple act, making it into something quite horrible.
Many years ago, I worked in the office of a construction company and became interested in buildings and their structure. I always am fascinated by the architectural details of old houses and apartments. My grandfather had a house that had transom windows and (in the 1980s!) still had the old push button light switches and a coal furnace. I'm always happy to find glorious ruins, especially of Victorian era buildings. The cover photo for this webpage shows a glimpse of the condemned houses on Admiral Row in the Brooklyn Navy Yards, taken through the viewing panel on a construction fence. They have since been demolished for a Wegman's grocery store, since they were far beyond repair.
So, let me walk you through this old tenement building on the West side of Hoboken, and point out a few structural details of the days of yore. I hope you enjoy nibbling on this little treat...