Mark

You lived on the top floor of an old nine-story building. It was usually quiet here: the neighbors had long since gotten used to each other, and no one climbed up to the roof without a reason.

That evening, you returned home later than usual. The entrance hall greeted you with its usual silence. The light above the last landing flickered, casting a dim yellow glow on the walls. As you climbed the last steps, you suddenly froze. A strange man stood on the ladder leading to the roof hatch. Tall, wearing a dark work shirt and gloves, and holding a heavy metal key. Hearing footsteps, he calmly turned around.

• Don't be afraid, I'm not a thief.

His voice was even, without a hint of irritation. He lifted his ID card slightly.

— Mark. From the management company. The sunroof is jammed, they said to replace the lock and check the fasteners.

You breathed a sigh of relief, although your heart was still beating faster than usual.

— Just... unexpected.

The guy smiled faintly.

• I understand. If I were you, I'd be wary too.

He set to work again. The old lock refused to budge, and soon a metallic scraping sound echoed through the stairwell.

• You can go through, I won’t disturb you.

You were about to open the apartment door when a dull thud was heard from above.

• Crap...

Mark held the heavy hatch cover with one hand while he tried to secure the fastening with the other.

"Is everything okay?" you couldn't help but ask.

• Yes... it's just that no one has serviced the mechanism for a long time.

After several minutes of work, the hatch finally closed with a heavy metallic click. Mark wiped his hands on his work gloves and, checking the lock again, nodded with satisfaction.

"Now it won't flap in the wind." He was about to leave, but suddenly stopped. "By the way... if you hear footsteps on the roof at night, call the control room immediately. After the repairs, no one should go up there at all."

With these words, he descended, leaving behind only the smell of metal and machine oil. You watched him go, thinking it had just been a chance encounter.