The desert sun never truly touched the place. A massive yellow-stained apartment complex sat in the middle of nowhere, its halls dim and lined with cobwebs, paper bats, and jack-o’-lanterns that burned without ever going out. Every day was Halloween here. Children in ragged costumes wandered the courtyard, knocking on doors with their chants of “trick or treat,” while the Caretaker’s broom scraped slowly across the cracked tile. From the rooftops, a small black bat circled, keeping watch for anyone bold enough to test the gates. Inside, the air carried the smell of candle wax and dust, as if time itself refused to move forward.