I can't believe... number seven.

Come to the roof at sundown. There's something you should see.
That's all the note said that I found pushed under my door when I came home from going to Maria's Panderia for some bread. I could tell from the note that it was Ethan. I've seen his handwriting on the check he gives me for rent. "Good, now maybe he can let me know why he's always on my roof every night."
//
Sunset.
I walked up the narrow stairs to the roof access door and pushed it open with little effort. There was Ethan, perched on the edge of the roof, his back to me, a cigarette hanging from his lips.
"I see you got my note."
"What the hell is this?"
"You didn't read the note? How rude."
"Of course I read the note!" I fished it out of my pocket, crumpled and torn on the edge now. "Come to the roof at sundown. There's something you should see. So, what? What should I see, besides you trespassing on my roof? What I should do is call the cops." I thought of Rocco Statone and knew he wouldn't be too much help - always busy chasing down little Braxton for his lemonade. Poor kid.
Ethan got up slowly and turned toward me. "Call them. Tell them you have another jumper."
I felt the blood run from my face. Another. Not another. There have been so many already. Each one of them came up here, sat on the edge, and thought about it for days on end. They always jumped in the end. I always assumed they were just depressed, I mean, how could they not be in this neighborhood. But this being the seventh... Seven is too many to link to just ordinary depression.
"Is this the third, fourth?" Ethan asked, a smile on his face.
"Seventh." Seventh. How could it be seven...
"Seven..." Ethan threw his still lit cigarette over the side of the building and watched it fall the thirteen stories to the bottom. "That's a pretty big number. One or two, they could have been depressed, touched in the head. Three, four, five, maybe even six, you can dismiss that. That's average for these parts. But seven? Someone's bound to get suspicious, don't you think?"
I can't believe what he is saying. Seven. A big lump formed in my throat and I tried to swallow it. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Ethan smiled, touched his head, and bowed. He raised his arms and looked me straight in the eyes. "Goodbye, Mr. Day." His body fell backwards and off the roof; I lunged after him, but i knew it was no good. So I just watched, mouth open, as his body disappeared past the ledge of the roof. I fell to my knees, and dug my hands deep into the gravel of the roof top.
"Fuck!" This is the seventh one. The seventh. How the fuck do I explain this? What just happened? He is seventh.
I waited on the roof. Waited to hear the final scream or the crunch of human bones hitting hard concrete thirteen stories below. Neither came. All I heard was the pounding of my heart in my ears and the sound of a distant trumpet blowing a long single note. I wondered what the world was coming to. A man can jump from a roof while people ride carnival rides down the street. Screams of horror erupted from my throat while screams of joy come from the garish rides at the carnival. I don't understand what's wrong with this world.
I exhaled, having held my breath since the jump. I let the gravel slide through my stiff fingers and stood. I turned and walked slowly to the open door that leads to the narrow stairwell.
Seven. Not number seven.
//
Next morning. I can't believe he was number seven. I figured I would go down to console the macaroni kid (I should really learn his name. I think it was something like Saul I think... Sam maybe? I think that's it.) I got downstairs and was about to knock on the door of apartment 115, I heard some talking through the door. It was Ethan. Ethan. Number seven. What the fuck is going on here? He definitely jumped off the roof last night. There's no way I just dreamed that. I reached in my pocket, the same pants I was wearing yesterday (I was too freaked out to change clothes). I felt around for the note, but found nothing.
What the hell is going on here?
As soon as I took a breath, the talking stopped. I heard Sam, "Ethan? Why won't you just answer my-"
What the hell just happened?

He's out there somewhere

Shit. I don't even know how he got away. Edna told me he was on the roof top, walking around tonight, but he was no where to be seen when I got up there.
//
Edna came down to my room and knocked on the door, telling me that Ethan was on the roof again and I had to come on and get up there to catch him in the act. We ran up the stairs, I following on her heels, as she had her keys at the ready (she made me leave my apartment too quick for me to grab mine.) I threw open the door when I got there, but Ethan was nowhere in sight on the roof. I checked the shadowy edges of the air conditioning unit, but I couldn't find the bastard.
"I thought you said he was up here."
Edna shrugged. "He was."
"What the hell was he doing this time?"
She shrugged again. "Couldn't tell."
"Next time you catch him up here, call me, don't leave to get me. Just wait up here and watch, make sure that little shit doesn't move... Got it?"
I closed the door with a bang, and walked down the steps. I don't know what that idiot was doing on the roof at this time of night, but I'm gonna find out. One way or another, I'll find out.

I hear happy sounds. I don't get it.

What are these sounds I hear outside today? Sounds like... music playing. I can see that it's a carnival. Lights. Colors. Smiles. Something unexpected in this town. Maybe I should go check it out later. I need to send Edna Nox around though to check for leaks (and any good news) in the apartments though. I also need to go by Altan's apartment to make sure he knows that he owes rent. Poor man. I know he is trying his hardest to make it through, but I can't just let people go around not paying rent; that would make me look bad.
//
Since it wasn't raining out I decided to take a walk. I needed to get out of that building, I was getting claustrophobic. I walked around back and noticed a box of creamer on the ground. I looked up to try to find out where it came from, but all the windows on this side of the building were closed now. I kicked it once and kept walking, passing by a homeless man looking vainly at himself in a puddle from the previous day's rain (that was weird...) while his dog rested contentedly on a broken down cardboard box.
//
I took a stop in at Jorri Rae's to grab a bite to eat before heading to the carnival. Not too crowded this afternoon, but the service was still somehow a bit slow.
//
Crossed the street and went past the library to get to the back parking-lot where the carnival was. As I wandered around between the booths and rides I couldn't help but notice how happy some of the people were. Apparently you can buy happiness. As well as the chance to laugh at the "freaks" in the little trailers parked here. I saw a guy walking by with an animal mask on. Must have left the "freak show" to take a break and grab some of the rotten carnival food. Weird thing was, it looked like he was carrying a bat. Maybe it's just an extra arm they glued on him to bring in the cash. I thought I saw a handful of tenants (the new girl, Alex - and I think she was hanging out with Ethan's new roommate, that macaroni guy, whatever his name is; if she was, that kind of ruins my gay theory a little) tonight, enjoying themselves on the rides. Maybe I'll try one of them out.
//
I tried out the Ferris wheel - it seemed the most tame of the rides. I stopped by the fortune teller on the way out, but she just shook her head at me, and lit a new cigarette, so I headed home, having had enough of the carnival for the evening.