(This is a short story I wrote a while back and I've just about finished with sprucing it up, plan on including this version in Continuum which is coming soon.)
Tap! Tap!
The noise awakened him from a deep sleep
and that wonderful dream he was having. What a nice one it was too with that
brunette who was so damned hot! The two of them had been making love on the
deck of the boat while they were sailing along. The sun, the waves, the wind
all seemed so real and perfect. I wish that
would have really happened! He smiled to himself as his reverie still captivated
his thoughts. Even better, in the dream he didn’t have any gray hair!
Tap! Tap!
Hearing the sound again caused him to sit
up on the queen sized bed and look around the room. Everything in the bedroom
looked just like they did earlier in the day except for the shadows. Even the
hallway looked the same that was visible through the glass panels in the French
doors. I really need to get some curtains for those soon. That was
something he now remembered the realtor had mentioned as he became sentient. During
the weeks of waiting for the closing it was one of those things that didn’t
seem all that important. Somehow, they went from looking charming to something
that was now rather disturbing with that appliqué spider web he decorated one
of them with.
Getting up Josh went to the window and
put his hands on the sill so could look out. There wasn’t much to see, the
driveway between the two houses. The late fall chill was very noticeable as it
transferred through the glass into his fingertips. This is the first night in the
new place. I'm sure I'll get used to this house. Now what in the hell is making
the noises that’s woken me tonight? Heading back to bed he heard the noises behind him again.
Tap! Tap!
The hair on his arms and the back of his
neck stood on end and his skin felt prickly. This is definitely getting on my nerves. Rousing himself from the
bed he made his way over to the window once again. An eerie feeling came over
him and caused his stomach to churn. Just before he reached the window he heard
the sound once again.
Tap! Tap!
Pulling the curtain back he peered out of
the window. Observing the branch blowing back and forth and hitting the
casement eased his concerns. Relief flooded in as he breathed a heavy sigh while
he stood there watching it move. Letting the curtain fall back down he headed
back to bed once more. Sitting down on the edge of the bed the tension he felt twisted
within. His stomach wasn’t calming down and trying to will it to ease just
wasn’t working.
Tap! Tap!
His ears located where the sound was
coming from this time. Groaning, he rose to his feet and stepped over to the
window to look out again. Man, this is really getting tedious!
Pulling back the curtain this time he was
seeing some kind of glowing ball that was floating along. It faintly lit the
concrete of the driveway and the light fog. His attention was riveted as he
watched it floating by. He wanted to go out to touch it but yet was frozen in
amazement. Slowly, it moved along to the garage door and then disappeared over
the six foot high privacy fence.
Josh stood there gazing out a few minutes
to see if anything else would happen but nothing did. It seemed to him the mystery
was now solved as he headed back to bed. Lying down, he pulled the covers over
himself and fell into a dreamless sleep for the rest of the night.
Waking to a bright shining morning the
events of the evening were still fresh in his mind. Dressing quickly he went
out to the driveway past the plastic molded pumpkin by the door. He ran to
where the glowing orb went over the fence last night. Peering over it to the
other side he now could see something that he hadn't noticed when he looked at
the house. Why didn't I see those before? Row upon peaceful row of head
stones greeted his vision. The cemetery was beautifully accented by the fall
colors of the trees edging it. The unpleasant realization hit him that he might
get a few more rather unwelcome visitors if he continued to live here.
Why did I have to move in just before
Halloween? Is it too late now to get out of that damned contract I signed the
other day?!
The End
Excellent ending.
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