When I arrived at my front door, I still felt a little odd. Like, I rarely talked about my feelings like that. The thought made me uncomfortable.
I wasn't paying attention when I reached for the door but I was instantly alert when it swung wide open. It seems mom was in such a rush that she forgot to ensure it was actually locked. It definitely looked closed but what if someone else tried the door before I did? Anything was possible in my neighbourhood.
I walked in gingerly which was not easy considering my current limping situation. Tiptoeing around my house made me feel like I was a burglar. The thought made amused me and I stifled a laugh.
As I gazed as best as I could in the dark open concept living-kitchen-dining area, I could see nothing amiss. I really need to learn to relax. As I listened intently, all I heard was my own laboured breathing. If someone was here, I'm pretty sure my nostril at work puffing air as hard as an active volcano would have giving me away before I ever saw them.
It was dark. I didn't turn on the light since I did not want to startle someone dangerous. I knew were everything was and could skirt around the furniture with relative ease. I felt ridiculous standing in the dark.
The two bedrooms upstairs were the last places left to be checked. It was very silent and nothing seemed out of place so I got my breathing and heartrate under control.
Crash!
As I reached the top of the stairs, the sound of something falling hard echoed throughout the little apartment. I grabbed the broom and rushed downstairs, completely ignoring the growing pain in my left leg.
The culprit jumped through the open window.
"Stray cats! I can't stand them!" I thought overly annoyed.
I noticed then that it had kicked one of my mother's important dishes from the pantry. It had been my grandfather's before he died. None from it's set remained. It was the only one. Thankfully, it only lying there on the floor, not broken. I replaced it.
I limped slowly toward the couch. All the pain I was ignoring while playing detective came in full force. The couch welcomed my exhausted body. The room was considerably dark but I was way too exhausted to get up and switch the light on.
Clap clap!
That did not work. I was fooling around but also managed to scare myself a little as the clapping sound echoed within the quiet house.
The moonlight streaming in as it played with trees to make leave shadows would have to do.
My body calmed itself down as I rested in the couch.
I laid with my head below my feet as I hung the latter across the couch's armrest. My mother would not approve. As I dozed, I felt a tickling sensation at the base of my feet. My socks fell off and I felt a warm, wet, course material rub against the bare skin of my sore feet.
I reflexively pulled my legs into myself and opened my eyes to see a great big nothing in front of me. I was still alone. My exhaustion must be helping my mind play tricks on me.
I turned around to lay on my stomach, hugged a cushion with both hands and screamed into it.
It may have been better to rest upstairs. I followed the thought with action. My went back upstairs, leaving the broom downstairs as I did so. I walked directly into my room.
Wait, didn't I close my door this morning. I usually did to prevent my mother's accidental intrusion. I couldn't remember. I closed it behind me.
Click.
That's when I heard my mother's voice downstairs.
"Gregory, why didn't you close the front door? Where are you?"
I froze.
My mother is to be at work for at least another two hours. Still, I couldn't felt panicked beyond reason, choked up even, and I did not know why.
I could hear her footsteps coming upstairs. They were loud, and very unlike my mother who walked swiftly and quietly as though she had a personal cloud.
"Answer me boy!"
She was angry, very angry. I couldn't imagine why and my mother would never speak to me like that.
The whole time, I had my back against the door. I started hyperventilating a little. I bolted the door from inside for good measure. I don't know why I did that but she heard it.
Immediately she banged on my door.
"Gregory, open this door!" She demanded
I was about to respond when a shadow moved by the window. There is no leave that size.
"Aren;t you going to open the door, Spaz?" came a sinister soft voice from the direction of the window. I had not gotten a chance to turn on the light.
"Trisha, what are you doing here! How did you get into my room?"
Between my 'mom' randomly raging outside and Trish burglarizing my room, nothing made sense in that moment. How long had she been in here?
I felt overly excited. My heart raced. It felt as though I was drowning. The whole room started spinning and I fell to the floor. I went in and out of consciousness as I grasped for air.
Tisha bent over me with talon's for nails. She waved them in my face. I saw it in slow motion.
"I don't know what my sister see in you."
All went black.