Story-A-Day #73: Out There

OUT THERE

The house creaked and moaned in the cold. She could almost feel the cool floorboards shifting beneath her feet, as though the entire house was about to slide off into the icy night.

The drapes by the window fluttered in the blasting heat of the forced air furnace, a shimmering specter in front of the window. She walked down the narrow hallway, past the photos of her family and friends that lined the walls, and into the washroom. She wasn’t optimistic, but she thought she would try the faucet again.

When she had returned from work around dinnertime, she realized that there was no water. She had called a maintenance crew immediately and they had arrived within a half hour, only to tell her that there was not much they could do. They had heated the pipes at the exterior intake, and followed the frosty lengths along as far as they could, but without tearing down walls and ceilings, they had reached an impasse.

Which was extremely unfortunate, because she really longed for a soothing soak in the tub. She had cranked the thermostat up as high as it would go, and hoped that that would do the trick. A loud cracking sound echoed through the house again, and she flinched.

She went back into the bedroom to change into something a little more comfortable. It was over 30 degrees Celsius in the house now and her tights and bulky sweater were a bit much. She slid into a pair of shorts and a halter-top and started back towards the bedroom door. She paused, the doorknob just out of reach, and glanced back towards the bedroom window.

The drapes fluttered softly in the hushed whisper of the furnace. The house cracked again and an involuntary yelp of surprise slipped from her mouth.

She quickly crossed the bedroom and paused at the window. She gathered her wits and gingerly parted the drapes.

He was still standing there, an ominous shape illuminated ever so slightly by the lamppost that glowed in her yard. He had been out there for over three hours now, standing motionless, clearly unperturbed by the freezing temperatures.

She let the drapes drift back together and made her way out to the washroom again. She would try the faucet one last time, despite the fact that she already knew it was turned to the on position, then call the police; and possibly a plumber. She couldn’t go much longer without water.

She braced herself, then made her way to the small bedroom down the hall that she had turned into an office. She picked up the phone and waited for the dial tone.

The man might not be a threat; had not made any movements towards the house, or any threatening gestures, but it was still disconcerting knowing that there was someone out there watching her house. Besides, it was not safe to be out in weather like this. She would call the police and put an end to this madness once and for all.

She was about to dial the first number when the phone went dead.