It had been hot lately and, in exchange for roughing it during the day with fans and minimal clothing, I kept the ac all night while I slept. That way, in the mornings when it was still cool, the ac would help to cool down the house. I had gotten used to the sound, a sort of tremble of an engine running down, only for it to start back up a few minutes later.
But it didn't. It just stopped as well as everything else. All sounds ceased, pulling me out of sleep. I can't sleep in dead silence. I enjoy silence at all hours of the day while I'm awake, but dead silence at night didn't sit well with me. There was too much space for my mind to run free with. Nothing in my room had a reflection or sliver of light from the neighbor's porch light. I peeked through the blinds to find my whole neighborhood pitch black. Houses simply looming on the other side, blending into the fir trees behind them, drawing away with a shape of a house and being sucked back into the abstract lines against the sky. The sky wasn't as dark as the street. It was a dusty purple color and a few stars set up there radiantly. The whole scene was eerie to say the least.
I grabbed my flashlight I kept hanging on my door and checked the back bedroom window. My neighbors on that side had come out and lounged on their backyard furniture, chatting poolside in their robes. It didn’t look like a bad idea. By this time of day, the temperature was sure to be pleasant, fresh even. I decided to go outside. I found my shoes and stuffed my house keys in my pocket.
It was quite a relief from the stuffiness that was creeping in my house. I debated opening the windows in my house, but I wondered if the air would seep in quick enough or if the power would be replaced sooner than the effort of opening the windows only to close them. I walked to the edge of my driveway and looked down the street. Nobody was out as far as I could see – probably still asleep or hanging out with flashlights. The street stretched more than in the daytime. A darkly strip cutting through rows of houses, sometimes splitting off into other directions. An emergency light was glowing at the north end of the street. I was curious to see how many people were still driving about, if they had pulled over when the lights went out or if they winged it. A little action was happening further down the main street where the blackout hadn’t hit but that yellow light was casting a sickly glow on the decorative walls lining the block. I looked down at my hand’s that were now tinted mustard yellow and grimaced. I was glad no one was could see my expression.
I heard some leaves crunching and for once, I had hoped it was the stray cat that adopted our street. I like animals, but she always hung around my front yard, looking pitiful so that I would give her food. Low and behold, she was sitting on her hind legs behind me, staring up at me. She tilted her head and raised her pay, making a swinging motion with it. I scoffed at her and bent down to pet her. She purred loudly while I scratched under her fin, her head leaning forward to make more room her pampering. Even in a blackout, she was hustling people. She glanced back quickly and ran away from me towards my house. I guess she was a sign that I should go. I’m glad I heeded her warning.
I looked down the empty street once more when I saw him. If that was what I saw. He was just standing there, directly across from me with his flashlight pointing down. What unfortunate luck they had, I thought at the time, since that street seemed even darker as though not even the stars were gracing the residents with bits of light. I don’t know why I kept staring. His shirt stuck to him but I couldn’t make out what caused it. He was wearing black so no doubt the heat had started a number on him, drenching him in sweat.
It felt wrong to be outside any longer and I couldn’t shake the discomfort of fear setting in. I reached for a sweater that wasn’t there to cover me, to hide me from whatever it was that stewing in my mind. My house didn’t feel as far from the corner when I had first come out but now the walk seemed to stretch forever. I glanced behind me. The man was still standing there at the corner, even though I saw him turning to head down the street. I quickened my pace until I finally got to the white wooden fence surrounding my house. The cat was waiting in my front yard, purring and curling her tail next to the bench under the tree. I felt myself smile. It was any kind of contact. I looked over my shoulder once more but the corner was deserted. I can’t say it was full on relief that the tension I had felt in my shoulders had eased up. But next came my stomach dropping. The man figure wasn’t on the opposite street corner because he had made it up ahead, past a few houses. Had somehow gotten passed me without being seen until he was ready for his big reveal. Had somehow merged into the shadows like the houses merged into the trees but broke away at the last moment, still pointing his flashlight down.
The cat meowed and pranced to the front door, pacing for me to go inside. I reminded myself to give that cat a treat when morning came. It was saving my life and I hadn’t even realized it. I slipped my hand in my pocket as I made the first few steps towards my door, steadying the keys to prevent them from clinking in the silent street, completely devoid of bugs buzzing or cricket chirps. I unlocked my door, took a full view of the outside and stepped in. It was the first time I had locked my top lock in a while.
The stray had slipped in but I hadn’t minded. She stood at my refrigerator and I wondered how much one could see from my sliding door. I poured her some milk to which she lapped up gratefully. I checked the front window to see if anything had changed. No sign of the mystery man. Maybe he got bored. That was what I told myself at the time, it helped me cope better. I sat in the living room to wait out the blackout. Every so often, I’d check the windows but things were just fine – I was making it out more than it was. A little less than an hour later, the cat was pawing at the sliding door and I went to inspect. This cat was turning into Lassie and she didn’t have to tell me twice to move to action. I moved aside a few of the long blinds. I saw that my neighbors were regaining power and had begun moving back inside. The cat stood up, clamoring intently at the glass. I tried to move her away but she stood up and continued. Again, I felt that fear prickling at me and I wished I was already back in my bed, under the covers. It would be soon. I heard my refrigerator begin humming again. I squinted at my backyard and how dark it was. The AC kicked back on. Something wasn’t right with this scene. The cat hissed. I realized something was blocking part of the fence. My view of the fence. The outside light flickered on. On the ground directly beyond the glass was a concentrated circle of light from a flashlight.
He didn’t move once more. He just stood there with against the glass. I could only faintly make out his features – somehow he was still shrouded in darkness even with the lights on. Shadows didn’t fall like that. Certainly not when the shadows are coming from the object. He stayed there until dawn. I watched him. He had long since turned the flashlight off but he kept it downcast at his side. The cat had fallen asleep in my lap. I guess her job wasn’t to protect me per se but to warn me. I like keeping her around.
I haven’t seen the man since the blackout. Sometimes when I’m outside or near my window, I think I catch a glimpse of a figure a little ways away. But never that close to the house. It hasn’t been dark enough for that to happen. I’ll be okay though. I saw him. The police never found who had murdered those people on the other street, the unfortunate bunch, but I’ll be ready this time.
Submitted August 17, 2015 at 09:32AM by MsRedByrd http://ift.tt/1DWI28V nosleep
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