The Intruder
By Elizabeth Bill
The sound of a creaking stair makes the woman's eyes snap open and she's suddenly alert and out of her deep sleep. Her ears strain in the darkness but she could hear nothing but the gentle hum and whir of the ceiling fan and the crickets chirping outside. She tries to urge herself to go back to sleep but something simply felt off. The silence seems to be too quiet as if even the walls are standing in anticipation.
"Baby?" she mutters as she shakes the man lying beside her. "Baby, wake up. I think something's wrong."
The man groans and rolls from his side to his stomach. He glances at the clock as he pulls the pillow over his head. The numbers glow blue in the darkness. "It's four in the morning. Go back to bed."
"There's something wrong. I can feel it."
"It's probably just dinner," the man groans into the pillow. "You know spicy food before bed always makes you sick."
Almost as soon as the words leave his mouth, the man begins to snore again and the woman lets loose an exasperated sigh. She rises out of bed and pads quietly to the bathroom to take some antacids and some water. She screws up her bravery and creeps catlike through the house, glancing in corners and under the table for an intruder she's no longer sure is there. For her peace of mind she checks the locks on the doors and finding everything secure she crawls back into bed and drifts back into a sound slumber.
The next morning the woman rises and shuffles sleepily to the bathroom. She blinks in confusion at the knife resting in the sink and the pink stains left on the porcelain from where blood was rinsed away.
"Baby?" she calls out in confusion. "Did you have a knife up here?"
Only silence responds.
"Baby?" she tries again as she walks back to her bedroom. She stops in the doorway, morning sunlight calling her attention to what she didn't see as she blinked the sleep from her eyes earlier, words scrawled across the wall in blood. Her eyes slide down to the bed and she lets out a scream before passing out.
"Always trust your instinct."
- - -
Elizabeth Bill is a teacher, avid reader, and self-professed nerd. She currently lives in Joliet, IL with her husband and cat.
By Elizabeth Bill
The sound of a creaking stair makes the woman's eyes snap open and she's suddenly alert and out of her deep sleep. Her ears strain in the darkness but she could hear nothing but the gentle hum and whir of the ceiling fan and the crickets chirping outside. She tries to urge herself to go back to sleep but something simply felt off. The silence seems to be too quiet as if even the walls are standing in anticipation.
"Baby?" she mutters as she shakes the man lying beside her. "Baby, wake up. I think something's wrong."
The man groans and rolls from his side to his stomach. He glances at the clock as he pulls the pillow over his head. The numbers glow blue in the darkness. "It's four in the morning. Go back to bed."
"There's something wrong. I can feel it."
"It's probably just dinner," the man groans into the pillow. "You know spicy food before bed always makes you sick."
Almost as soon as the words leave his mouth, the man begins to snore again and the woman lets loose an exasperated sigh. She rises out of bed and pads quietly to the bathroom to take some antacids and some water. She screws up her bravery and creeps catlike through the house, glancing in corners and under the table for an intruder she's no longer sure is there. For her peace of mind she checks the locks on the doors and finding everything secure she crawls back into bed and drifts back into a sound slumber.
The next morning the woman rises and shuffles sleepily to the bathroom. She blinks in confusion at the knife resting in the sink and the pink stains left on the porcelain from where blood was rinsed away.
"Baby?" she calls out in confusion. "Did you have a knife up here?"
Only silence responds.
"Baby?" she tries again as she walks back to her bedroom. She stops in the doorway, morning sunlight calling her attention to what she didn't see as she blinked the sleep from her eyes earlier, words scrawled across the wall in blood. Her eyes slide down to the bed and she lets out a scream before passing out.
"Always trust your instinct."
- - -
Elizabeth Bill is a teacher, avid reader, and self-professed nerd. She currently lives in Joliet, IL with her husband and cat.
0 Responses
Post a Comment
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
