Pieces
The fifth installment of my flash novella.
Pieces
The police spent hours questioning Sam, who could only talk in circles. He had not seen Mrs. White at all when he'd peered in her window, and had only seen a shadow in the direction of the woods. Sam was shaken and exhausted by the time the police had finished talking to him. He sat on the couch, his arms pulled tightly to his chest, staring into space. There was no sign of Mrs. White. It was as though she had just disappeared. He didn't notice when the sofa cushions suddenly buckled, not did he notice when the warm body of Ellis curled up next to him. He didn't notice when Ellis rested his head on Sam's knee, nor that time had ticked away well into the evening, and that his dad hadn't returned home.
All Sam did notice was how eerily similar his current situation was to that incident from his childhood. The image of the kitchen, empty but for a steaming mug, flashed between the image of Mrs. White's kitchen, empty but for the food, half-prepared. The two images melded together, but vanished suddenly when Sam felt something warm on his face. He looked around hurriedly, turning to the left, only to be greeted by Ellis' big brown eyes. Ellis whined and licked Sam's face once more before laying his head back in Sam's lap. Sam spent several minutes scratching behind the dog's ears before gently pushing Ellis from his lap and wandering upstairs.
He sat down on his bed and glanced out the window. He was about to close the blinds when he noticed another shadow, this time in his yard, darting in and out of the darkness toward an old house at the very edge of town. Sam's heart leapt into his throat.
Before he could rationally talk himself out of it, Sam was halfway down the stairs. He slid his shoes on, slung the front door open, and took off down the street in the direction of the house.
Part 4: Hurry Up
Full Length: The Ghost In My Room (fits in this order)
Part 6: Your Eyes
Pieces
The police spent hours questioning Sam, who could only talk in circles. He had not seen Mrs. White at all when he'd peered in her window, and had only seen a shadow in the direction of the woods. Sam was shaken and exhausted by the time the police had finished talking to him. He sat on the couch, his arms pulled tightly to his chest, staring into space. There was no sign of Mrs. White. It was as though she had just disappeared. He didn't notice when the sofa cushions suddenly buckled, not did he notice when the warm body of Ellis curled up next to him. He didn't notice when Ellis rested his head on Sam's knee, nor that time had ticked away well into the evening, and that his dad hadn't returned home.
All Sam did notice was how eerily similar his current situation was to that incident from his childhood. The image of the kitchen, empty but for a steaming mug, flashed between the image of Mrs. White's kitchen, empty but for the food, half-prepared. The two images melded together, but vanished suddenly when Sam felt something warm on his face. He looked around hurriedly, turning to the left, only to be greeted by Ellis' big brown eyes. Ellis whined and licked Sam's face once more before laying his head back in Sam's lap. Sam spent several minutes scratching behind the dog's ears before gently pushing Ellis from his lap and wandering upstairs.
He sat down on his bed and glanced out the window. He was about to close the blinds when he noticed another shadow, this time in his yard, darting in and out of the darkness toward an old house at the very edge of town. Sam's heart leapt into his throat.
Before he could rationally talk himself out of it, Sam was halfway down the stairs. He slid his shoes on, slung the front door open, and took off down the street in the direction of the house.
Part 4: Hurry Up
Full Length: The Ghost In My Room (fits in this order)
Part 6: Your Eyes