Odd Prompts Week 6
I’m still working on last week’s prompt, (Real life got in the way of real progress. I hope to have it up in a few days) but this week’s prompt practically fell into my lap and curled up to make itself comfortable.
The prompt in question came from Becky Jones: Standing at the top of the stairs going down to your basement, you flip on the light. A voice comes out of the now well-lit basement, “Hey! Turn that back off, I was reading!”
Put the book back when you’re done
My lowlight vision isn’t what it used to be. In my younger days I could move around the house without direct light and still see, now I find myself pausing to flip on the lights to avoid running into things.
There was still a load of laundry that needed to be tossed in the dryer and one that needed to be folded. I wanted to get that last load in the dryer before I went to bed since tomorrow was the Sabbath - the day of rest. There was a bit of light coming from the laundry room, but the steps were dark so I flipped on the lights and started down the stairs.
I’d only gotten two steps when I head a low rumble from the base of the stairs. “Hey! Turn that back off, I was reading!”
I stopped and looked towards the voice and saw one of the cats had made a nest in the basket of clean laundry just outside the little room I called my library. In front of her was an open book. She looked up at me, blinking in the light, with an unhappy air about her.
“Sorry, baby.” I backed up the stairs, loath to disturb her, and flipped off the lights. I could finish the laundry in a bit. It was only after I had gone into the kitchen to take care of the dinner dishes that I remember that the cat had spoken in human English, and that particular cat had been dead for many years.
I almost sprinted back to the basement door to turn the light back on. I had several questions I wanted to ask. I’d always joked about sprits of cats long gone lingering in the house, this was the first time I’d seen proof. But when I looked the basket was empty; no sign of cat or book.
Figuring that I’d just imagined it, I went to finish the laundry. One of the current cats greeted me from the top of the dryer with a head-butt to the chest. I divided my time between putting clothes in the dryer and petting the cat until I was done and the dryer was turned on. She curled back up to enjoy the warmth and I headed back up stairs. There was still work to do.
As I bent to pick up the basket of clean laundry I noticed a cat sized hollow and a couple of red hairs in the middle of the sheets. I smiled and started up the steps. “Just remember to put the book back where it belongs when you’re done.” I swear I heard a soft purr in response.