Thirty Days of Genius – Day Twenty-five

The emptiness of the night pressed close against me.  My heels echoed strangely as they hit the sidewalk.  I resisted the urge to glance over my shoulder, but only barely.  It was exactly the kind of night that all good girls and boys should be tucked safely away into their beds.  Thick, heavy clouds hung low in the sky.  A dense fog had rolled in from the bay, coating everything in a layer of moisture.

I was out braving the weather instead of curled up in my living room because my house was currently under construction.  However, the project was running long.  To make up time the crew had decided to stay late tonight to get back on track.  The incessant hammering had finally driven me out into the weather to “clear my head.”

Now that I was out here though, I was somewhat regretting my decision.  It was just odd out tonight.  When another set of steps began echoing along with mine, I fought the childish urge to run home to safety.  A dark shape loomed out of the fog and my heart quailed in fear.  I laughed in relief as the dark, scary shape turned out to be my elderly neighbor.

“Oh, dear, it’s a terrible night to be out.  What are you doing?” she asked with a frown.

“My house is still being worked on.  The noise was driving me batty, so I decided to go for a walk.  I didn’t realize how terrible the weather was until I was already out here.”

“Well, be a dear and walk me home.  I’ll make you some tea and you can keep this old woman company until your house is quiet again.”

Writing prompts:  construction, sidewalk, emptiness

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