Break In

It was a quiet Friday night.

You were lying down in your bedroom. After a long day, you decided to wind down by ordering pizza and watching your favorite show. The episode ended with the credits rolling, and you sighed. Kicking off your blanket, you swung your legs over your bed and rose. Grabbing the trash and dishes, you went down the hall to the kitchen. Compared to the noise in your room, the outside was eerily quiet.

The light above the island was the only one on. Times like this is when the brain tries to scare you, but you remember to stay calm. You place your trash in the garbage and dishes in the sink. The scalding hot water distracts you for a bit. When you place the last plate on the rack, you reach down to grab a hand towel. As you are drying your hands, a noise catches your attention.  

It sounds like a hushed whisper. Your head turns behind and sees the curtains lifted from the wind. You then see the window open. You sigh in relief. The memory of opening it earlier for fresh air came flooding back in. You cross the living room to shut it firmly, turning the lock above it.

*shut!*click*

You turn back around and begin your night routine. You put away any clutter and confirm the front door is locked. You turn off the light in the kitchen and quickly walk back to your room. The hallway is dark, and your room is the only light source. Once you get inside, you close the door behind you. Your TV moved on to the next episode, playing its usual intro. You needed to take a shower and began stripping off your clothes. You were lucky your bathroom was attached right to your bedroom. You threw your clothes into the hamper and grabbed your towel on the bed.

You walk inside the bathroom, hang the towel, and turn the shower knob on. The pipes make a creaking noise before water sprays through the shower head. You close the curtain and let the water warm up. You then remember you forgot your phone. You go to snatch it off the bed and head back to the bathroom, closing the door behind you. Your music begins blasting through its speakers and fills the bathroom. Along with the shower, you couldn't hear a thing. It was the perfect way to relax and forget about everything.

To become distracted......fall into a sense of security.

And let your guard down.

~~~~~~~~~

After your shower, you step out to wrap yourself in your towel. The steam from the bathroom and the cold air clash when you step back into your bedroom. Goosebumps run up your skin, and shivers run down your spine. You tiptoe around quickly, looking for underwear and a set of pajamas. Once you find what you are looking for, you start drying off. You rub your hair until it is

dry and toss the towel aside. The clothes are after, and you dress quickly into a shirt and underwear. You are about to climb back into bed when you hear a thump outside.
Your head snaps to the door. What the fuck was that? You thought.

It did not sound like something light. Was it from upstairs? Fuck! You gulped. Slowly, you creep toward the dresser and grab the gun in the top drawer. You pull the slide back ready and point it up to the door. You could feel the fear and anxiety creep up, but you had to stay strong. After a couple of minutes of waiting, it was quiet. There were no other sounds after. You take a deep breath to try and calm your nerves.

Still on high alert, but you need to make sure. With the shakiest hand, you grab the doorknob and turn it slowly. Do not be a pussy, come on! You swing the door open and flick the hallway light on. You frantically point your gun in every direction, looking for anything suspicious. Your eyes darted around. There was nothing.

You turn to the dark space occupying the kitchen and living room. Your eyes narrow, and your guard is back up. The gun is back in front of you, ready to fire. You were quiet as you rounded the corner and jumped out to turn on the light. Again, you are searching for what produced that loud thud. There was nothing. You walk around to double-check. There was still nothing. Your stance relaxes, and you lower the weapon from your front.