A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall

Chapter XX: Night Prowler

Green leaves turned yellow turned red turned brown. One by one they fell off the trees and covered the ground. The air turned crisp and the flies dropped dead. Kids had been going back to school for a while now but it felt official. Autumn was finally taking summer's place. 

A bright orange bus passed through the neighbourhood, its lights flashing on and off. It drove around the corner toward town where the children were waiting. I could see Wanda a few houses down with Sheryl, the little girl in a spotless, wrinkle free uniform and her hair in two braids. Wanda was wearing a magenta power suit and black heels, her head held high over her shoulder pads. Sheryl skipped in front of her where their Rolls Royce was waiting parked by the footpath. I wasn't a car fanatic but even I could drool over something like that. I ducked when I thought Wanda glanced up in my direction but came out of hiding when she got in the car and drove her daughter down the road after the bus. 

I couldn't imagine Wanda letting Sheryl ride that bus with the other kids. Too many germs.

I let the curtain fall and went to the kitchen for a cup of tea. A cup of Mrs. Young's Lady Grey with cream would hit the spot right about now. As it was I made do with some English Brekkie and milk. It would have been nice to share a cup of tea with Maude and gab, perhaps invite Linda over as well and call it a party. 

Molly didn't like tea. It wasn't hard enough for her. She preferred the likes of fancy wines, vodka, and her favourite beer. Maude liked wine too, those two would probably get on like a house on fire. 

I stayed in my pyjamas all day. It was getting chilly and clothes weren't doing it for me. I wore one of Ang's shirts I slept in and my trakkies and sipped my tea. I switched on the telly and right away saw breaking news stories and headlines.

"Tensions rise as Cold War continues between the US and the USSR as nuclear technology advances. Sources say independent countries feel trapped as these two superpowers box them in. Military propaganda continues to grab the public's attention while the lasting effects of Vietnam still hang heavy over the US. Talk of a possible World War Three-"

I quickly switched the telly off. My reflection stared back at me from the black screen. I shivered, little bumps forming all over my skin. 

They're on the other side of the world. What's it got to do with us?

That's why it's called a World War. Financial backing.

They won't really come to blows, will they?

Right now, nobody can say either way.

News stories scare people on purpose. They fill their hours with only the bad things because it grabs people's attention, they're more likely to remember bad things.

And once in a while...they're accurate.

I quickly found some cartoons to watch instead.

**********

Hot water sprayed me in the face as a glop of shampoo spilled from my hand onto the tiles. "Damn it," I cursed under my breath, putting the rest in my hair. Shampoo costs money. And if you're a werewolf like I am, you need more than a "five cent coin's worth" to get enough lather. Watching the glop fall down the drain, I sighed and scrubbed my hair into a soapy pile. All day I had been going from one distraction to another, trying to get my mind off the world events. Worrying about it does nothing. 

But so does doing nothing.

I thought of little Rosemary and Koa. The two best babies in the world. They had so much life left, what if it was taken away from them? From any child? 

From us?

What about my family back home? Angus' family? What about the helpless animals, all at the mercy of humanity's cruelty?

I wasn't paying attention and squirted soap into my eye. Cursing again, using a much naughtier word, I grabbed a towel and held it against my eye. I practically threw the soap bottle against the tiles. Maybe it was time to get out. I'd been spending a lot more time in the shower lately, giving me more time to ruminate over my thoughts. 

And I couldn't have that.

I rinsed my hair out and stepped out, grabbing my towel and dressing gown. Slipping back into Angus' old shirt I combed my hair out and brushed my teeth. I noticed my face growing a bit thinner. I couldn't tell if I had lost weight or if I was just getting older. 

Great. Just what I needed. Either you get old and sick, or a world war wipes you out young. Life's great.

I threw my towel in a heap on the floor and left the bathroom.

**********

As I climbed into bed feeling more tired than usual, I heard a noise downstairs. It almost sounded like the front door closing. But I never left it open. Unless someone opened it from the outside...

Or someone was in my house...

I crept toward the bedroom door on my toes, pressing my ear against it. Holding my breath, staying as silent as I could. Silence. I relaxed until I heard a chair scrape over the floor. Then my heart skipped a beat and chills ran down my spine.

There was definitely a prowler in my house.

Adrenaline coursed through me as I ransacked the closet for anything I could use as a weapon. My high heels would do nothing against a dangerous criminal and neither would the jumpers Angus left behind. I finally saw my badminton racquet and I grabbed onto it with two hands. Not as hardy as a tennis racquet, but it was still better than nothing. 

My heart pounded in my chest. I trembled and shook like an autumn leaf. More scuffling and cupboards squeaking. I even heard the fridge door open. It would only be a matter of time before whoever was down there came looking up here. 

What did they want? Money? Expensive things? A helpless woman to attack? My mind pictured my beautiful fern and the decorative animals. Snatched and sold off for a measly twenty dollars. The fern knocked off the window sill and the pot shattering on contact. My elephant lamp tossed in a laundry bag along with anything else their pry bar could reach. 

My chandelier....my gorgeous crystal chandelier!

I gripped my racquet, waiting for the inevitable turning of the knob. To my utter horror, but not to my surprise, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I wanted to hide but I didn't want them getting away with their crime. Closer and closer they climbed the steps, my heart about to leap right out of me. As expected, the knob turned. As soon as that motherfucker showed their face, I'd attack. Racquet at the ready, I lunged for their head.