It was a Tuesday, overcast and ordinary, but Ariel had been experiencing an odd sense of déjà vu all day that had left her with a mildly annoying headache. She left work early, which was unusual for her, but she just could not concentrate. For a short day, it had felt like a very long one.
Walking home from the office a few blocks away, an abbreviated rainbow showed itself as sunshine attempted to peak through thick clouds. Ariel loved rainbows and normally found them uplifting, in a way, but today, she was simply grumpy. She was glad she had no plans this evening. A nice pot of rosehip and hibiscus tea and maybe an old movie seemed just what she needed, perhaps followed by a steamy bath. Her only specific plan was to turn off her cell phone and leave the laptop on her desk - untouched.
She checked the mailbox that hung next to the front door of her small house. Empty. 'Good,' she thought.
Fishing her keys out of her purse, she heard a small scraping sound behind her. She turned, but saw nothing. It was fall, so she assumed it must be dried leaves blowing in the wind. She unlocked the door and entered, not noticing the tiny intruder that skittered between her red shoes and under the sofa across the room.
