ALONE IN THE DARK BY FIONA CUMMINGS (C)

As the night closes and one can only imagine the inky sky outside of my window and shining silver stars, the traffic is sleeping as houses are all locked up for the Autunmal night. I’m alone apart from my sleeping dog.  During the days when it’s sunny and vehicles move fast and furious outside, when children make their way to school, some merry with delight of what the day may have waiting for them, and others perform tricks on their bikes or skates, when the bigger people walk their barking dogs and the sky somehow seems to provide winds and rain to make sounds against my windows and blow rubble of paper, and cans that have escaped the rubbish and recycling bins, across my avenue of all sorts. But by night? It’s a different story, well, it seems to be when I am on my own. When all of my family are away either enjoying themselves, or working.

 

One dog rather than both our dogs equals four silent paws whereas when my dogs little brother is home, those quiet if not silent paws become playful and four become eight, across our wooden floor mixed with squeaking dog toys, panting and doggy verbal’s and the TV or some kind of music playing either by choice of what we may wish to hear from the sound system or my Husband playing the piano!

 

Doors seem to be opened more often more footsteps. I am more active when my Husband or Son are home. Sometimes a girl will be here and then more verbal’s as we girls like to talk.

 

If my Son is home, he normally has either his TV or Music blasting, his hairdryer or he is in the shower, or running up and down stairs getting food from the kitchen so the oven has been on and our new cooker well, oven is like a bus engine. Smile.

 

So, tonight I’m on my own. My dog is in her bed. No TV on, I never watch the television on my own. No music. Just the spooky creaking of the heating and the gentle clock ticking. It’s so quiet, I have chills. My imagination is open to suggestions. Shadows follow me and dimly lit rooms don’t help me as without sight, lights only are there for the sighted and those who can’t see to use their imagination.

 

I’m in a big shell with no close, or I should say attached neighbours. No houses behind my walls which leads onto the main road which by day is full of life pollution and sounds but by night one could find themselves thinking they have stepped back in time before fuel and fury, and the night air is still, ever so still! It’s time now for the ghosts to play and the humans to sleep.

 

Suddenly, it’s become cool in here. Goosebumps shiver and the haunted night.

 I turn the key in the door. Who’s on the other side? Closing curtains keeping the outside at the right side of my rooms. Hurry evening bring fast the much-desired dawn?

 

© Fiona Cummings