him. It wasn’t going to happen though. She sighed with regret and climbed back onto the bed. This time when she drifted to sleep, she made it all the way.
* * * *
Tina woke with a start. Something had disturbed her sleep. She lay quietly in the bed without moving. Just when she thought it had been her imagination, another sound from downstairs reached her ears. It sounded like it came from the kitchen. She eased over to the side of the bed and slipped off the edge without making a sound. Unsure of what to do, she decided to ease downstairs and find out what was making the noise. She couldn’t believe anyone had gotten in the house without the alarm going off.
The stairs were dark and she wasn’t sure if she could ease down them without giving herself away. She took first one, then another step until she was confident the stairs wouldn’t creak. The light from a nearly full moon illuminated the kitchen floor. She couldn’t see around the doorway without giving herself away. She still didn’t believe anyone could be inside the house. Regardless, Tina drew in a deep breath and leaned her head around the edge of the doorway into the kitchen. At first, she didn’t see anything, then she struggled to believe what she saw.
The kitchen door stood wide open. A breeze from outside blew the curtains against the blinds. It was the blinds on the door that had woke her up with their soft thud thud against the door. A package wrapped in colorful paper lay on the counter by the open back door. Next to it laid a butcher knife. Tina shivered to think that someone had touched her knife and might have used it on her.
It finally hit her that someone had been in her house and left without setting off her alarm. She began to shake. What if he were still there somewhere? Maybe he was upstairs waiting for her. Or maybe, he was behind her waiting for her to turn around. She couldn’t stop shaking long enough to make a decision on what to do. She needed to call the police, but the closest phone was in the kitchen. Her cell phone lay back on the bedside table.
She stood paralyzed in the doorway between the hall and the kitchen. She couldn’t go back upstairs, and she couldn’t go forward into the kitchen. What should she do? Tina felt the tears trail down her face. She’d never felt so helpless to make a single decision.
A noise behind her spurred her into action. She sprinted across the kitchen and through the garage door. She didn’t stop running until she reached Logan’s house. The light was on in the carport. She threw herself at the door and began banging on it calling Logan’s name. She totally lost it when, finally, he opened the door. Tina grabbed him and began crying. He grabbed her and pulled her into the house slamming the door behind them.
“What’s wrong, Tina?” He tried to calm her down with a soothing voice. “Calm down and tell me what is wrong.”
She couldn’t stop shaking. Her teeth chattered together like ice clinking in a glass. All she could do at first was shake her head. Logan pulled her into his arms and held her against his chest. His hand ran up and down her back until the chattering of her teeth subsided.
“S-someone was in my h-house.”
“How do you know? Did you hear anything?” he asked.
“I-I heard something and came d-downstairs and there it was on the counter.”
“What was on your counter?”
“A package. I don’t know what it is.” Tina swallowed around the knot that had formed in her throat.
“Okay, I want you to lock the door behind me while I go look, okay?” He said.
“No! Don’t leave me here alone.” Tina grabbed hold of his arm.
“I’m just going to run over there and look to see what it is. I’ll be right back.”
“Please, don’t leave me.” Tina wrapped her arms around him and it hit her. He didn’t have on a shirt. He was wearing a pair of jeans that weren’t fastened at the top, and that was all.
The warmth she felt turned out to be his skin
* * * *
Tina woke with a start. Something had disturbed her sleep. She lay quietly in the bed without moving. Just when she thought it had been her imagination, another sound from downstairs reached her ears. It sounded like it came from the kitchen. She eased over to the side of the bed and slipped off the edge without making a sound. Unsure of what to do, she decided to ease downstairs and find out what was making the noise. She couldn’t believe anyone had gotten in the house without the alarm going off.
The stairs were dark and she wasn’t sure if she could ease down them without giving herself away. She took first one, then another step until she was confident the stairs wouldn’t creak. The light from a nearly full moon illuminated the kitchen floor. She couldn’t see around the doorway without giving herself away. She still didn’t believe anyone could be inside the house. Regardless, Tina drew in a deep breath and leaned her head around the edge of the doorway into the kitchen. At first, she didn’t see anything, then she struggled to believe what she saw.
The kitchen door stood wide open. A breeze from outside blew the curtains against the blinds. It was the blinds on the door that had woke her up with their soft thud thud against the door. A package wrapped in colorful paper lay on the counter by the open back door. Next to it laid a butcher knife. Tina shivered to think that someone had touched her knife and might have used it on her.
It finally hit her that someone had been in her house and left without setting off her alarm. She began to shake. What if he were still there somewhere? Maybe he was upstairs waiting for her. Or maybe, he was behind her waiting for her to turn around. She couldn’t stop shaking long enough to make a decision on what to do. She needed to call the police, but the closest phone was in the kitchen. Her cell phone lay back on the bedside table.
She stood paralyzed in the doorway between the hall and the kitchen. She couldn’t go back upstairs, and she couldn’t go forward into the kitchen. What should she do? Tina felt the tears trail down her face. She’d never felt so helpless to make a single decision.
A noise behind her spurred her into action. She sprinted across the kitchen and through the garage door. She didn’t stop running until she reached Logan’s house. The light was on in the carport. She threw herself at the door and began banging on it calling Logan’s name. She totally lost it when, finally, he opened the door. Tina grabbed him and began crying. He grabbed her and pulled her into the house slamming the door behind them.
“What’s wrong, Tina?” He tried to calm her down with a soothing voice. “Calm down and tell me what is wrong.”
She couldn’t stop shaking. Her teeth chattered together like ice clinking in a glass. All she could do at first was shake her head. Logan pulled her into his arms and held her against his chest. His hand ran up and down her back until the chattering of her teeth subsided.
“S-someone was in my h-house.”
“How do you know? Did you hear anything?” he asked.
“I-I heard something and came d-downstairs and there it was on the counter.”
“What was on your counter?”
“A package. I don’t know what it is.” Tina swallowed around the knot that had formed in her throat.
“Okay, I want you to lock the door behind me while I go look, okay?” He said.
“No! Don’t leave me here alone.” Tina grabbed hold of his arm.
“I’m just going to run over there and look to see what it is. I’ll be right back.”
“Please, don’t leave me.” Tina wrapped her arms around him and it hit her. He didn’t have on a shirt. He was wearing a pair of jeans that weren’t fastened at the top, and that was all.
The warmth she felt turned out to be his skin
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