My brother has always been an inspiration to me for my writing. He's always been a good idea man and I'm glad to see he's finally writing. This is his submission for this month. He is the first to pick October's challenge to do. He has two days to run uncontested.
*SHUFFLE*
Tina came home in a huff, shucking off the heavy coat that absorbed more than its share of the heavy drizzle, falling heavily outside. Her day had been horrible. Beyond the general unpleasantness of her job. Her car felt it a good idea to let the air out of both back tires. Rendering her spare and her father's insistence she learn how to change a tire useless. As if that cake did not have enough icing, her crappy phone reared its sub par head with a dead battery.
At least she was home now, she begrudgingly thought as she removed her sodden shoes. Rubbing her aching feet was the best feeling she had all day. With regret she stopped and stripped out of the clinging damp clothes and tossed them straight into the dryer. The rain could at least serve the purpose of a washing machine if nothing else. Chuckling at her own lazy wit she plugged her phone in to the kitchen wall and stared at the glass reflections cast in her windows. Deciding she did not want to be there if her neighbors happened to look in, she went upstairs for a much needed shower. As she climbed the stairs slowly and with more than a few superfluous grunts she held out a bit of false hope that the water would be hot enough to sooth the day from her memory.
The shower worked nearly as well as she had hoped. It had rarely felt so good to slip in to warm comfortable pajamas. Flopping on the bed, among laundry and rumpled blankets Tina felt as if she could finally relax. She knew she should get to sleep early, she would have to walk to work after all.
But the allure of her current novel was to much for her to resist. Throwing the sensibility of sleep out the window she shut off her overhead light, and curled under the cool sheets and turned on the bedside lamp before opening her novel and diving in.
*scruffle*
*SHUFFLE*
The sound woke her slowly as she brought her head up from between her now light-less pages. Confused she fumbled and dropped the book beside the bed. The thud was reassuring, she did not know why, but a wave of fear had enveloped her. She had never been afraid of the dark even as a child. Thinking on this she realized her cause for confusion and the twinge of fear. She had fallen asleep with the light on, but now it was now darker than she had ever seen it. A dull green glow came from the corner of the room, barely seen with her adjusting eyes. She should have been able to see the numbers on her clock. Her breathing quickened as she realized just why should could not see the numbers. Something was between her and the clock. With a pant she lunged for her lamp desperate to see the obstruction. Quicker than her the silhouetted shadow moved.
"This place really that cheap? Man John I am jealous."
"Ha, don't be" John said quickly surveying the empty apartment living room. "It was only so cheap because someone was killed here." John tried hard to keep the interest out of his voice and fill the void with mock remorse.
"Really? That doesn't both you? I would be so scared." John's friend Bill scrunch himself up in over-exaggerated terror. And failed to hold the pose as they both burst out laughing. "So how did they die?"
"No one really knows." John proudly displayed his perfect teeth in a grin of morbid pleasure. "Hard to determine cause of death when they only find your legs."
"The legs? How does that happen?"
"No clue, owner told me it looked like a shark had ripped the poor girl in half."
"Damn" Bill said shaking his head "I thought monster hid in closets, but sharks? Count me out"
---
Cleaning up after Bill and his housewarming was not that hard. Few beer bottles and empty pizza boxes now filled his small garbage can. With a sigh and a few glances around his new apartment, John climbed the stairs with a self satisfied grin. Finally, he had an apartment that was just his, no roommates, no pets. All his. His room was not much. Just a mattress on the floor. He plopped face down on the bare mattress. Listing the things he would need to get tomorrow quickly lulled him into sleep. He did not notice the growing shadow in the corner.
*shuffle*
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