by S. C. Alban
“Well, Carol,” she said to herself, “Here goes nothing. Time to start your new life.” She gripped the keys firmly between her fingers and walked to the front door.
The porch was sturdy and welcoming. The bank must have spruced it up as well to increase the curb appeal. It had worked. Carol imagined setting a porch swing out there and, on warm summer nights, reviewing case files with a glass of wine.
With Sue’s gift still balanced in one arm, she slid the key in the knob and unlocked the door with her free hand. The foyer was small and dark. Carol opened the curtains on the window to the right of the door. Tossing the keys on a small table just below the window, a mid-century relic left behind by the previous owners, she closed the front door and stood in the entry.
A sense of finality washed over her. This was it, the end of a long, difficult journey. Faced with betrayal, she walked away from her husband and stood tall. Sure, she didn’t really have a choice, John was more than ready to open his own door, but Carol pushed that aside. She was a strong, independent woman who could make it on her own.
She rolled her shoulders back and walked down the main hall leading to the living room. Placing the champagne and flutes on the wet bar to the left, she stood in the semi-empty space, gratitude overwhelming her. Thank God, the owners had not taken everything with them.
A large sofa with a floral design sat in the main room wrapped in plastic. It nestled against the paneled wall and faced the windows looking out to the back of the home. Carol walked over and lifted a drape off of an end table to expose the maple furnished top.
She sighed. She couldn’t imagine ever intentionally buying a piece of maple furniture. Shaking the negative thought aside, she forced herself to be positive. Sure, their taste was very different from her own, but it was good to start over without having to start from zero. And, empty houses gave Carol the creeps.
She inhaled deeply. The room was stuffy and warm. Carol walked over to a window, unlocked the hinge, and flung the window open. A cool breeze flowed in wiping away what was left of the musty oppressiveness. She stood in silence taking in the air.
It was strange to stand in silence. Although quiet places never bothered her, Carol had always thought it to be a bit lonely.
Oh well, the movers should be here soon, and maybe Sue will come back. I think she likes me.
She much preferred to have at least one other person in a room with her, even if they were merely working side by side. Because of her aversion to being alone, she often worked while listening to music. If only she had her iPod on her.
She released a long sigh. At least, back in Seaside, the sounds of the ocean were always in the background. Carol strained to hear what Oakcrest had to offer. The far off sound of birds cawing sent a spear of apprehension through her body. She remembered the hoard of feathered pests that appeared to make a home at the edge of her property.
Damn those birds.
She never had to deal with this in Seaside. Even the seagulls knew when they wore out their welcome.
Missing home for a moment, she startled when her phone’s ringtone went off. She dug through her purse to find the small purple device. Looking at the screen, it took just a moment to recognize the number of the moving company. Her heart sank. What could this be about?
“Hello, Carolyn Monroe speaking.”
“Uh, Ms. Monroe, this is Gus from Central Valley Movers.” The voice at the other end of the line was rough and hoarse, a telltale sign of a true smoker. “I was calling to let you know that we’re having some engine troubles. We’re still quite a ways away, and the tow truck said it may take a while before they can even get to us.”
Carol’s shoulders dropped. “Great,” she replied. “But, you’ll still be here tonight, right? I mean, it’s just a delay.”
She could hear Gus shift uncomfortably on the other side of the line. The sound of the freeway leaked into her receiver.
“Well, that’s the thing ma’am... I’m not sure when we’ll be able to get there. It’s already kinda late and we don’t know when the tow truck will be here and—”
“Wait, what are you saying?”
Gus cleared his throat. “I’m not saying we can’t make it, but as of right now it looks like”—he paused and coughed—“it looks like we may not be there until tomorrow.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Irritation spilled from Carol’s voice. “I thought your company was the most reliable in the Valley? So much for that.”
“We are, ma’am, we are. I… I can’t believe I’m saying this, but… and I don’t know how this happened, but about halfway to the Altamont Pass the engine light went on. I… I pulled over, to check the fluids, and—” His voice went silent.
“And…” Carol led.
Gus sighed loudly. “I know this is gonna sound crazy, but I open the hood and there’s this… there’s a crow in the engine. I look in and the belts are all torn up and the damn thing’s got a spark plug in its mouth.”
“Are you telling me that a… a bird ate your engine?”
Gus was silent. After a minute, he spoke, his voice low. “Yeah, I guess… I guess I am. Look, I know it sounds crazy, but I swear on my life, it’s what happened. I can’t even explain it myself. It’s like something out of that friggin’ Hitchcock movie…. The Birds.”
Carol looked out the window, in the distance dozens of crows lined up in the oak tree branches.
“Gus, you have no idea.”
She forced herself to take a measured breath. She, more than anyone, understood that sometimes, unexpected things happened, no matter how much preparation is taken to avoid them.
“But, you’ll behere tomorrow... right?”
Carol heard the relief pour through the phone. “Oh, yes, ma’am, first thing in the morning. I promise we’ll figure this out. Even if we have to get another truck and reload your whole house, we’ll get your stuff to you.”
“Fine, just know I also don’t plan on charges for an extra night caused by your…”
Carol’s voice trailed off as her attention focused to the ceiling. What was that sound?
“Of course, we wouldn’t think of charging a fee for something…” Gus’ voice faded as Carol lowered the phone from earshot. She tilted her head up and looked at the ceiling above.
The creaking sound was light… barely audible, but nonetheless, there. Carol narrowed her eyes, her forehead crinkled as she attempted to make sense of what she heard.
It sounded like footsteps, the sounds of someone tiptoeing. Not quite the creaking of long and heavy full footfalls, it was the short rounded squeaks of small, slow, hesitant steps across a floor. Carol froze when the sound registered in her brain.
It was coming from the room above where she stood. Which room was that? A slideshow of her tour with Sue flipped through her mind. It paused on the last room on the right. The den. Yes, the smallest of the upstairs rooms, perfect for her home office.
“Hello? Hello, Ms. Monroe? Ms. Monroe, are you still there?” Gus’ voice crackled through the receiver.
Carol blinked her eyes and brought the phone back up to her ear. “Um, yes, yes, I’m here. Tomorrow morning will be fine. I… I have to go. Goodbye.” Her words were brusque. She quickly hung up the phone and stood silent straining to hear more creaking.
The sound grew louder. She shook her head. There was no way she was imagining it. The steps moved across the ceiling back and forth. Like someone was pacing above her.
Someone with little feet.
Her heart raced. Adrenaline rushed through her head in loud whooshes.
Carol still grasped her phone in her hand. She unlocked the screen and opened the keypad with trembling fingers. Should she dial 911? If being a lawyer had taught her anything, it was that people always underutilized 911. She was no stranger to facts that proved anything could happen at any time in one’s own home. She was not willing to take any chances. Her finger hovered over the keypad.
But, what were the odds someone wa
s actually in her home? In this small town? It was unlikely, practically non-existent. Still, she couldn’t ignore the feeling she had to do something. Ignoring the sound would do nothing to ease her trepidations and, she didn’t want to end up on Unsolved Mysteries. Decision made, she dialed 911.
“911 operator speaking, what is your emergency?”
Carol whispered into the phone. “I think there’s someone in my house. I’m at 696 Walnut Avenue.”
“Are you in a safe place, ma’am?”
“Yes.”
“Are you in the house now, ma’am?”
“Yes, I’m downstairs… in the living room.” Carol tried to remain calm, though the intensity of the situation shot goose bumps down her spine. “But, I hear... I hear someone... or something, upstairs... walking around.”
“Okay ma’am, hang tight. I’m sending a police car to your house now. Do you think you can get out of the house safely?”
It took Carol a moment to process the request before she realized she was still inside the home.
My God, whoever was upstairs could come down at any moment!
As soon as the thought appeared, fear clenched her stomach as her survival instinct kicked in. She held her shaky breath and swallowed hard.
“Um… yeah. I think I can get outside,” she responded, the wind knocked out of her lungs. “I’m walking to the front door now.”
With slow, quiet feet, Carol retraced her steps down the main hall towards the front door. Each step took twice as long, her feet, heavy with fear. The sound above her stopped and she froze. Did the intruder hear her? The upstairs creaking quickened and changed course. It headed toward the stairs. Dizziness circled Carol’s head and she knew she had to get the hell out as soon as possible.
Not waiting around to discover who or what presented themselves at the landing, Carol dashed to the front door, her eyes straight ahead. She didn’t dare peek behind her. Her phone slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor, the sound of feet hitting the landing forced a scream from her lips. Carol reached for the door. Behind her, the footsteps slapped each stair, one after the other, faster and faster, closing in on her.
She screamed again as she grabbed hold of the doorknob, the sticky breath of the intruder hot on her neck. She twisted the knob and threw open the front door.
“No! Help me!”
Light streaked through the slats of the porch overhang and blinded Carol as she fell out of the house and into the arms of an Oakcrest police officer.
“Ma’am! Ma’am, are you okay?” The six-foot-two man easily held Carol in his arms. His partner stood behind him looking into the doorway from where she had come his lips twisted in confusion. “Ma’am, my name is Officer Aves. This is my partner Officer Corvus. Ma’am, can you tell us what’s going on?”
Carol looked from one officer to the other confused.
How did they get here so quickly?
“I… I don’t know,” she replied. Though her heart slowed its pace, she was still unwilling to look behind her. “I… I just moved in. This is my house. I… I was in the living room, there was someone upstairs and they were walking around… I could hear them. They were walking back and forth upstairs.” The words spilled out of her mouth. She knew she must sound crazy, but she couldn’t help herself, her adrenaline coursed through her. She would never judge any eyewitness ever again.
“Whoa, whoa, ma’am, please slow down.” Officer Aves held her firm and spoke in a measured tone. It was the tone of someone trained to deal with out-of-control citizens.
Carol narrowed her eyes at the patronizing look the officer gave her. “I swear I’m not lying. I know what I heard! What I don’t know is why you aren’t arresting the person in my house? The one who chased me?”
Officer Aves looked down at Carol confused. Officer Corvus cleared his throat. Carol shot him a daggered glance. “Ma’am, please slow down. Who’s in your house? Is there someone inside now?”
“What? They were right behind me... I barely got away...” Carol’s voice drifted off. She was calm enough now to realize she was the only person who had exploded through the front door. She shook her head.
How could that be? She turned and looked into her house down the hall.
She had heard the footsteps behind her. She had felt the intruder’s breath. When she flew through the door, the intruder, whoever it was, should have been right behind her. The officers should have seen him... or her… or whatever it was.
But, they didn’t. She looked back at their faces. The two men stood on the porch hovering over her and waited for her to continue.
Carol’s face fell. “No, no. Wait. That can’t be right.”
“Ma’am—”
“I know there was someone behind me.”
“Ma’am—”
“There was someone chasing me… to the front door”—she shook her head—“I didn’t make this up!”
Officer Aves looked back at his partner who shrugged his shoulders. He turned back with patient eyes and took a deep breath before speaking again.
“Is there someone in your house right now?” His voice was clear, firm. He motioned for his partner to cover them, just in case.
“I... I don’t know.” Carol’s voice was quiet, confused. Had she been followed? Was there someone breathing down her neck? She shook her head.
“Okay, then.” Officer Aves spoke at a slow pace. Each syllable lasted twice as long as it should. “How about we investigate the premises? Take a look around? Does that sound good.”
Embarrassment began to creep up Carol’s cheeks, but she kept it at bay and nodded. Too many times, she reviewed cases where victims waved the police away only to be right.
Don’t be foolish. Bad things happen anywhere.
“I’d appreciate it. Thank you.” She kept her voice even and calm. She wasn’t crazy, but it wouldn’t help if her voice sounded like she was.
“If you’d please, wait over here.” The two officers made room for her to stand on the steps and they entered the home. Carol paced the bottom step replaying each minute of the event in her head. There had to be a reasonable explanation to why someone was in her house. But, why would they chase her like that?
Five minutes later, Officer Corvus appeared in the doorway.
Carol narrowed her eyes at the amused expression on his face. “Ma’am, would you follow me, please,” he said, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. “I think you’re gonna want to see this.”
Carol didn’t like how his long, thin nose pointed at her when he spoke. She pursed her lips to prevent a smart-ass comment from slipping out of her mouth. Still, despite her attitude, unease bit at her stomach as she followed him into the house and up the stairs. As they approached the long second story hallway, she heard a muffled ruckus coming from the room at the end.
The den.
Carol’s heart raced. She followed Officer Corvus down the hall, the sound growing louder with each step. What was that? She struggled to identify it. Carol stood back as Officer Corvus opened the door, a strange sight unfolding before Carol’s eyes.
Inside the room, Officer Aves held the desk blotter as a shield. He waved it in the air toward the open window. In the corner, expertly avoiding the blotter was a large black bird. Carol blinked. Was it the bird Carol had seen earlier today? In all honesty, she really couldn’t say whether it was the exact bird or not, but one glance at those beady eyes was enough to convince her it really didn’t matter.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Carol groaned as flames licked her cheeks.
“I think we’ve found your mysterious intruder,” Aves said in between swats. The large bird swooped from corner to corner antagonizing the tall, lean man.
Carol’s embarrassment was quickly replaced by anger. She walked further into the room and yelled at the bird. “Go on! Get out of here! Shoo!” She flapped her hands toward the bird.
The crow stopped flapping for a split second and landed on the top of a tall oval mirror s
tanding the corner of the room. It opened and closed its mouth a few times before releasing a loud caw. Carol jumped at the sound. The crow’s eyes shined like marbles. It stared at Carol, bobbed its head a few times, and flew out of the window.
As soon as the bird exited, Officer Corvus ran over and slammed the window shut. The three stood in the room unmoving.
The bird’s strange behavior perplexed Carol. The older officer dropped the blotter on the desk. The slapping sound it made as it hit the surface snapped Carol from her trance.
She shook her head. “I’m really sorry for calling over a bird. I’m actually quite embarrassed,” Carol apologized. “I just bought this house. Tonight is my first night here. My movers had a breakdown and won’t be here until tomorrow... I guess… I guess my imagination got the better of me. Stress creating problems that don’t exist, and all that.”
Both officers smiled. Officer Aves stepped forward.
“Don’t worry ma’am, that’s why we’re here. Just doing our job, is all. You actually did us a favor, seeing as nothing ever happens around this town anyway.”
“I highly doubt that. In my experience, police forces are grossly overworked, even in the smallest of towns.”
His partner muffled a laugh. Carol shot him a questioning look. “Ma’am, Oakcrest is one of the smallest around, and let me assure you, nothing ever happens in this town… ever. You’ll find out soon enough.”
“Well, I hope you’re right. I’m looking for a low stress place for a while.”
She led the officers down the stairs.
“I’d offer you something to drink, but…” She looked around helplessly. “My stuff isn’t coming until tomorrow… apparently. I suppose I could check to see if anything was left behind…” She eyed Sue’s gift on the wet bar. “There’s champagne…”
Officer Aves offered her a kind smile. “It’s no problem ma’am. We should be heading back to the station anyway.”