Home Alone

by Lisa Church

  But when she got to the door, she found herself jumping back, startled by a strange sound.

  Her loud scream made Alec jump out of his chair. He found himself on the floor, the chair flung squarely in front of him.

  “What is it?” he yelled, afraid to look.

  “I don’t know,” Winnie said, standing about two feet back from the noise. She wanted to be brave and use the flashlight to get a closer look, but that frozen feeling of fear was over her once again.

  They heard the noise once more, this time even louder and longer. Winnie strained to hear, hoping it would be a sound she would recognize.

  “It sounds like something rubbing up against the screen door.”

  Alec stayed behind his chair, deciding his sister was going to have to handle this one on her own.

  “Can you see what it is?” he asked.

  Winnie took a deep breath and forced her feet to move forward. She heard the noise again and, this time was determined to figure out what it was. She moved to the door and let her body ease down to the floor, closer to where the scratching was coming from. When she finally turned the flashlight onto the glass, she let out a happy squeal at what she saw.

  “It’s a kitten, Alec! A baby kitten! It’s hanging on the screen door with its claws.” Winnie’s giggles filled the room with relief and gave them the first reason to smile in hours. Alec leapt from his position of hiding and joined his sister at the door.

  “The poor thing,” he said, leaning up close to the glass to see it. “Let’s let it in.”

  Winnie agreed with his suggestion but was a little leery at trying to open the door. “Alec, this wind is really strong. What if the door slides open and we can’t get it shut?”

  Alec stared at the door, almost as if he didn’t believe that could actually happen. But with the sound of the next wind gust, it was rather obvious it could.

  “Let’s just wait until there’s a little break in the wind, then we’ll hurry up and open it.”

  Winnie thought about this for a second, then agreed with the plan. They had to let the kitten in. Without them, the poor thing would surely be swept away in the wind. They were its only chance.

  It took a few minutes, but the two finally agreed that the time had come. Winnie unlocked the latch and gave the door a push. It slid open easily, the wind taking it with force.

  “Grab the cat!” yelled Alec above the roar of the storm. Winnie heard his words and knelt down to grab the kitten. The yellow tiger-stripe was holding fast to the screen, terrified of what was happening around it. Winnie reached around to the front of the screen and stretched her arms out for the cat. She grabbed the scruff of fur on the back of its neck and gave a swift tug. The cat came undone from the screen on the second try.

  “Got it!” she yelled with a smile. She pulled the cat inward and hugged it close to her chest. She actually could feel its tiny heart beating against her own.

  “Give it to me while you shut the door!” Alec yelled, worried now that things were starting to blow around the kitchen. The gust had picked up once again. Cold, damp air was filtering through the room.

  Winnie handed the cat to her brother and pulled on the door. It wouldn’t budge.

  “It’s stuck!” she yelled, pulling harder.

  “Let me try,” Alec said, handing the kitten back to his sister.

  His efforts were worthless as well. The rain was spitting pellets of icy, cold, water droplets in through the open doorway. The wind, stronger now than it had been when the door had first been opened, was tossing items loosely about the room.

  Winnie could hear her voice growing louder above the whistle of the wind, trying to instruct her brother on what to do.

  “Pull it harder!” she shouted, clutching the frightened kitten closer to her chest.

  “I’m trying!” he shouted back, but it was no use. The door was refusing to budge, choosing to stay tightly in its metal grooves.

  Alec stepped back, tired from the great effort he had made. He turned to look at Winnie, her arms still wrapped securely around the kitten.

  “We both need to pull!” he cried into his sister’s ear to be heard over the howls of the weather.

  Winnie gave his suggestion some thought. He was right. If the door was indeed going to move against the force of the gusts, it would have to be with the help of two of them.

  “The cat?” she yelled, wondering what to do with it. She hated to put the frightened thing down. What if it ran back into the storm?

  “It’s our only chance!” Alec yelled. “We have to get the door shut!”

  Winnie knew he was right. She waited until the roaring died down then gave her brother a nod. She dropped the cat on the floor and said a silent prayer that it would not run back outside then grabbed the metal handle and braced her foot against the wall. She watched Alec do the same.

  “Now!” she shouted, wanting to make sure all their efforts were at once. With one super thrust, they brought the sliding door to a slow close. It seemed to take every ounce of energy from the both of them.

  Winnie sank to the floor, weary from the last few minutes. She looked over at her brother, who had his head buried in his hands. The tired girl didn’t know if she could do this anymore. How much more could they take? Winnie wished for her parents, she wished for the hours to rush by, and she wished for an end to this awful, awful nightmare. But as the storm raged on around her, she knew that wishing might just not be enough.

  Chapter Seven

  Winnie was so relieved when they got the door pulled shut; it took her a few seconds to notice they were totally in the dark again.

  “I guess the wind blew out all the candles,” she said, letting the despair sink into her voice.

  Alec looked around the room, the only light from the wavering flashlight on the counter. He let out a sigh Winnie heard even above the wind.

  “I guess we should light them again,” he suggested as he leaned onto the wall to help himself up. “I’ll go around and get them while you find the matches.”

  Winnie didn’t want to move. She was tired… tired of worrying about her parents, tired of keeping her brother from getting scared, tired of trying to stay one step ahead of this storm. A tear trickled down her cheek. She didn’t even move her hand to wipe it away. Alec wouldn’t see. He was busy feeling around for the candles. Winnie decided to just sit there a moment and let the tears come. Perhaps a little bit of crying would make her feel better.

  Another tear wet her cheek, and Winnie waited for the feelings of hopelessness to go away. She put her head down and wrapped her arms around herself. The youngster was trying very hard to think of pleasant things. For some reason, though, nothing came to mind. Winnie was just about to give up and join her brother when something rubbed against her shoulder.

  “Agh!” she screamed, jumping from the floor to the chair in one leap. “Something touched me!”

  Alec whipped himself around at hearing his sister’s cry. The flashlight beam went to the floor, shining weakly on the spot where Winnie had been sitting.

  “I don’t see anything,” Alec said, looking where the light shone. “Are you sure it wasn’t your imagination?”

  Winnie was almost mad. “Of course it wasn’t my imagination. It was real. I felt it. Something touched me on the shoulder. It was like… Agh! There it is again!” she screamed. “Now it’s by my foot. Quick! Shine the light!”

  Alec moved the beam straight to the chair where Winnie was standing. He angled the beam toward her foot. It was only a few seconds before they both realized what it was.

  “The kitten!” Winnie said, stooping to pick the wet feline up. “I forgot all about you!”

  Alec laughed, releasing the tension that had been building up over the past several minutes. He went to his sister’s side and petted the purring kitten with glee.

  “The poor thing,” he said, looking into its green eyes. “You sure are one lucky cat, finding us like that. Another couple minutes out in that storm and
you would have been blown away, too.”

  Just the thought of the animal out in the cold rain made Winnie shiver. She knew Alec was right. No animal would survive long out in that mess. She somehow felt responsible for saving the life of this little one, something happy to think about in all the horror of the night.

  “Do you think we’ll be allowed to keep it?” Alec asked.

  Winnie shrugged. “I hope so. She sure seems nice. And she’s so skinny. I can’t imagine she has a home out there somewhere.”

  “Well, she’s ours for tonight,” Alec said, fluffing the kitten’s wet fur. “Can I hold her while you light the candles?”

  The chore that seemed so dreaded just a few minutes ago didn’t seem so terrible now. The little kitten had recharged the two children, given them something to lift their spirits.

  She handed the kitten over to her brother, taking the armful of candles to the counter where the matches had been earlier.

  “You’re going to have to help me find the matches,” Winnie said a little nervously. “I think they got blown away when the door was opened.”

  “The matches and everything else,” Alec said, casting the light around the room. “Do you see all the stuff that blew around? Mom is gonna have a fit when she sees this kitchen.”

  Winnie knew as long as she and her brother were safe, her mother wasn’t going to have a fit about anything. When they made it past this storm… when the whole family was once again back together, she had a feeling her mother wasn’t going to sweat the small stuff anymore.

  “Found them!” Alec yelled, picking them up off the floor to give to his sister. “They were clear over here. That wind is really strong!”

  “If it’s that bad in here, think of what it would be like to be outside in this stuff,” Winnie said, carefully lighting the first candle.

  Alec just shook his head, probably getting his first real sense of what this storm was really about. Maybe now he would understand why Winnie was hoping her parents would just stay in town for the night and try to get home in the morning. If they were to attempt the trip tonight, well, Winnie didn’t even want to consider the problems that could occur.

  By the time all the candles were lit, the children were feeling a little better about things. Winnie glanced at her watch and gave a sigh.

  “It’s about 9:00,” she said, thinking it had to be more like midnight. “Are you getting tired yet?”

  Alec grabbed a handful of potato chips from the bag on the table and shoved them in his mouth, probably to avoid answering his sister. Anything to do with bedtime brought a list of other choices to the surface of his mind.

  “I don’t think we ought to sleep upstairs tonight,” Winnie said, ignoring the way her brother was ignoring her. “I don’t know all that much about hurricanes, but I do know they tell you not to go to the top floor in your house. I think we should just sleep on the couch and the love seat tonight.”

  Alec nodded his approval and added some more chips to his already full mouth. Winnie waited patiently for him to finish, taking the bag of chips away so he couldn’t avoid her next question.

  “I know you’re probably not tired yet, but I think we ought to get some blankets and move the candles to the living room to get our beds set up.”

  “Can I get a drink first?” he moaned, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

  Winnie nodded and got him a can of soda from the refrigerator. “Don’t tell Mom I let you have that,” she warned. Their mother always limited the number of sodas they could have, and they were never allowed any close to bedtime.

  Alec responded with a smile and opened the can gratefully. He sipped on the drink while Winnie scooped up the cat and one candle.

  “Let’s take the candles in there first, then we’ll go get the stuff we need to make our beds.”

  Alec nodded, taking a candle in one hand and his can of soda in the other.

  “This will be kind of like a sleepover,” he said, a tinge of excitement in his voice. “We still need more food, though.”

  “You and your food,” Winnie groaned. “We’ll get some more snacks after we find our pillows and blankets.”

  The two went about their business, placing candles and each picking a spot where they thought they would be comfortable. Winnie was pleased Alec had chosen the loveseat. It gave her the longer space of the sofa to stretch out on. She didn’t think she would be able to sleep much tonight, but it would feel good to just lie down for a bit. Her muscles were tight, and her head ached from the tension of the afternoon and evening.

  “I’m all set!” Alec called, grabbing the sofa pillow and an afghan their mom had placed on the back of it for cool evenings. “Let’s get those snacks!”

  Winnie held her brother off a few more minutes, making him go with her to her bedroom to retrieve her pillow and a couple blankets. She also thought enough to grab their toothbrushes and toothpaste while she was on the second floor.

  “We could have done without brushing our teeth for one night,” Alec protested.

  Winnie just smiled and let Alec shine the light down the steps. The kitten was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, her green eyes reflecting brightly in the light.

  “Can I sleep with the kitten?” Alec asked, treating Winnie for the first time like a babysitter rather than a sister.

  “Sure,” she said, hoping he would be able to fall asleep tonight amidst the storm’s howls and cries. “Now what about that snack?”

  She followed Alec into the kitchen, letting him lead the way with the flashlight. They raided the cupboards, decided on some crackers with peanut butter, and then headed back to the living room with a filled plate. They also brought a saucer of milk for their new friend.

  “She sure was hungry,” Alec said, stroking the kitten’s back as she lapped at the white liquid.

  “How do you know it’s a ‘she’?” Winnie asked.

  “I don’t know,” Alec said, cocking his head to the side. “I guess she just looks like a girl to me. What do you think?”

  “Mmm, I guess it’s a girl, too,” Winnie said with a smile. “Do you think we ought to give her a name?”

  “Yeah,” Alec said, pleased with the suggestion. “But I’m not sure what.”

  Winnie looked at the poor little creature. She wasn’t fluffy, she didn’t have white paws, and she didn’t have spots. None of the normal names for cats seemed to suit. The only name that fit this cat was Lucky.

  “Lucky?” Alec said, letting his sister’s suggestion roll off his tongue. “What do you think, kitty? Does Lucky suit you?”

  The kitten stopped drinking long enough to look Alec’s way. Both children giggled for it looked like she was answering him.

  “Lucky it is!” Winnie announced. Alec gave the kitten a pat on the head. While eating the crackers spread thickly with peanut butter, Alec waited patiently for her to finish the milk. When it was finally finished, he picked up the kitten and took it to the loveseat with him. His long yawn let Winnie know her brother was getting tired.

  He plopped down on the cushions, used earlier to shut out the monster, and snuggled back against the pillow. He pulled the afghan up over his legs and placed the cat carefully on his lap. It seemed to go to sleep in seconds. Alec placed his hand on the cat’s back, allowing himself to relax with the rhythmic movement of its breathing. His eyes shut, and for the first time that night, he was unaware of the storm.

  Winnie wouldn’t allow herself to be unnerved by the feeling of being alone. She felt a sense of relief that her brother had gone to sleep so easily. And yet, now that she was all alone with no one to talk to, and the howl of the wind so constant, she wished more than ever that her parents were there. It was going to be a long night.

  Chapter Eight

  Winnie relaxed more easily than she had expected. At first she had thought of carefully plucking the sleeping kitten from her brother’s lap since he was snoozing so soundly, but she didn’t feel right doing it. Promising him the cat f
or the night had eased his fears and she felt she should follow through. Although stroking its soft fur and telling it her worries right now would have been a welcomed distraction.

  The young girl worried for a bit about the storm but knew there was really nothing she could do. Shifting her concern to her parents, wherever they were, was a slight reprieve from her own situation at home. Winnie knew they were probably frantic with worry, but she also knew this storm couldn’t last forever.

  Winnie allowed her thoughts to drift to the scary moments throughout the evening. She had grown pretty used to the noise in the basement by then, and was pretty sure it wasn’t the monster that Alec had imagined. While she hadn’t narrowed down the source, Winnie figured it couldn’t be anything too dangerous or it would have gotten them by then.

  The ‘who’ or ‘what’ outside with the flashlight was what boggled her mind the most. Was there someone in the yard trying to see inside their house? If so, what were they looking for, and why didn’t they ever try to come in? And if it wasn’t a person, then it was even more of a mystery. There were no vehicles around. Not even an alien spaceship would be out a night like this!

  There were more frightening moments throughout the night, but after reflecting on them for a time, Winnie decided to think about something a little more pleasant. If she got herself upset, she would have no one to turn to. And she definitely wouldn’t be any help to Alec if he woke up scared himself.

  She let herself drift off to thoughts of a summer night — crickets chirping, robins singing their evening songs, the symphony of the frogs down by the water. The lull she imagined in the back of her mind was enough to relax her and bring on sleep. By 10:30, she was sleeping as soundly as her brother.

  The clunking sound in the basement caused Winnie to stir a few times through the night, but she didn’t come fully awake until daybreak. When she finally did open her eyes, she was startled by the stillness of everything around her. She could still hear the rain, but it was softer now, a slow, steady shower falling gently to the ground. The wind was practically still, and the thunder was gone ‘til another day.