Waking up was always devastating, but for a few brief
moments, in some distant reality, he would be reunited with the only two people
he truly loved. He reached down, grabbed
the recliner’s lever and pulled it forward.
The footrest slid down and his feet touched the floor. He grabbed his cane and made to stand...
…and froze.
His apartment was
small; a cramped living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. The bathroom was off of the bedroom and the
kitchen was to the right of the front...and only... door. There was not much furniture; just his chair,
a cheap couch and a couple of end tables.
A small dinette set was placed next to the wall that separated the
kitchen from the living room. He could
easily see the front door and just as easily see the human shaped silhouette
standing there. His heart slammed
against his chest as he realized that he was not alone.
I’m being robbed, he thought
wildly. He gripped his cane, knowing that
with his bad leg he was defenseless against a determined attack. He opened his mouth…whether to scream in
terror or challenge he would never know…but all that came out was a raspy hiss. His throat was bone dry.
The dark figure
did not move. Neither did Garrett. I’m
dreaming, he thought, trying desperately to believe it. Of
course I’m still dreaming. He
concentrated, trying to bring himself to full consciousness. Nothing changed. His aching leg throbbed in time with his
heart. That was enough to tell him that
he was awake.
And still the
dark figure did not move. Garrett knew
that whoever it was could certainly see him.
The glow from the parking lot was dim but adequate. The seconds ticked away. Finally, he managed to speak.
“I don’t have much,” he said, his voice barely
above a whisper. “Just take what you
want and go. Please.” His voice was weak and shaky and he winced in
shame. He took a deep breath. “Just get out.” He glanced at the table and then remembered
that his cell phone was in his jeans pocket.
He eased his left hand toward it but suddenly the figure moved and
Garrett had to gulp down a scream. It
did not come forward, or step backward or even sideways. It shifted. Garrett suddenly got the insane idea that
it had stayed in the same place while the entire universe moved past it.
“Please,” Garrett
pleaded. Something was very wrong with
this intruder. “What do you want?”
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