Dark Flutters: Stories for a Moonless Night

An Evening At Home

An Evening At Home

Tom unlocked the front door and stepped in. The house lay dark before him. Reaching out, his fingers brushed a switch causing light to flood the room. Shutting the door, he made his way into the house. He stopped in the kitchen and looked around, his stomach growling darkly.

He checked his watch. There was time before his meeting. He might as well eat before hand.

Opening the refrigerator, he pulled out a box of left over fried chicken and a bottle of beer. He took his finds and headed into the living room. Plopping himself onto the couch, he picked up the remote and flicked the T.V. to life. Settling into the news, he devoured his meal hungrily.

Once he was done, he tossed his trash and headed upstairs. He made his way into the master bedroom and straight to the walk-in closet. Opening the door, he peered inside at the clothes that hung before him.

He rummaged through the hangers. He wanted something special for this meeting. Something that would make him look his best. Selecting a gray pin-stripped suit, he pulled it out and laid it on the bed.

Tom showered quickly and slipped into the suit, checking himself in the mirror once it was on. He smiled to himself, showing his perfect white teeth. He looked good.

He checked his watch as he headed back down the stairs. It was just about time. With a nod, he quickly turned off the T.V. and flicked off the lights that he had left on. With that done, he headed back into the kitchen.

He pulled open the silverware drawer and rummaged through it. Finally finding what he was looking for, he pulled a butcher knife from the drawer. The blade caught the moonlight seeping in from the window, causing his reflection to shine before his eyes. He smiled again, mesmerized by the twinkle in his eye.

Closing the drawer, he carefully made his way through the darkened house. He stopped at the small space behind the stairs.

With the knife held carefully against him, Tom slipped into the shadowed space of the strange house and waited for the family who lived there to come home.