Entrapped

9 - The Intruder

Chloe aims the pistol right in front of her while she walks through the bead curtain of her room stark naked. The cold beads glide over her back and buttocks and her sides so that she gets goose bumps all over her body and even becomes more aware of her nudity.

Someone can now easily see her without her knowing it but, this is not the most important at this stage. She must search the place thoroughly for possible intruders that lurk somewhere. She heard them so clearly a few moments ago.

But even the plastic bags haven't been disturbed. She walks to the back door and tests it. It is locked. She realizes that Robert has his own set of keys and he could come in and exit again at will, but that barefoot footsteps don't fit his limp walk. She, however, don't want to take any chance so she slides in the extra safety catch. No one will now be able to enter even with a key.

Then she searches the guest rooms, the bathroom and in the sitting room she also tests the front door and secures it.

Nothing so far! The doors are securely locked. Then she gets the creepy feeling that someone is looking at her bare buttocks and enjoys it and then she looks at the portraits and straight into the green and brown eyes of the man and the woman. Her imagination is surely now running away with her.

Then she jerks with fright when she realizes what the noise was of something that fell down in the sitting room. The portrait of the boy and girl with the bloodied hands fell down and lies face down on the floor. She again gets goose bumps all over her body as she remembers the barefoot treads of children on the plank floor. It could only have been little children that ran along the corridor and up the stairs. But why did it become silent on the ceiling? Are they hiding in the attic?

Her heart pounces quicker as she steadily ascends the stairs with the pistol ready in her hand. The opening to the attic is dark and ominous. Someone can watch her easily without her knowing it. She readies herself to pull the trigger instantly.

The cold beads again tease her body and she shivers. She is ready with her finger on the trigger. She heaves a sigh of relief when she pulls the string and the light comes on. To her utter surprise, the attic is empty. No one, nothing!

Only a cool breeze greets her and she remembers that the windows in the attic are wide open. She walks up to the window at the other side and puts her head out. She looks at the dark, grotesque forest that encircles her little place. The trees look like giant zombies that silently watch her. It is straight down from up here to the ground below and one will have to use a very long ladder to reach the attic from outside. She should certainly have heard if someone tried that. She also checks the other window with the same result. To where have those barefooted creatures disappeared or is she totally going mad?

This is her first evening and already strange things are happening. Is this the type of thing that chased previous tenants away?

There simply must be a logical explanation and it slowly dawns upon her. Rats! It must have been giant rats that inhabit the woods. They must have smelled her groceries in the kitchen and came to investigate in the dark. Her creaking bed warned them and they must have scattered and escaped through the windows before she could see them. Maybe they are big enough that their footsteps resemble those of little barefoot children.

She smiles complacently and believes herself that this is the only logical explanation. The previous owners were driven away by their own imagination and rats

She closes both windows. They are heavy wooden framed with only with hinges and no latches or locks and because of their weight will be secure. She pulls them tight and realises that the wind will even push them closer. No rat will be able to enter from outside. She is satisfied. This is good enough.