Not Real

She walked though the apartment counting her boxes making sure everything was there. Her first place out on her own. It had been a hard decision to make leaving home for a promotion in the big city.

Everything was there, now the fun part. The kitchen was the place to start. She walked in and opened the first box on the counter. After wiping out the drawers and the cabinets she began putting away dishes and silverware.

Reaching up to set the serving plate on the high shelf she felt a soft breeze though the back of her hair. The room was suddenly chilled. Rubbing her arms she looked at the windows, they were closed. “The air vents must be pointed this way.”

She checked the windows then went back to the counter to put the last stack of dishes up. They were already in the cabinet. She doesn’t remember doing it though. She didn’t, she set them down to check the windows.

After a moment she laughed, “I must be more tired than I thought from the drive up here.”

After closing the cabinet doors she made her way to the bedroom. The bright lights from the street below light up the room. “That won’t do, daylight isn’t supposed to be for another seven hours.”

She opened another box and pulled out a thick blanket then turned to put it over the window. She stopped and gasped as a man shaped shadow stepped away from the window.

The blanket fell to the floor as she ran from the apartment into the hall.

A male voice uttered a surprised, “whoa.” 

When she bumped into him she jumped back with a squeak of a scream.

The man held out his hands palms up showing he meant not harm. “Hey, I’m your neighbor, Jack. Are you okay, is something wrong?”

She isn’t sure of the stranger then sees the bag of groceries in his hand. It couldn’t have been him in her bedroom. She grabbed his sleeve. “There’s someone in my bedroom… ... I think. I saw a tall shadow he, he, he moved toward me.”

Jack gave a soft nod as he placed a comforting hand over hers. “Would you like me to go check it out?”

Before she could give a verbal answer to call the cops she felt her head nod.

Jack handed her the bag of groceries and grinned softly as he walked into the apartment with caution. He moved though the living room to between the kitchen and bedroom. He felt a chill in the air. A glance at the thermostat told him the air conditioning was turn off.

He shook his head. It was cold outside he could still be chilled from being out in the weather. He looks into the darkened bedroom and sees a darker shadow in the corner by the window.

“Hey! Who’s in there? Someone in there?” When there was no sound or movement he walked into the bedroom and looked around. An uneasy feeling as he moved around the bed to examine the corner. Jack plugged in the lamp and turned it on. The room was empty except for the boxes and bags.

He couldn’t help the glance to that one corner of the room that seemed dark even with the light on. He almost ran into her as he walked out into the kitchen. With a startled laugh he grinned.

“It’s okay. Might have been a shadow from the street, they can look pretty weird on the walls sometimes at night.”

She laughed at herself face blushed pink. “I’m so embarrassed, thank you for going to all the trouble. I’m Emily by the way.”

He grinned and took the hand she offered for a shake. “Nice to meet you, Emily. Don’t be embarrassed, new place and all can be kind of spooky.”

He sees her cell phone on the counter he programmed in his number then held it out to her. “If you need anything just call. I’m in number 34 two doors down. And I’m a chronic night owl so it doesn’t matter what time it is if you need to talk, or a hand with something heavy.”

She grinned and nodded. “Thanks, and thanks for coming to my rescue.”

After walking Jack out with his groceries, Emily went back to the bedroom. She covered the window and got ready for bed. When she turned out the light she saw the same shadow for a moment.

With a gasp she turned the light back on and shook her head. “Nothing there, it’s not real.”

Exhausted from the move and excitement she turned out the light and lay back. As her eyes drifted shut she saw a large shadow figure step away from the wall. Tightening her lids against the possibilities she hugged her pillow. “It’s not real. It’s not real.”

Or was it.

***Part of the A to Z Blog Challenge 2011... Letter N***