Morning all and welcome to Friday. It has been a long one, at least for me. But there is a three day weekend ahead so that is nice. For now, we have Friday, so let’s kick it off with the morning prompt. Timers at the ready and off we go.
Not sure where this is going, but I kind of like it as a set up.
Friday, November 8th: Light seeped around the closed door.
Light seeped around the closed door. He peered at it, from down the hall. The room had been empty since Curtis left. Mike resisted the urge to think ‘went missing’ instead of left. He had after all left behind a note. The note was strange but Mike had been told by his other housemates that he was reading into things. After all Curtis had left before.
‘If he hadn’t left six month’s rent behind they would be more worried,’ Mike said. Still he had to admit that was still Curtis’ style. He came from a wealthy family and even though the rest of them scraped together their rent each month and lived cheap, he lived in the shared house more for company than for economics. Mike had the feeling that despite his family wealth, Curtis lived a very lonely life before coming here.
‘Still the note didn’t sound like him, even if the money did.’
Curtis always left more money than was needed when he left. Jerry thought it good manners but Mike thought Curtis was more worried about being replaced. Usually he left a few bare references to where he was going. He may have decided to jet off to Ski the Alps or throw the dice in Monte Carlo for a while but he didn’t brag about it. He kept it low key. “Too hot heading out to cool down a bit, was how he described his last Swiss skiing adventure. Off Swimming for a bit was his description of his trip to St. Barts.
This note claimed he was ‘Visiting with family in Martinique.’ Everyone else just thought family vacation, but Mike thought it odd. And now there was a light on in Curtis’ room. He tried to decide if he heard the front door open. He didn’t think he had. He only saw the light when he left his rooms thinking he left his notebook in the downstairs living room. Then he saw the light.
Like giving specific instructions, sneaking in quietly was not Curtis’ style either. Whenever he returned, no matter where he came in from or what time it was, he made a loud entrance and usually bestowed some sort of gifts to let them know he had not forgotten them while he was away. Mike always made sure to tell Curtis he was missed. His eyes were always nervous looking until he heard someone say it.
If this was Curtis then it was a quiet Curtis and like the note, it didn’t match.
The light snapped off and Mike retreated into the shadows. The door slowly opened and someone peered out.
‘Not Curtis,’ Mike’s brain said. He pulled himself behind the corner before the figure looked in his direction. He heard the door to Curtis’ room close and heard the floorboards sigh with the passage of the intruder. He was moving in the opposite direction from Mike, towards the door. Mike listened until he heard the squeaky stair tread and knew the stranger was past the bend in the staircase. He moved back to his room and took out his phone. He moved to the window already engaging the video function. It was a warm night and he had his window open. The room was dark and the screen had fallen out of the window frame a few weeks earlier.
Mike videoed the street looking for waiting vehicles. He found one and focused on it. The figure exited the front door and walked towards the car. Mike filmed his exit and was relieved when he reached the end of the street and turned left.
Ten til Midnight 