snoring. Mona had only recently completed redecorating the bedrooms, and the white, Canadian goose-down mattress covers and comforters she’d purchased for each room were as opulent as anything one might find in a grand hotel. I slipped into my pajamas, put my cell on its charger, and set the alarm clock. Finally, I turned off the lamp and climbed into bed.
I sighed with pleasure as I sank into what felt like a cloud. I was certain I would conk out right away, but it didn’t happen. I thought of Jay and hoped he was okay. I’d forgotten to watch the news to see if there had been any progress with the fire. I sent up a prayer and finally drifted off to sleep.
I was awakened some time later by a shriek. I bolted from the bed, my heart thumping wildly in my chest. Mike growled, and I hushed her. Fear seized me. Was there an intruder in the house? Had I punched in the wrong security code? Had I forgotten to make certain the system was armed before I walked away?
Another shriek. I groped for the phone and quickly dialed 911. The dispatcher promised to send a patrol car immediately. I dropped the phone on the bed and tried to think of what I could use as a weapon. I remembered the tall, decorative vase on the dresser.
I wasted no time crossing the room, trying to be as quiet as I could. I grabbed the vase, surprised by how heavy it was, and turned for the door. I took great care opening it as soundlessly as possible, then headed down the dark hall with Mike beside me.
I tried to get my bearings, but I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. I didn’t dare turn on the light and alert the possible intruder that there was someone else in the house. I gripped the vase, ready to swing it as hard as I could the minute I got close enough.
I didn’t see the figure headed my way until I slammed right into it.
I don’t know who screamed the loudest, Mona or me. I dropped the vase, and it hit my big toe. Surprisingly, the vase didn’t break, but I was pretty sure my toe was broken. I bit my bottom lip to keep from howling. Instead, I whimpered.
The light came on. “What are you doing?” Mona demanded. “And why is my vase on the floor?”
I looked down to see if my toe was still attached to my foot. I leaned down and touched it gently. “I heard you scream,” I said, blinking back tears of pain. “I thought somebody was in the house. I was going to hit him with the vase.”
“I had a nightmare,” she said. “I must’ve cried out, because I woke up. Then I couldn’t go back to sleep because I was itching. I went into the bathroom to take my medicine, and on my way out, I accidentally saw my face in a magnifying mirror. You’d scream, too, if you’d seen what I saw.”
I looked up at her. I didn’t notice any changes.
“You need to calm down, Mona. Stress is only going to make your hives worse.”
“Calm down?! Did you say calm down? I dreamed I had leprosy, for Pete’s sake! What if that’s a sign of things to come?”
“You don’t have leprosy,” I said, trying to be patient with her. I checked my wristwatch. Five thirty a.m. I was still tired, but nothing short of a morphine drip would have eased my pain enough to fall asleep, plus, I was too shaken to think of going back to bed. I picked up the vase, turned, and headed toward the guest room.
“What’s wrong with your foot?” she asked.
“I dropped the vase on my toe.”
“Does it hurt?”
“What do you think?”
I returned the vase to the dresser and headed downstairs to grab a couple of Tylenol. Mona followed. In the kitchen, I took a closer look at my toe. It was red, but fortunately, I was able to move it.
“You should put ice on it,” Mona said.
I opened my mouth to answer when I heard a vehicle outside. I glanced out the window and saw a patrol car pull into her circular drive. “Uh-oh,” I said.
“What are the police doing here?” Mona asked.
“Um.”
“You called them?”
“I thought you were being murdered in
I sighed with pleasure as I sank into what felt like a cloud. I was certain I would conk out right away, but it didn’t happen. I thought of Jay and hoped he was okay. I’d forgotten to watch the news to see if there had been any progress with the fire. I sent up a prayer and finally drifted off to sleep.
I was awakened some time later by a shriek. I bolted from the bed, my heart thumping wildly in my chest. Mike growled, and I hushed her. Fear seized me. Was there an intruder in the house? Had I punched in the wrong security code? Had I forgotten to make certain the system was armed before I walked away?
Another shriek. I groped for the phone and quickly dialed 911. The dispatcher promised to send a patrol car immediately. I dropped the phone on the bed and tried to think of what I could use as a weapon. I remembered the tall, decorative vase on the dresser.
I wasted no time crossing the room, trying to be as quiet as I could. I grabbed the vase, surprised by how heavy it was, and turned for the door. I took great care opening it as soundlessly as possible, then headed down the dark hall with Mike beside me.
I tried to get my bearings, but I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. I didn’t dare turn on the light and alert the possible intruder that there was someone else in the house. I gripped the vase, ready to swing it as hard as I could the minute I got close enough.
I didn’t see the figure headed my way until I slammed right into it.
I don’t know who screamed the loudest, Mona or me. I dropped the vase, and it hit my big toe. Surprisingly, the vase didn’t break, but I was pretty sure my toe was broken. I bit my bottom lip to keep from howling. Instead, I whimpered.
The light came on. “What are you doing?” Mona demanded. “And why is my vase on the floor?”
I looked down to see if my toe was still attached to my foot. I leaned down and touched it gently. “I heard you scream,” I said, blinking back tears of pain. “I thought somebody was in the house. I was going to hit him with the vase.”
“I had a nightmare,” she said. “I must’ve cried out, because I woke up. Then I couldn’t go back to sleep because I was itching. I went into the bathroom to take my medicine, and on my way out, I accidentally saw my face in a magnifying mirror. You’d scream, too, if you’d seen what I saw.”
I looked up at her. I didn’t notice any changes.
“You need to calm down, Mona. Stress is only going to make your hives worse.”
“Calm down?! Did you say calm down? I dreamed I had leprosy, for Pete’s sake! What if that’s a sign of things to come?”
“You don’t have leprosy,” I said, trying to be patient with her. I checked my wristwatch. Five thirty a.m. I was still tired, but nothing short of a morphine drip would have eased my pain enough to fall asleep, plus, I was too shaken to think of going back to bed. I picked up the vase, turned, and headed toward the guest room.
“What’s wrong with your foot?” she asked.
“I dropped the vase on my toe.”
“Does it hurt?”
“What do you think?”
I returned the vase to the dresser and headed downstairs to grab a couple of Tylenol. Mona followed. In the kitchen, I took a closer look at my toe. It was red, but fortunately, I was able to move it.
“You should put ice on it,” Mona said.
I opened my mouth to answer when I heard a vehicle outside. I glanced out the window and saw a patrol car pull into her circular drive. “Uh-oh,” I said.
“What are the police doing here?” Mona asked.
“Um.”
“You called them?”
“I thought you were being murdered in
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