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Authors: Elaine Orr
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She tried several variations of that word, all without success. MNY. That was a less likely abbreviation. She tried inserting different vowels between the consonants to see if any words came to mind. MANY, no. MONEY. Of course--money and accounting. She keyed in MONEY and there was a brief pause. No error message; she thought that was a good sign.
To her dismay, the screen suddenly showed 12 lines of a mix of numbers and letters. It was gibberish! "Damn," she said. She stared again, but could understand nothing. At least it wasn’t a bunch of symbols, the way it would have been it the file contained only computer language. Uncertain if she would be able to get into the file again, she hit the "print screen button."
"What do you think of that, Brandy?" She looked at her cat, who was staring out the door into the hallway. "What's wrong with you?" As she said it, Brandy arched her back as she did when another cat appeared outside the sliding glass door.
"Hey..." Christa heard a tinkle that sounded like wind chimes, but different somehow. Brandy's tail grew huge and she hissed. There was a sharp crack and a sound of breaking glass. Someone was trying to get in the apartment! In a panic, Christa picked up the phone on her desk. It was dead.
CHAPTER FIVE
CHRISTA JUMPED UP FROM HER DESK CHAIR and ran out of her den into the hallway. But, before she could dash out of her unit over to Frances' she heard a foot hit the floor in her kitchen. She went back into the den and shut and locked the door and turned out the small light near her computer.
Her mind raced. All of the apartment lights had been out except the one in the den, so the intruder may have expected to find her in bed. Christa figured she had less than a minute before they realized where she was. She grabbed the single piece of paper from the printer and stuffed it in the pocket of her slacks and turned to the window. She raised the sash, thankful that it was made of aluminum rather than wood. The screen was trickier. Rather than simply sliding up, there were two small pieces of metal that she had to press toward the center while simultaneously lifting the thin metal frame. She recalled that it sometimes made a scraping sound, and held her breath as she raised the screen. It went up quietly and she let it glide down slightly so that it could lock in place.
The loud click of metal on metal seemed to reverberate through the room, and Christa froze. There was no sound from the hallway outside the den, so she stuck one foot out the window. Brandy! She looked around the room, but there was no sign of her cat. She squinted and looked under the desk. Two green eyes stared back. She couldn't take her. Christa swung her foot down to the ground and was bringing the other foot out when she heard the hand on the doorknob to the den.
She pulled herself through the window and gently lowered the window sash so Brandy wouldn't be tempted to follow her. She had to get to a phone to call the police. The moon was three-quarters full but a group of clouds passed over it just as she ran around the edge of the building. She would knock on the door of the first apartment that had a light on. No sense going to a unit in her building; she could run into the burglar. As she neared the crest of the small hill that ran between two buildings Christa saw a tiny point of light that seemed to hang in the air near her car. It couldn't be a firefly; there had already been a frost.
The light moved a few inches. The slight change made her look again. That was no firefly; it was a cigarette. "Hey, she's out here!" said the man who went with the cigarette.
Heart pounding, Christa turned and ran back down the hill. She looked right and left. There was no way to know how many others were with the man who had been standing watch. She ran toward the woods.
Her feet rattled the planks on the narrow footbridge that took her across the creek. If she followed the tree line it would lead her by the
To her dismay, the screen suddenly showed 12 lines of a mix of numbers and letters. It was gibberish! "Damn," she said. She stared again, but could understand nothing. At least it wasn’t a bunch of symbols, the way it would have been it the file contained only computer language. Uncertain if she would be able to get into the file again, she hit the "print screen button."
"What do you think of that, Brandy?" She looked at her cat, who was staring out the door into the hallway. "What's wrong with you?" As she said it, Brandy arched her back as she did when another cat appeared outside the sliding glass door.
"Hey..." Christa heard a tinkle that sounded like wind chimes, but different somehow. Brandy's tail grew huge and she hissed. There was a sharp crack and a sound of breaking glass. Someone was trying to get in the apartment! In a panic, Christa picked up the phone on her desk. It was dead.
CHAPTER FIVE
CHRISTA JUMPED UP FROM HER DESK CHAIR and ran out of her den into the hallway. But, before she could dash out of her unit over to Frances' she heard a foot hit the floor in her kitchen. She went back into the den and shut and locked the door and turned out the small light near her computer.
Her mind raced. All of the apartment lights had been out except the one in the den, so the intruder may have expected to find her in bed. Christa figured she had less than a minute before they realized where she was. She grabbed the single piece of paper from the printer and stuffed it in the pocket of her slacks and turned to the window. She raised the sash, thankful that it was made of aluminum rather than wood. The screen was trickier. Rather than simply sliding up, there were two small pieces of metal that she had to press toward the center while simultaneously lifting the thin metal frame. She recalled that it sometimes made a scraping sound, and held her breath as she raised the screen. It went up quietly and she let it glide down slightly so that it could lock in place.
The loud click of metal on metal seemed to reverberate through the room, and Christa froze. There was no sound from the hallway outside the den, so she stuck one foot out the window. Brandy! She looked around the room, but there was no sign of her cat. She squinted and looked under the desk. Two green eyes stared back. She couldn't take her. Christa swung her foot down to the ground and was bringing the other foot out when she heard the hand on the doorknob to the den.
She pulled herself through the window and gently lowered the window sash so Brandy wouldn't be tempted to follow her. She had to get to a phone to call the police. The moon was three-quarters full but a group of clouds passed over it just as she ran around the edge of the building. She would knock on the door of the first apartment that had a light on. No sense going to a unit in her building; she could run into the burglar. As she neared the crest of the small hill that ran between two buildings Christa saw a tiny point of light that seemed to hang in the air near her car. It couldn't be a firefly; there had already been a frost.
The light moved a few inches. The slight change made her look again. That was no firefly; it was a cigarette. "Hey, she's out here!" said the man who went with the cigarette.
Heart pounding, Christa turned and ran back down the hill. She looked right and left. There was no way to know how many others were with the man who had been standing watch. She ran toward the woods.
Her feet rattled the planks on the narrow footbridge that took her across the creek. If she followed the tree line it would lead her by the
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