Just inside the door, she set down her bags and quickly flipped the switch by the window. Nothing. Of course, the electricity is off, she realized. She locked the front door and reached into her purse for a small flashlight. Once turned on, the flashlight lit up the immediate vicinity.
Just as the realtor had said, most of the previous owner's furniture remained. Everything was covered with sheets, giving the room an eerie, horror movie-like vibe. Taking a deep breath, she moved farther into the room and began lifting the sheets to see what treasures were underneath.
Beneath the first dirty, white sheet was a decent-looking green microfiber sofa. Jerking the remainder of the sheet off the couch, she coughed as a cloud of dust flew into the air. Deciding to postpone the task of uncovering the rest of the living room furniture, she took the flashlight and walked through the adjoining doorway into the kitchen.
The previous resident's appliances were also still present, albeit in desperate need of a good scrubbing. Wandering over to the sink, she was surprised by the cold stream of water that began flowing into the filthy, stainless-steel basin. "Well, at least I have running water," she announced.
Peeking beneath the sink, she was thrilled to find an assortment of cleaning supplies. "Looks like it's going to be a busy night," she declared.
With the flashlight in hand, she scanned the dining area that conjoined the kitchen. In the far corner was a round, pine-colored dining table and two chairs. Returning to the living room, she cautiously strolled down a short hallway that led to the laundry room and back door. She hurriedly made sure the door was locked before directing her attention to the yellow washing machine and dryer. "Well, this is an interesting color, but as long as they work," she said out loud to herself.
Retracing her steps to the other end of the hallway, she ascended the staircase that led to the second floor. Nearly screaming when she felt wispy fingers shroud her face at the top of the stairs, he breath caught in her throat. Seconds later, however, she realized she had only walked into a huge spider's web. Silently praying the homeowner had moved on, she brushed the web out of her path and continued on her way.
The first opening to the left was a bedroom with what appeared to be a queen-size bed in the middle of it. The closed door across the hall opened into a bathroom with what she was sure had once been beautiful, lavender-painted walls. Now, though, the paint peeled from the surface in a sad array of lost hopes.
At the end of the hall was a large bedroom that could be divided into two rooms, if the need arose. It was stacked nearly floor to ceiling with boxes. One of the boxes closest to the door was labeled "blankets." Curious as to whether the box indeed contained blankets, she pulled it down from the stack and peeked inside. The happy face of a Dalmatian stared back at her from the comforter on top. Smiling, she reclosed the box and placed it back where it had been. She then went back down to the kitchen and began cleaning.
By daylight, the kitchen was nearly spotless, and she had moved on into the living room. But after only a few minutes, she decided it was time to take a nap. Rechecking both doors to ensure they were securely locked, she settled down onto one end of the couch and quickly drifted off to sleep.
In her dream, she was in her new home, asleep on the end of the sofa, but she wasn't alone. A young guy with straggly, dark brown hair and gray eyes sat in a chair opposite her. He was wearing a sleeveless white T-shirt with a gothic skull on the front. His black jeans had rips in various places down both legs that looked like they had been made intentionally. A silver chain ran from the front of his jeans to what she assumed was his wallet in a back pocket. He wore sneakers typical of those a skateboarder might wear and a heather gray beanie pulled down on his head, so only the longest twigs of his hair stuck out. On one wrist were some beaded bracelets, while the other wrist sported a cheap-looking, rubber-banded watch.
The guy stared at her curiously, perhaps as though he wasn't sure how to approach her. She was taken aback at his appearance in her home, but she wasn't afraid. In her dream state, she instinctively knew he wasn't a danger to her. He simply sat there watching as she slept. She almost felt comfort in his presence.
She slept peacefully into the early afternoon. When she awoke, she half expected to see the good-looking stranger from her dream would still be sitting across from her. Marginally disappointed, she rose to get started cleaning once more. Remembering her dream, she wore a smile the rest of the night.
When she retired for the evening, she again dreamed of the handsome guy from earlier. This time, though, he stood beside the window in the living room watching her. He brought such a feeling of security with his appearance. Under different circumstances, a stranger watching you from across the room while you slept would be considered terrifying, but she was glad he was there. It was as though he was keeping watch over her.
The next morning, she got dressed and washed up early. She planned to walk into the town the cab had driven through the night she had first arrived. She needed some supplies, and she wanted to find a job. She hadn't held one since shortly after she got married, but she thought she could surely get a position as a waitress or something along those lines. Food and additional cleaning supplies were at the top of her list, but she also wanted to see about buying a bicycle to make traveling to and from home easier.