The Calm After the Storm

Anne pads over to her bedroom window, pushing aside the white lacy curtains her mother
chose. Lifting her window slightly, she inhales, the fresh scent of post-rainfall filling her senses.
Glancing out, she takes in the dark glistening streets below, the cracked concrete sidewalks
reflecting the aftermath of a heavy storm. Nature and trash litter the ground below, although
Anne isn’t sure if it came from the carelessness of the wind or her neighbors. The surrounding
sky is inky black, with only a few glittering stars and the flickering street lights brightening her
sad city block. Anne rests her elbows on the window pane, sighing gently. There’s no one
around, but then again, there never is.
As Anne continues to gaze, a shriek of laughter breaks her trance. She peers to the left,
her roaming eyes settling on a woman walking on the road. The lady is well-dressed, diligently
stepping around the debris in her blazing red heels and clutching her phone to her ear. She
doesn’t appear to notice Anne, but that’s alright. She much prefers to remain hidden from others,
observing from the shadows in the background. She wonders why the fancy lady is in her area,
why she’s walking instead of taking a cab. The woman’s shrill voice grows louder, invading
Anne’s thoughts. Slapping her small hands over her ears, Anne blinks rapidly in a fruitless
attempt to block it out.
Anne floats out of her safe haven and down to the woman, reaching out, her well-
groomed fingernails stretching into hideous talons. Her hands wrap around the lady’s neck and
her cell phone hits the pavement below. Clawing at Anne, the lady struggles for breath, her eyes
widen in terror, her lips blue and her peachy skin whitens. Reveling in the inaudible screams,
Anne sneers and a sinister smile creeps across her face as the woman’s head drops back and her
movements still. Anne drops her lifeless body with a thud and snatches her phone, smashing it to
the ground. She winces at the loud clatter, but slumps in relief when silence surrounds her.
A muffled yelp snaps Anne to attention. She rests her hands on the window sill and
cranes her neck. She tilts her head in curiosity as the once-chattering stranger sinks to the ground
face first. A figure clad in black hovers over the woman, his hands slipping off the knife plunged
in her back. As her blood pools, the man picks up her phone and chucks it to the concrete. He
lifts his head until his scarred face meets Anne’s own stare from her window. The man bares his
gnashed teeth in a smile, slowly winking at her.
Grinning back, happiness warms her body and Anne takes in the scene before her. A
beautiful red seeps down the streets, the garbage welcomes the broken pieces. The specks in the
sky glow cheerfully and the dim lamp posts illuminate an inviting path among the sidewalks. The
quiet of the night envelopes Anne, a shiver of appreciation relaxes her. Turning from the
window, Anne lets the curtains fall and slips into bed. Sleep is quick to overtake her, and a sliver
of light shines on her peaceful smile.