A Watch in the Dark

Night brought back the cover I needed. Leaving the TV stand, I crossed the living room rug and slipped into the dim hallway toward the front door. The apartment was entirely dark now. Resting against the edge of a heavy leather boot by the entryway, I set the base of my scythe silently against the wooden floorboards. Through the narrow gap beneath the front door, a thin strip of yellow light cut into the hall from the corridor outside. I remained completely still, watching the soft shadows of passing footsteps flicker beneath the door frame. Nothing entered. The perimeter holds.