Trapped

Zao shut up in bed despite the fact that there was a heater aimed at her.She could have sworn that something had touched her. Was she imagining it? She didn't think so. She knew there was something off about her house. It had always seemed to have a life of it's own.

She glanced at the clock on her bedside table, 2:50. She shoved a hand through her hair and pulled the cover back and placed on the cool, hardwood floor. She padded down stairs to the kitchen where she fixed a glass of water and downed it within seconds. She leaned over the sink, arms braced on either side of it and her long dark hair spilling over her shoulder. Just calm down, Zao.She thought. This isn't the first time it's happened. Remember when you were little? Freddy Krueger? Drawing on those memories didn't help her.

She took a deep breath and placed the glass in the sink before making her way back up stairs. She crawled under the covers and watch the minutes tick by until it was three AM on the dot. Heavy winds kicked up out side the house, battering branches against her window. Ducking her head under the blanket she squeezed her eyes shut. She hated this time of the night. She wasn't scared anymore she just hated it. Hated the mystery behind the events.

She wondered if any of her neighbors noticed the trees moving in her yard but not theirs. Wondered if they though she was crazy? Don't think about that, Zao. You have work in the morning and don't need to be trudging around like the dead. She relaxed her body and cleared her mind. Though it took what seemed like forever, she finally drifted to sleep.

Zao awoke to the constant buzzing of her alarm. She battered blindly for the snooze button and sat up, stretching. Pushing a hand through her hair she made her way to the bathroom where she proceeded to remove her contacts and replace them with her glasses. After brushing her teeth, pulling her hair into a high pony tail, and using the toilet, she went back to her room.

She dressed in a pair of black slacks and a white button up blouse. She slipped a pair of black flats onto her feet and went down to the kitchen where she started a pot of coffee and fixed a bowl of shredded wheat cereal. She sat at the table with a sigh and rubbed her eyes beneath the glasses. Last night was the worst she'd had in weeks and she was scared she'd fall asleep during class.

She began eating silently until the coffee machine buzzed, announcing it was finished making coffee. She stood and pulled a mug from the cabinet above the sink. Black was the only way she ever took her coffee. Taking a sip, she sat back down and finished her breakfast.

She walked to the sink where, as she washed and dried her bowl and spoon, she went over the schedule for today's class. Zao was a preschool teacher and she loved her job. She loved being around all of the wonderful children she taught. She had the three-year-old students today. Her favorite class though she wasn't allowed to admit it.

As long as it hadn't rained at some time during the night she planned on having most of the class outside in the cool, spring air. The forecast was supposed to be bright and sunny but she never paid much attention to the weather. How could she when she has unexpected winds battering her house in the wee hours of the morning?

She jumped slightly when her house phone began to shrill. She mentally shook her head and went to answer the phone. "Hello?" She answered but received no reply. "Hello?" She repeat but still got no reply. "if you don't say something I'm hanging up." She warned but she did get an answer. A dark chuckling sounded from the phone receiver. "Who is this?" She whispered but the phone went dead.

She was staring at the phone like it was a foreign matter when she heard a crash sound from upstairs. She took off at a run, tripping on her way up the stairs. The door to the guest room was swung wide open and another crash sounded. She'd found her destination. She came to a halt at the threshold of the door and stared in confused. Nothing was broken or even disturbed. She quickly check the other rooms but found the same results.

Another part of the mystery of her house. Another thing she couldn't stand. But what about that call? Was this some one's idea of a sick joke? If it was it had gone on for far too long. She made to go back to the kitchen but was pushed down the stairs instead.