Footsteps in the dark

What I’m about to tell you occurred late an autumn night when my kees girl needed to go out. It was dark, so dark that the streetlights only managed to light up a small part of the middle of the street. The rain had painted the asphalt in a dark grey shade and it was lined with brown autumn leaves. Then suddenly the silence was broken by the sound of footsteps. It might not have been exactly that sound, but it was close.

Both me and my kees turned around at the same time to see where the sound came from. There, in the middle of the street, was a big yellow leaf rolling down the street. It moved jerkily, but surprisingly straight. The strangest thing was that the sound was so loud. If I had closed my eyes, the illusion would have been of someone walking close by. Something kept me from closing my eyes though.

I gazed fascinated at the leaf until my dog dragged me back into the garden. She always likes to sit outside the gate to leave messages to passing dogs, but this time, she hurried into the garden. What was it that she saw? They say that dogs can see more than humans. She did her business as fast as she could and then dragged me towards the front door. She seemed to be in a big hurry to get inside into the warm house.

What was it she really saw out there in the dark?

~ by irispolaris on 10 November, 2008.