It was the beginning of autumn and Maggie walked down the lane back to her apartment. It was getting real chilly and she wished she had her jacket. She arrived at her apartment a few minutes later and immediately went to take a warm bath. When she felt better she went to the kitchen to warm up her favorite kind of soup.
She felt relaxed and free, as she had just finished her last exam for the year. Her friends begged her to go out with them but she was just too tired. All she wanted was peace and quiet and some much needed sleep.
The late night studying has taken its toll on her. She grabbed a blanket from her bedroom and got comfortable in front of the television. It wasn't long before she fell asleep. She woke up startled when she spilled the soup all over herself.
She was too tired to be bothered and just wiped everything off the couch and put on a new shirt before switching off the television. She went straight to bed and fell asleep almost instantly.
Just after midnight she woke up when she heard a noise in the kitchen. She lay still for a minute and then she heard it again. She hoped that it was the cat that knocked something over, but when she heard the fridge door open she froze. There was someone in her apartment and her damned phone was in the living room.
Instinct took over, and she knew she had to protect herself. She couldn't think straight but remembered that Jack left his baseball bat here last week. She grabbed the baseball bat in the corner of the room.
She trembled while she walked down the hallway and could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins. Her heart was beating so fast she could feel it in her chest. She stopped and peeked inside the kitchen. It was dark without the lights on, but she could clearly see a figure standing in the dark.
She had no idea how he got inside but when she felt a light breeze on her shoulder she realized that she left the window open. He must've climbed in through the window. You would think that she was safe, because she lived on the fourth floor and it was nearly impossible for anyone to get into the apartment through the window, but these days anything was possible.
She knew it was now or never. She took a deep breath, lifted the bat and rushed forward. She hit the bastard and he never knew what hit him. The burglar fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes. He was out cold.
She was scared to check on him and just grabbed her cellphone and dialed 911. She was too scared to stay inside and went outside, wrapped in a blanket and armed with a baseball bat. She locked the door behind her and waited for the police to show up.
They arrived a few minutes later, and she handed her key to the officer. She waited outside while they secured her apartment and the lady officer came out a few minutes later and told her that there was no one inside.
They reckon he escaped through the window again. All they found were a few drops of blood on the kitchen floor. They took her statement and asked for a description of the man. She couldn't tell them much.
After the police left, she locked the door and cleaned up the mess from the white kitchen floor. She didn't want to be reminded of the unsuspected meeting and suddenly felt annoyed with herself for not going out with her friends.
She really needed a drink and poured herself a shot of whisky and downed it in one sip. It was nearly half past one and seriously too late to phone Jack. He would be sleeping in any case as he went out partying with his friends last night.
The burglar was gone and there was nothing Jack could do in the early hours of the morning. Maggie curled up in front of the television and watched a movie until she fell asleep again.
She woke up a few hours later when the sun tickled her face. It was nearly eight o clock and she was supposed to meet Jack for breakfast at nine.
She got up and made herself some coffee. There was no evidence of any break in last night, and she shivered again, just by the thought. What could have happened if she did not wake up? What did the burglar want in her fridge? It felt like a puzzle to her and she went to take a shower.
She walked over to the restaurant and saw Jack waiting outside. He looked like he had a real rough night and she laughed when she kissed him.
"Too much to drink last night?"
He nodded and when he turned to walk inside the restaurant, she saw the stitches on the back of his head.
"What happened to you, Jack! This is terrible! Why didn't you call me?"
"Don't worry about it...let's just say...I fell. I should be fine...I definitely had too much to drink last night...."
"You poor baby!"
Jack felt embarrassed enough. He didn't bother to tell her that he wanted to surprise her in her apartment last night.
Next time he will make sure to call first.
- The End -
