Chapter 1
The food was still cold. I guess one minute and thirty seconds wasn’t enough Zora thought. The microwave in her apartment didn’t work, but she didn’t have money to buy a new one. This shit weather is making it worse. The rain pelted the windows of the flat and the only light visible outside was the shine of the full moon. Zora put the ramen noodles back in the microwave, setting it to twenty seconds. She walked to her couch that rested beside the window, and took her phone out of the denim pocket in her jeans, although they could barely hold an object, like most women’s pocket jeans. As she picked it up, a spider crawled up from behind her, scaring Zora. The mobile fell from her nervous hands.
“For fuck’s sake!” she yelled, clenching her fists. The microwave beeped at that same time, annoying Zora even more. As she got up and walked over to the kitchen stand, she couldn’t help but notice the flickering light outside. She lived in the second floor, so she was sure it was a street light. She looked outside and saw the silhouette of what appeared to be a man. Zora rolled her eyes thinking it was just a crazy old man and went to get her ramen noodles. She sauntered back to her sofa, but she spotted the shadow that was once next to a glinted light, now was waving their right hand. But who are they waving to? Zora thought, To me? She raised her eyebrow, ignored her fear and sat back down to eat her food and watch some TV. Zora picked up her remote and put on the news so she could get her mind off things, but still, she wondered what the strange man was doing.
Moments passed, and Zora had finished eating her noodles. She put the empty cup on top of the cupboard and continued watching the television. Her mind wandered from thought to thought, her fingers rapidly tapping their tips on the sofa, until she stopped when an ad for a ring played. The ring was very similar to the ring she had. It was silver with a fake pearl in the center. The only thing different from the two was that Zora’s shined in the dark, giving a white, beautiful glow. She looked at her hand to admire her jewelry, but noticed that it wasn’t there. Maybe I put it down when I was eating? She got up and looked around her apartment, but didn’t find it. There was one place left to look. By the window. With every step she took, her confidence grew smaller, she didn’t know why. The ring wasn’t there. She looked outside, and the man was still waving, but this time, something shiny was on his finger. Oh my fucking god Zora screamed in her mind. Her mind flashed, and flashed, thinking of how it got there. How it got to him. Her breathing grew louder and her eyes constricted. What was she gonna do? Go outside and ask him? Attack him? She bit her fingernails while thinking of what she was gonna do. Zora quickly closed her shutters, locked her door and called the police.
“911, how can I help you?”
“Hi hello, uh, my name is Zora Evans, I live in Adelaide Avenue, and a man, a man uhm…” Zora couldn’t articulate her words and thought that the situation was so crazy that the police wouldn’t believe her. She walked around the house, checking if something was off place.
“There’s a man outside, he’s been there for quite some time and he… he stole my ring, I, I don’t know how?!”
“Ma’am, I’m gonna need you to slow down can you repeat that please?”
“There’s a man outside and somehow he stole my ring, and he keeps waving at me, I’m so confused…” her mumbled speech carried out through her small tears. Zora looked out her blinds, taking a peek, and the man was now showing off the ring and laughing uncontrollably.
“Ma’am, do you know this man? Is he trying to break in?”
“No, I don’t know him! I can’t see his face, I just see his silhouette, my ring, and a flickering light!”
“And how do you know it’s your ring ma’am?”
“My ring shines in the dark, it has a very distinct light. I know it’s mine, I know it!
“Ok ma’am police are on their way, I’m gonna need you to keep calm and close all possible entrances in your house, okay?” the woman’s voice was soothing and calmed Zora down.
“Yes, I already closed all the windows and locked the door… Oh my god…. Oh my fucking god!” As Zora still peeked through her window, she witnessed the man abruptly run and disappear.
“Ma’am, is everything okay?”
“He’s gone! He started running now he’s gone! He’s coming to get me he’s coming to get me…” Zora went to her kitchen and her trembling hands picked up a knife. She stood in front of her door, looking out the door’s peephole.
“Ok, ma’am do you have a weapon with you?”
“Yes I’m holding a butcher knife right now…” even though she was holding a weapon, she knew she couldn’t fight, and if the man broke in, she was only gonna threaten him. Zora could barely hold the sharp object, because of her quivering fingers,
“Ok ma’am police is almost there, don’t worry.” but before Zora could respond, a spider entered her flat from her door and started crawling up her leg.
“Ugh! A spider, What the fuck?!” Zora swept her leg, but before she knew it, more spiders started coming out of the door.
“Oh my gosh what the fuck! Help! Help!”
“Ma’am are you ok-“ a loud sound came through before it suddenly hanging up, with a tumultous beeping sound.
