A Timely Encounter

The trees roared like a crowd at the stadium and the acorns popped under her wheels like bottles of champagne. At the dead-end, she made a left as her agent had directed. Unknown to her, a man watched the trees welcoming her and long-forgotten sensations crawled down the back of his arms.

The front door was slightly ajar, but she rang the doorbell anyway. When nobody answered, she went in yelling ‘Hello?’ A disembodied head appeared below the landing and startled her. ‘The door was opened, I...’ she started to apologize.

His eyes widened in surprise but he quickly composed himself. A pair of slippers replaced the head and slowly a tall man descended the stairs. He proceeded to give her a tour of the messy, dusty house before leading her to a lavishly furnished lounge.

‘Sorry I can’t offer you tea but help yourself to those if you like,’ he said pointing to a tin of biscuits. ‘I died when my wife left me in this empty house.’ The blood-red sofa he was sitting on contrasted with his pasty skin and aroused her compassion. It was little wonder he struggled, the house was big and needed so much renovation.

She almost had an accident on her way out, the couple in the other car gave her a questioning look. Thinking they might also be viewers she silently warned them, ‘I’ll match whatever offer you make!’

That night she dreamt of the blood-red sofa. She was sitting next to the man and he had an arm around her. ‘You’ll be moving in with me,’ he smiled, ‘you know, I’m never leaving my house.’

In the morning, she received a call from her agent. ‘The vendors were waiting for you yesterday,’ she said accusingly, ‘shall I tell them that you forgot the clocks went back?’

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