My eyes stay open to the saltless press of darkness. Beyond the closed door, footsteps. The light pressure of her heel, the soft breath of her footfall.

Where does she go? The hearth is empty, the chair is silent. The doors stay shut.

Motionless, I wait for night to end.

Susan is an emerging writer who mainly writes short stories, especially flash fiction. An ex-teacher, she lives in Brisbane, Australia, and enjoys camping trips into the Australian wilderness.