The house is quiet.
The house is quiet, not silent. The tap, brap, tap, dap –– tap. of the keyboard cuts through the still air of the house. The boiler hums in the room below working hard to keep its surroundings warm. The ceiling creaks. The house settles. An occasional car drives by breaking the calm.
The TV went to sleep at 2:04 am. It has a long day tomorrow so it needs its rest.
Just me and the clock.
“Tic”, it said.
And before I could answer the pipes in the wall began expanding. Air trapped in the pipes rattled like a sinking world war II submarine. Distressing sounds shifted n the walls.
“Toc”, the clock reminded me again.
My heartbeat two times and a warm feeling fell down through my toes.
“Tic”, it said.
The thermostat dropped to degrees and the heat went quiet. Winter snuck around the perimeter of the house searching for an entrance. An open window, a crack in the door.
“Toc”, the clock replied again.
The ceiling rumbled once again splitting the silence in two. A light switch clicked.
“Tic, Toc – Tic”
The rumbles spread from right to left and then a door moved on its hinges.
“Toc”
And the silence ended.