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Short Fat Stubby Finger Stories PRESENTS:

The light of the day disappears.   Replaced by the darkness of night

Episode 39

Rosetta was enjoying every second of her time in the bath, her back resting comfortably in the curve of the purpose designed white porcelain coated tub, sipping slowly on her wine, while somehow holding the diary in the other hand and keeping it above water as her mind fruitlessly attempted to concentrate on her father’s scrawling notes.   But her attempts were becoming more and more wasted.   She could feel the warmness of the water relaxing her beyond her expectations, and the time rolled gently on as she drifted further and further into a semi-conscious world of Joseph and what was soon to occur.   Finally she conceded and placed the book on the small stand that housed the glass when not in use.  Joseph became paramount in her thoughts, and had she not been rudely jolted out of her half-sleep by the alarm that she had set, perhaps his visit in person may not have been necessary.

   Rosetta forced herself out of the bath and quickly dried herself.  Then wrapping a soft pink dressing gown around her, she stepped out into the reasonably sized lounge area, unlocking the main door without actually opening it as she headed back towards the bedroom where she would her night attire had been laid out.  Joseph would be here shortly, and she didn’t want him seeing her before she was completely ready for him.  And having to get up and open the door when he knocked could have been at a very inconvenient time in her preparation. 

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   Joseph opened the door slightly and used a small mirror he had found in the bathroom to help him check the hallway for any signs of nearby life, quickly moving his body and the mirror from one side of the room to the other.   When he was certain that there was nobody in sight he stepped out, closed the door behind him, and quickly made his way to Rosetta’s room and knocked gently on the door the second that he arrived.

********

    In her bedroom, just as she was applying the last of her make up when, according to her watch, she still had two minutes to go before Joseph arrived, an unexpected soft tap on the door sent a warm shiver through Rosetta’s entire body.   Her heart skipped a beat and she could feel the adrenaline beginning to accelerate as the excitement and anticipation within her began to rise to an even greater level.

   “You are early, you naughty boy,”   Rosetta called out in a mocking, chiding tone that was tinged with the hint of the smile that was glowing on her face,   “Come in.   The door isn’t locked.   Please take a seat for a minute or two.   I promise I won’t be much longer.”

    Rosetta heard the door open then gently shut again – then a light shuffle as feet moved over the carpet could be heard.   Rosetta returned her mind to the job-in-hand, and the smile on her face expanded to an impossible extent as she felt Joseph’s presence submerging itself into her entire body.

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   A minute later Rosetta was ready.   A last-second fluffing of her hair and a double check of the room revealed the unopened bottle of wine that stood proud and inviting in the ice bucket on the dresser that stood at the ready on the side of the bed that Joseph would soon occupy, the chilled glasses resting alongside.

   Rosetta took off the dressing gown and draped it over a chair, turned off the main bedroom light leaving only the subdued light from the table lamps to illuminate the room, before pulling down the sheets and settling her body in an upright position. Then resting her back against the pillows that were piled up against the metal framed bedhead she called out softly as she invited Joseph to join her.   Everything was in readiness for what she hoped would be the most beautiful night of her life.

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   The seconds ticked by and still no one came into the room.  “Joseph!”  Rosetta called out again, her voice still soft and expressing her happiness, thinking that he mustn’t have heard her the first time, “You can come in now, darling.  I am more than ready.”

   In the absolute silence of the bedroom the slight, wispy sound of movement in the other room could just barely be heard.  The sounds were so soft Rosetta was starting to be uncertain as to whether or not she could actually hear them, or was only imagining them.   But she was absolutely certain that Joseph was in the room.   She had heard his knock on the door a few minutes earlier, she had heard the door open … then shut again.   And she had heard movement in the lounge room twice now.   ‘So what was he doing?’  She wondered.

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   Several more seconds elapsed, but still no reply was forthcoming, and Rosetta became a bit concerned.   “Joseph, darling!” she called out again, her voice slightly louder, “You are really spoiling the mood of the night.  Stop playing around and come and join me.”    But still there was no response.

********

   Rosetta could feel a cold sweat begin to form on the back of her neck.  She knew that there was no danger … it was only Joseph out there, but why was he not coming into the room?   Perhaps something had happened to him.   Perhaps he had tripped in the dark.   Perhaps he couldn’t talk or call out.  Maybe he had fallen and damaged his vocal chords.  

********

  For several more seconds Rosetta sat on the bed, straining her ears for the sound of Joseph’s footsteps as he made his way to the bedroom, but there was no sound.   Suddenly Rosetta made up her mind that Joseph was in serious trouble.   She jumped out of the bed and cautiously pulled the bedroom door partly open and went out into the lounge room, surprised to find the room in complete darkness with the exception of the limited light that the bed lamps emitted through the partly open door, yet she was certain in her mind that she had left those lights on when she had passed through it on her way to the bedroom.  And then,to her discomfort, the dull light that did appear in the room was still enough to distort her vision when she turned back to the darkness that covered the majority of the room.

   At first Rosetta could see nothing in the room.   It was taking too long for her eyes to adjust to the darkness , and it frustrated her even more than the strange little game that Joseph was playing,    “Joseph, where are you?  What are you doing?  Are you alright?  Joseph, please … you are scaring me.”

   The silence in the room was deafening, but unexpectedly she felt the hackles rising on the nape of her neck as a sudden, slight, noise came from somewhere in the darkness behind her.  Not loud enough to make her jump, but certainly loud enough to give her a start.

   On the far corner of the room, around ten to fifteen feet from where Rosetta was standing, a light so fine flickered so quickly Rosetta barely saw it. 

   For a second or two Rosetta stared at where the light had been, trying to work out where it had come from   But with the lights out, and the curtains drawn, it was nigh on impossible to make out anything in the room,   Then, without warning, something brushed against her and she wanted to scream in fright.  Instead, her voice froze and fear and goosebumps covered her entire body as she swung around in the direction of the touch to find a dark, shadowed, faceless head confronting her. 

   In sheer fright and panic Rosetta tried to run to the door, but a hand appeared from deep in the darkness and covered her mouth.  She struggled, using her teeth to great effect, and the hand pulled back.  But, in a simultaneous movement, the other hand swung up and something in it penetrated her neck … and her reaction to it was almost instant.  Her knees buckled, her vision blurred and she collapsed to the floor, her head barely missing smashing itself into the small table that stood on the floor in front of the sofa … and the vase that covered it.

   The high beam of the laser Rosetta had seen earlier suddenly had its extremely bright beam slicing through the blackened space until it finally came to rest on Rosetta’s prostrate body which was quickly, and unceremoniously, flipped over onto its back to ensure the drug had taken control … and the total lack of reaction by Rosetta to the violent movement satisfied the attacker’s requirement.

   Suddenly a hand flashed down into the brightness of the laser light and ripped her nightie in half with one swift movement before it pulled back from her now semi naked, but unmarked, body: her now comatose mind saving  her from the vile verbal attack that emitted from her attacker’s mouth when it was realised that she wasn’t wearing whatever it was that they sought.

   Finally, frustration and anger vented, the torch was immediately used for a new task as the sharp beam quickly began a search around the room in order to locate the main light switch.  The search was rewarded in less than two seconds and the switch was about to be pressed to give full lighting to the room …when a knock on the door thundered through the total silence of the room , and it caused the outstretched finger to suddenly freeze in its tracks.

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