The Kat and the Moon

         Darkness, all she saw was darkness. Although the moon was full, casting its soft, gentle pearl rays of light down over her home, she still only saw darkness. It wasn't’ that Katherine was depressed and chose not to see the full moon; it was perhaps because she had no vision.

         Katherine Friar had been blind since she was a child; she had never really had the pleasure of experiencing simple visual things, such as a full moon. She had heard from friends and those close to her that strange and weird things happen during a full moon, maniacal things. Katherine remembered a past conversation she had with a friend, that when the moon was full, people tend to act differently. The thought troubled Katherine, if there was indeed a full moon, how would she know, how could she tell if things were strange.

         The rain poured outside her home, making patter sounds on the roof. She sat patiently, waiting by the phone. She had good reason to sit by the phone; her husband Kent usually called when he was running late from the office. Katherine knew she needn't worry; Kent always came home, no matter what.

         The thought of a full moon and the strange things attached to it unnerved Katherine. She was dependent on her husband, she needed him to call and say he was alright. Not to say that she was completely without some independence, Katherine could move around the city freely without need of help or assistance. She was familiar with her local area and walked by herself often. Katherine just understood her limitations and appreciated her husband’s kind and gentle spirit.

         Another hour passed, Katherine’s doubts began to worsen. Her mind began to wander, thinking about all the terrible things that could have happened. No, I won’t think it, there must be a rational explanation. She thought to herself. Just then, she heard a knock at the door.

         Katherine almost fell out of her chair when the knock came. A moment of relief set in as she thought Kent was finally home. As she approached the door, a sinking feeling set in. Why would James knock? She thought.

         Katherine became more cautious as she stood in the front entry way. She knew Kent had a cell phone and that he always kept it charged. There was also a spare key hidden under an angel statue on the front step. Katherine thought she might ask who was there, then decided against it and keep quiet. She was acquainted with all of her neighbors and knew they always called before coming over, especially this late in the night.

         In the middle of entry way, Katherine stood, alone, blind, and unaware of who was on the other side of the door. Katherine decided it was best that she stay quiet and wait for whoever was standing on the other side to give up and go away. Moments passed. Katherine listened a while longer to insure that her midnight visitor had left. Satisfied, that whoever was at the door, was gone. She made her way back into the kitchen.

         Katherine decided to take her mind off of the matter and make herself some tea to calm her nerves. She moved to the kitchen counter and opened one of the cupboards to get some tea. She noticed her hands were shaking as she reached for the tea. OK, Kat. Get it together, Kent will come home, like he always does, don’t freak out. She reminded herself. A shadow passed by the kitchen window as Katherine was getting a cup from the dishwasher. The shadow had gone unnoticed as Katherine proceeded to turn on the stove and boil some water. A feeling that something bad was going to happen was festering deep inside of her. Something dark was building in the pit of her stomach that she could not shake.

         After her tea was prepared, she sat down at the kitchen table. The table was made of glass and made an echo like sound when she placed her cup on it. Katherine sat in the darkness drinking her tea. She knew Kent must have been held up at the office, he must have forgotten to call and let her know. She drank her tea in silence, pondering what she will say to Kent when he gets home. She thought about telling him how much she missed him and that she was frightened when someone had randomly knocked on their door. She would hug him; he would hold her in his arms and tell her everything was OK. She loved Kent, more than life itself.

         Three O’ clock rolled around and still no sign of Kent. The leaves outside danced under the moonlit sky. Katherine could visualize in her head what the night looked like, the bright moon in all of its glory hanging overhead, offering its translucent glow. Many of her friends, Kent included have spent a great amount of time describing the world to Katherine through their eyes, just enough for Katherine to put a picture to her thoughts.

         She began to feel the uncertainty digging its sharp claws into her flesh and tearing at her again. Although she could not see the full moon hanging overhead, the glow still had an uncanny ability to reach though the walls of her home and touch her with its strange light. She started to feel her mind playing tricks, she almost felt like someone was watching her, staring at her, hidden in a dark corner of her home. She shook her head with a tiny giggle playing the scared cat again, huh Kat? She decided that sitting and waiting for something bad to happen was not helping her calm her fears. She decided that a good night’s rest would be in her best interest.

         Katherine stood up and made her way down the hall towards the stairs, as soon as she reached the bottom of the stair, she heard a crashing sound come from the kitchen. Katherine froze. What in God’s name was that? She thought. Frightened and against her better judgment, she decided to investigate the loud noise. Katherine slowly made her way back towards the kitchen.