Wednesday, January 31, 2007

A Midwinters Morn Mystery

I woke up at 6:00 a.m. Thursday morning and shuffled outside to get my paper. It was still dark outside, with the light above the garage door illuminating the way down the ramp and driveway. I noticed dark spots on the ramp, but of course I couldn’t see what they were. When I returned to the porch swing to have my morning cig, I noticed a bunch of those splotches over at the end of the first platform, the turn of the ramp. Still, I couldn’t tell what they were.

Fast forward about an hour. Outside for another cig, I sat on the swing and looked over to the end of that platform. The splotches were red, bright in the morning sun. Getting up, I walked over to look closer. Yes, blood. I followed the trail down the ramp; a drop here, one there, nothing like the splotches before. There was a gap of a few feet between the last drop and where they picked up again on the driveway – a trail going around the front of my car. I walked around the car, but the drops were only around the front, like someone walked in front of it and then on to the grass. I turned back towards the house and stopped. There on the top tier of the flower box, level with the porch sits a ceramic cat. Along its side were two larger blood traces. Nothing on the brick in front of it, nor on the brick along the lower tier. I studied the concrete that ran along the front (the part of the sidewalk that shows through. Nothing. That part of the ramp was bare too. It was if whatever it was leaped into the air and landed on the side of this cat and then bounced back out to the driveway.

To be continued …

I know, you love me. :)

23 comments:

Brandy said...

Loving the "gumshoe" outfit the avatar is wearing. Cigarette? BAD, very BAD!

Jordan Summers said...

You have the makings of a good ghost story. :)

Bailey Stewart said...

Ahhh, but it's not fiction.

Lis said...

Intriguing!! And yay I can post (word verification wasn't working the last few days)

Anonymous said...

You are SUCH a tease, lol.

Dru said...

waiting with anticipation...

Anonymous said...

You have me completely baffled as to what left the blood. And now you're making us what until to tomorrow to find out? Not nice!

Oh wait, I think I figured it out! Who ever keeps stealing your neighbors alarm clock got hurt and left a blood trail! ;)

Bad, bad girl smoking cigarettes!

Bailey Stewart said...

Yes, well bad, bad girl will be quitting when she finishes this last carton. Not that she wants to, mind you, which will make it harder, but they've raised the price and bad girl can't afford them.

The kicker? I'm more creative after I've smoked a cig ...

Meretta said...

Oh boy. I hope everything's all right.

Anonymous said...

OK...I can picture all of this :)

you can make an everyday boring event sound SO exciting!!

Oh I am in Arkansas AGAIN!! UGH! I am so tired I just want to sleep for a week!! All of this back and forth...10 hours of flying/layovers each way...twice a week...plus I usually have to work 4-5 hours that day....zzzzz.....

Oh and what is with the kitten?!?!

Anonymous said...

Oooo, creepy!!! I like Susan's theory about the alarm clock thieves, though! *g*

Bailey Stewart said...

Glenice - that's Devlin at one week old. Does this mean you're racking up frequent flyer miles?

Y'all, pictures tomorrow.

Bailey Stewart said...

Harrumph - no, not alarm clock thieves. They don't have "time" for all of that. TeeHee.

Unknown said...

You tease!

I'm more creative after a cigarette, too. :o)

The picture of Devlin at a week old is too cute.

Siobhan said...

Spooky! I'm looking forward to the next instalment. I gave up smoking a while back but can't resist when I'm with my mom. She'll be eighty in October and still smokes about twenty a day. She's a VERY BAD LADY ...

Saskia Walker said...

Oooh, creepy! My mind is working overtime on what it could be (well done for that LOL)

Amie Stuart said...

Ok why was I thinking I already read this--I know you told me but I thougth I remembered reading it on your blog too or did we do some sort of psychic linking thing?

Anonymous said...

For a minute there I thought you were giving us a glimpse at a WIP, but no, it's a real life mystery unfolding before us... Can't wait to see where you'll take us.

Toni Anderson said...

What!!!!

Melissa Amateis said...

ARGH!!! That was just cruel, Bailey, cruel! I have to wait until tomorrow to find out more???

catslady said...

I have to hope it's not going to be a horrid ending!!!!

Winter took a long time coming but it's freezing now. The high next week is 10 degrees.

And I'm glad you're quitting :)

Lexi said...

Very interesting!

Anonymous said...

You tease...