This story is the sequel to my recently submitted poem, "Backyard Thrill." The poem retells the true story of the night I got up the nerve to go naked in my backyard, at two in the morning. That really did happen, but this story is about what might have happened if I'd been watched that night by a neighbor.
This is a collaboration, and is told from the perspective of Flubber, as he observes his neighbor venturing boldly into her backyard, eventually with nary a stitch on.
The New Neighbor
By Bobbie Kaye (Cutie) & Flubber
A quick glance at my alarm clock told me it was nearly two a.m., and I let out a small groan. Although I was completely exhausted, I couldn't seem to find a way to drift off to sleep. You'd think after making trip after trip after trip up the stairs with everything I owned, that I would have passed out long ago.
But now that I was lying atop my bed, still without any sheets on it, and I was wide awake, cognizant of every little sound outside my bedroom window. With the lights off in my room, the streetlamps cast an eerie glow through the curtains, which thankfully had been left by the last tenants, as mine were still buried in one of the many boxes I had yet to unpack. Normally that minor amount of light wouldn't bother me, but tonight, combined with being in a strange, new place, it seemed like a hundred spotlights were shining down upon me.
I had just moved into my new place that very afternoon. On my own, I had carried all my belongings up to my new second story apartment. It was backbreaking work. I hadn't thought much about it when I packed up everything for my move, but now I regretted trying to stuff everything into as few boxes as possible, especially when it came to all my books, dishes, and clothes.
Luckily, my bed frame could be taken in sections, and I only had to struggle with the mattress and box spring. The difficult part was the dresser and my desk. My arms ached from the tugging and pulling as I valiantly hauled them up the narrow stairs. More than once I cursed at not doing what I'd done with my living room furniture, leaving the old behind in favor of purchasing a new set when I arrived here, and being able to have it delivered by men much more suited to the task than I.
Other than my new landlord, who had hastily handed me the keys and taken off, I had scarcely seen a single person all day. I'd hoped that some kind soul, seeing me moving into my new place, would approach and welcome me to the neighborhood, and then follow up with a genuine offer of assistance with my belongings. But it wasn't to be.
I hadn't heard a peep from outside in a while. Earlier I'd heard a few cars pass by, along with a few other clatters and clamors I struggled to identify. But now it was silent, which oddly enough kept me from finally dozing off as my mind strained to pick up even the faintest sounds from the surrounding neighborhood.
I wondered about my neighbors. The landlord assured me it was a quiet area, but who knew if that were truly the case? He might have told me anything in order to get me to take the place. With my luck, the downstairs tenant was both an aspiring trombonist and tap dancer, and despite practicing at all hours of the day and night, wouldn't be even remotely proficient at either.
And then there was the house next door, which I'd noticed when first arrived. I hadn't seen anyone home at the time, but for all I knew it was filled with half a dozen screaming kids, or the type of people that will use any excuse possible to throw loud, drunken parties. Some of my fears had abated though, as my bedroom window had a view of the back yard, and I could discern no toys strewn about, nor any scattering of beer cans or other remnants from any wild parties.
A bang suddenly registered in my mind. In reality it wasn't that loud, but in the otherwise dead silence of the night, with the fact I'd been concentrating on hearing even the tiniest sound, it probably seemed more pronounced than it really was.
I gathered it was most likely the sound of a door closing. Was it a neighbor just getting home from a late evening out? Or maybe someone that worked an early shift just leaving for work? After all, don't those people that make the donuts have to go in at about this time? Then again, it could be someone letting their dog out to do its business. That was just what I needed, some mutt next door barking continuously at any little thing.
Since I had nothing better to do, I climbed out of bed and went to the window to investigate the sound, figuring that maybe once my curiosity was satisfied, I might finally be able to fall asleep.
There was a small gap in the curtains which I doubted would be noticeable by anyone from the outside. I almost pushed the curtains aside to afford myself a better view, but luckily I thought better of it at the last moment, since I was completely naked.