I rode the bus home on Monday after my workout. It was cold and blustery in a Winnie the Pooh sort of way – making me glad I’d changed out of my sweaty gym clothes and back into business casual.
About a third of the way through, the driver announced over the intercom, “There…is… a….tree down…on Madison. At 34th. All the way across Madison? There’s…apparently….no getting…around…it. I will be going as far as Lake Washington Boulevard. Thank you.”
She sounded confused during that first announcement. Tried it again. And again. By the third time she’d gotten it down.
I was suddenly even gladder for my work clothes. According to the training log, it’s 0.815 miles from Lake Washington Boulevard to my house. (Sometimes I give myself credit for “running” to the movie store on the corner.) And it was still cold and blustery.
I trudged toward home. Saw the tree. Big and old, it had simply fallen over, taking its roots and most of the sidewalk with it. Sprawled – napping – across the only street in Seattle to run continuously from Puget Sound to Lake Washington. The root ball alone was at least six feet tall, with concrete dripping from the height. I took a picture with the iPhone. [As soon as I figure out how, I'll upload it here.] Walked the rest of the way.
From the comfort of my living room, I watched the big and old trees in front of my windows sway. Saw a branch hitting my deck. Listened to the wind race around my corner unit – one of my least favorite sounds.
Then the flickers started. On, then off, then on again. First it was my internet connection and the radio. Then it was the internet, the radio, and the DVD player. On, then off, then on again. I sent a few emails during the “on” times. Updated my facebook profile status.
Suddenly the kitchen went dark along with the internet, the radio, and the DVD player. All of it came back on a few seconds later. The bathroom and bedroom lights totally worked, though. Through most of the flickers, anyway.
The wind kept blustering. I expected pink elephants to start dancing at any moment.
Chalking the creepiness up to the storm, I plugged in my phone; it needed to charge. Washed my face. Went to bed. Hoped I’d remembered to put the battery back in the smoke detector (just in case the flickers were some odd electrical fire waiting to engulf the house).
Tuesday everything seemed normal, although I admit I wasn’t home for long. By today – Wednesday – I’d dismissed the entire episode. Clearly it was merely a side effect of the storm on Monday.
Clearly.
But.
The flickers started again. As soon as I got home.
Four in the last 30 minutes.
Full-on blackness…for just long enough to scare me…then everything – including the fridge – comes back on.
No wind. No bluster. No stalker ex-boyfriend with a talent for electrical wiring.
No rationalization. No reason.
Tonight I’m definitely checking that fire alarm. Before I go to bed.
Every day another story -
Sofie
What an intriguing story. Gives the “flickers” at my house a whole new meaning. Loved the detail and vision within the story!!