I went outside to Jim’s yard and saw that his faded eggplant color Accord was still where we had left it last night. The air was humid and a very dark cloud was headed my way from out beyond the bay. Seagulls were flying erratically and squawking excitedly at each other. Next door Mrs. Yablonski was urgently pulling her clothes off the line. I felt my stomach tighten and a lump of acid rose in my throat. Something bad was about to happen.
The wind was picking up and playing with Jim’s front door. I pushed it shut and then walked around the house to see if he or Shorty were around back. Nothing but a swarm of fat bumble bees having their way with a white flowering bush of some kind. I went over to Mrs. Yablonski and asked her if she had seen Jim or my little schnauzer. I startled her. Her eyes were wide and she shook her head no as she continued tossing sheets and pillowcases into a wicker laundry basket. “No! I haven’t seen anything. But you better get yourself under cover before this storm hits!” Then she picked up her laundry and ran into her little green house.
The sky was turning a very dark grey now and a thunderous warning was followed by several lightening jags. I ran back to Jim’s house but I couldn’t get in. The door locked itself when I pushed it shut. Cold rain started pouring in earnest. Huge puddles instantly formed in Jim’s yard and a a small river ran down his street towards the bay. I ran over to Mrs. Yablonski’s house and knocked on her back door. She looked terrified as she peered out the window at me. Then she shook her head’ ‘no, and pulled the shade down. I ran back to Jim’s and tried the garage side door. It was open. I went in and sat at one of the benches of Jim’s new redwood picnic table. I remembered that he had said he was going to polyurethane it before putting it out in the yard.
Then I saw the open can of clear satin polyurethane and the wet brush. I felt the bench seat. It was still wet. I was stuck to the bench. The side door opened and Clyde walked in, his head bobbing and a glint of evil in his beady little eyes.
