Listening To Music
She put on the headphones and began listening to music. For a young boy, Sam is into female singers. There is nothing wrong with that, of course. His playlist was full of songs by Gwen Stefani, Aaliyah, Celine Dion, and even Mariah Carey. Jane thought she could do a Mariah, but then she felt disturbed by the incident earlier. What was the noise all about? There was no dog or cat in the house. The only possible explanation she could think of was the wind. Yes, it was probably the wind. She was confident that the home security alarm system would have gone off if someone was trying to get inside. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Jane, a danger was already lurking inside the house.
The Couple
The parents have now checked in at Wyndham, hoping to enjoy their day. They were drinking a bottle of wine at a fine dining restaurant and had ordered steak, too. The father took out his credit card and paid the check after a sumptuous dinner. They got an Uber and headed to the hotel, hoping to retire to a quiet night. They were not aware that their house now hosts danger. The two were at least five hundred miles away from home, and it would take them at least four hours to go back, should anything happen. It was good, however, that they left the phone number of the hotel to Jane so that if anything happens, they can be reached quickly. The bellboy welcomed them to the hotel with a smile.
The County
The county where the incident happened was one for the more affluent members of the society. They have the best insurance providers and the best banks. They also have an excellent justice and police system that keeps the peace. The county has not had any significant incidents of crime or anything similar. They are able to keep the good members of society in check and the criminals in jail. Little do they know that they would be surprised by the biggest and most surprising news they will hear in the next few years. Most of the residents are already asleep or are about to sleep. Even the police officers are dozing off a bit at their stations. Those on roving duty are taking a light snack for the evening.
Inspecting The House
Jane, still disturbed, decided to go around the house once more, with lights on, to inspect every nook and cranny. She saw nothing suspicious in the living room downstairs, the dining room, nor the laundry room. When she went up to Sam’s room, she did not notice anything strange either. None creeped her out either at Tammy’s room. She went to the guest room, where she would be sleeping, to see if anything was amiss. She did not notice anything wrong. Apart from the clown statue that was in the corner, everything looked good. She drew a breath of relief. She will have to cover the statue with something later on as she is eternally afraid of clowns, though. She patted and gave herself credit for being brave.
We Forgot
The father remembered that he forgot to give Jane their cell phone number. She does have the hotel number, but it would be best if she also had their cell phone number. He then told his wife that he would call Jane in a bit to give her his personal number. The wife nodded. She was busy watching TV. It appeared that there was a jail breakout from a nearby county, and the police are trying to round up the escapees. He then asked for the channel to be changed. He briefly watched a commercial on roof repair before the baseball game appeared on TV. The wife would usually protest when this happens, but she held in her temper to a degree so that she would not ruin the vacation.
Knives
Jane has difficulty sleeping, so she decided to do something that relaxes her mind. She liked sharpening knives when she finds it hard to sleep. So she went downstairs and then found a knife and began sharpening it with a whetstone. She noticed, however, that the faucet was leaking a bit. “I’ll remind them to contact plumbing services,” Jane said. She was feeling better now, but not in any way sleepy. It is as if something was preventing her from sleeping. She then sat in front of the downstairs living room and watched TV. The weatherman said the weather would be sunny tomorrow. Well, and good. She could start with early jogging. The trail near is suitable for joggers and early risers.
The Phone Call
The husband then decides to make a phone call and ask Jane to take note of their personal cell number. Jane was downstairs at that time. She jolted at the sound of the house phone ringing. She really was becoming edgy during those moments. Jane picked up the phone and then was quite happy to hear the voice of the father on the other end. “Hi Jane, I just wanted you to have our cell number in case you have to reach us outside the hotel,” the father said. Jane grabbed her cellphone and took note of the number given by the father. She then updated the parents on the status of the children, saying there were fast asleep and that there was nothing to worry about. She secretly gave herself credit for being a good babysitter. The father thanked Jane and was about to hang up.
I Want To Sleep
Jane then said, “Is it alright if I cover the clown statue with a blanket or something? I have this mild fear of clowns, and I am not able to sleep because of it. I can remove the cover in the morning.” There was a long silence on the other end. “We do not have a clown statue.” Fear started to grip Jane, and she was motionless. She then hears the firm voice of the father. “Wake the children up quietly; activate the home security system’s alarm. Get to the nearest neighbor, and we will call the police.” Jane did not know what to do next. She was crippled and visibly perspiring upon realizing they were in danger. She was right about hating and fearing clowns.
The Clown Statue
The stranger entered the house early in the day, even before Jane got there. He used the keys under the rag, just as Jane did. He was, however, in a hurry, so he was not able to put it back to its original spot, leading Jane to notice it was poorly positioned when she entered the house earlier. He was trying to hide from the police and ended up in the somewhat isolated mansion. But where did the stranger get the clown costume? He found it in the trash bin somewhere. He could not settle where to hide, so he had been shifting from one room to another, until the sounds he had been making caught Jane’s ears. He should have been a degree more careful.
Jane Wakes The Children Up
Jane went up to Sam’s room, wakes him up, and then asks him to silently proceed to the living room and wait for her and Tammy there. She told him the situation is serious and that he needs to stay absolutely quiet while walking down the stairs. Sam obliged. Now, the problem was waking up Tammy without alerting the clown statue who was inside her room. She thought of using another tactic this time. Jane went to Tammy’s room, flicked the lights on, and then said in a raised voice, “Hey Tammy, your mom wants to talk to you on the phone downstairs.” “Wake up!” Tammy was awakened and walked with Jane downstairs. The statue was still there. Jane grabbed her purse with her credit cards on the way down.