Foreshadowing

The day was as sunny as any summer day had ever been. Dispelling all sad thoughts, all bad thoughts, all thoughts of things unwanted.

The woman buzzed around her house doing chores, floors and more before deciding this was the day.

A day so perfect and fine that she had the energy to go out, drag the ladder out of the shed and prop it up against the second floor of her farmhouse in the heartland.

Behind her a sunflower labyrinth turned all its heads her way, looking for their reflection in the brightness of the windows downstairs. Deep in the darkness at its center, it knew better than to allow them to look up.

The woman ignored them.

She grabbed her pail and her clean rags. She filled her bucket with water from the well and vinegar from the pantry and she climbed the ladder.

A little concerned because she lived alone and if she fell, no one would be there to pick her up, or to run for help, she set to work. There were three windows, two bedrooms and a spare room. Her mother always told her to keep the spare locked and she had. There was no reason not to. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had guests. Perhaps it was her mother's funeral? But, no matter, she wanted the house presentable anyway.

Using her dry rag, she polished one bedroom window until it sparkled like crystal. Then climbing down, she moved the ladder to the next bedroom and did the same, admiring the crisp white linens on the bed and the frilly pillows on the rocker through the window.

She thought she might as well clean the spare room too. Her energy never seemed to flag and though no one would ever look out of it, it seemed the right thing to do, so she moved the ladder one last time.

Humming to herself, deep in her own thoughts, she glanced in the window, but the late afternoon sun was glaring and it was difficult to focus. Then she saw it was simply another bedroom. Linens just as crisp as the others except that upon this bed appeared to be a figure who seemed oddly familiar.

Mouth open in a silent scream she plunged backwards towards the ground as the woman wearing her clothes waved merrily.