The sky was lit by lightning once more, brighter this time, and thunder was not far behind, indicating to Tommy that the storm was almost above the house. The familiar sound of rain pattering on glass brought his attention back to the window. After the thunder’s echo died, the house fell silent. He silently calculated exactly how long it had been since he had been treated to an honest-to-goodness electrical storm complete with nature’s pyrotechnics. As he recalled, the last one was several years ago during a particularly dry summer; it had sparked off a number of forest fires in the hills, as well as knocking out power in Seattle for about an hour. Not knowing how stable the power grid was in Burien, he was not looking forward to a repeat performance.

While these thoughts occupied his mind for a minute or two, they could not hold his attention. The sight of the ribbon in his hand brought him right back to his current situation. What was he going to do? Tommy jumped at another flash of lighting and a loud clap of thunder. He could hear the rain and wind increasing. He wished that there was some sort of outdoor light he could turn on so he could watch it pouring out there. More lightning and a thundering boom made him jump again, his hand jerking up to wave the ribbon like a banner. In spite of their frightening nature, Tommy had always been fascinated by electrical storms and would watch them in wide-eyed wonder from the window — against his parents’ advice to stay away from all glass during a storm. It was a magical time, a show being put on just for his benefit — or at least he had thought so as a kid.

The next thunderclap shook the house. The kitchen light flickered and went out, plunging the room into total darkness. The unfamiliarity of his new surroundings and uncertainty over the return of the electricity played on Tommy’s fears. Nevertheless, he found himself grinning, wondering how the hell Geoffrey was managing to sleep through this fabulous storm! His partner did not share his enthusiasm, so it was possible the man was in bed cowering under the covers. Possibly even hiding under the bed! Tommy thought in glee.

The mental image made his smile wider. He gazed out of the darkened window, eagerly awaiting the next bright flash of light and listening to the wind whipping the heavy rainfall against the window panes. He was certain the streets were flooded by now, at least by the sounds of the storm.

The next lightning stroke seemed to last longer than the previous ones. To Tommy’s shock, the flash of light illuminated not only the rain but also the silhouette of a tall, dark figure standing just outside the window. Tommy rose from the chair trembling, clutching the ribbon tightly. His skin prickled as goosebumps rose; his spine was turned to ice. He knew that figure all too well.

Tommy waited in horrified anticipation for the next lightning bolt to illuminate the figure a second time. He wanted to cower like a scared child, hide under the covers next to Geoffrey, and get away from the little girl who was going through so much trouble to frighten him to death. But was it really her out there? The figure he had seen was not that of a little girl, but a fully grown man! Had he been right about her possessing the capacity for projecting herself in a way that would seem most threatening? Split-second thoughts screamed through Tommy's head, filling his mind with apprehension and questions while distracting him from the feel of the cold floor under his bare feet and the sudden chill stealing over the room.

As if to prolong his agony, the lightning was delayed a few minutes before finally filling the room with dazzling light. This time, the figure was not there. Tommy looked around the room, paying particular attention to the window, but he saw nothing. He suddenly realized the room had gone ice cold, but the shivering that gripped him had nothing to do with the temperature. Another stark blue-white flickering caught his attention. His gaze shot to the window as the light was fading, but he managed to catch sight of the dark figure again...except now it was appearing inside the window! Tommy tried to scream, but the only sound he could produce was a croak. He tried to breathe, but the air seemed too thick to draw into his lungs. A startlingly loud thunderclap rattled the windows and doors; he thought it rattled his bones, too.

Tommy wanted to run, but the paralyzing effect of fright kept him rooted to the spot. A soft grumble of thunder trailed off into the distance. The storm was breaking, although rain continued to drive against the windowpanes. He sucked in a breath of frigid air and became certain the ghost was in the room. He could feel the shape of its malevolent regard against his skin.

He could feel his heartbeat in his throat, a throbbing knot that made it hard to breathe. Rain pelted against the glass, and the impenetrable blackness surrounded him. Tommy shivered, his chest tightened, and he wondered if he was about to have a heart attack. A stuttering lightning flash lit up the room, more gray than white, but in the weak light he found himself face-to-face with the dark, vaporous figure of a man.

That was the last thing Tommy saw before a wave of sickness overcame him, sending him to oblivion.

Selected text © 2009 Jeffrey Lynn Stoddard