The Hose

Evil
Weird dreams last night.

In the first one, I heard the chattering of several teenage girls outside my bedroom window. I lifted the shade and peered outside. It was five or six teenage girls, all black, gathered on the fire escape for a quick smoke and a chat. They didn't see me. In the dream, I wondered to myself why I had never before noticed that huge fire escape.

In the second dream, I was still in my bedroom, still in bed. I heard the rickety door to the fire escape swing open. I lifted the shade and peered outside. It was a single teenage girl, still black, but in a light-skinned sort of way. The fire escape is no longer huge, but it's now much closer to my window. In fact, it's right at my window. I see the girl. She see me. She is embarrassed, stomps out her cigarette, and goes back inside.

I live on the 5th floor. The living room window of my apartment faces a small office building. One of the offices has sheets of shatterproof plastic installed on the outside of their windows. I noticed late last night that when the lights are out in the office, when it's dark outside, when it's dark inside my apartment, I have a clear and illuminated view of the apartment directly beneath me, reflected from the sheets of shatterproof plastic. That is, when the girl who lives in there has her halogen lamp on, as she did last night.

She is blonde. Last night, she wore a tight beige top that wrapped her tight body. I didn't see anyone else in her apartment but I'm not sure if she lives alone. When she went to the bathroom, she closed the door behind her. She watches TV with a severe forward lean. I wonder what drew her attention so. She sews. I watched as she pulled thread through cloth with slender outstretched arms. Who sews these days? Apparently, she does.