It was a beautiful summer night. The sun had just set but it was still light enough to see and not yet look at the stars. She was sitting on her back deck, lounging in a cushioned chair, her feet propped up on the adjacent chair. Her head was titled back, eyes closed, taking in the summer breeze. This summer had been brutal and the heat was just awful. It was great to sit outside in the evening and naturally cool down.
She heard a zap in the distance and ignored it. Crickets were chirping all around her and even some birds were singing even though they were usually in bed at this time.
Another zap came and she opened one eye. Then there was nothing again. A car drove by her house, its windows down, blasting some heavy metal music. She shifted in her chair trying to get comfortable and relaxed again. The music faded as the car made its distance. She let out a deep sigh and slunk into her chair once more.
Zap.
She opened both her eyes this time. What in the world was that noise? She was trying to have a relaxing night. Her husband had gone to the game with some friends and all the kids were out of the house at their friends’ houses. She hadn’t had a quiet night like this in a long time and she wasn’t to soak it all up.
Zap.
She lifted her head and scanned the area with narrowed eyes. It wasn’t even a loud noise. It was just annoying her. It was a quick zap too, so she knew there was no reason for her to be bothered by it… but she was.
Zap.
She stood up from her chair and looked around. Nothing seemed to be in the yard. The backyard was pretty quiet and dark. She had to squint her eyes to see, but she still couldn’t tell if anything was out there.
Zap.
Groaning, she stepped off the deck and walked through the grass in the backyard. She walked over to the garage, waving her arm trying to set off the motion sensor light. She blinded herself when it turned on because of course she was looking directly at the bulb. It was a stupid move, but she had done it subconsciously.
She rubbed her eyes together turning away from the light. She blinked seeing spots everywhere but she walked away from the light anyway trying to find her way back to the deck.
Zap.
She stopped walking and grunted. She let out an annoyed sigh and decided she wasn’t going to let it bother her anymore. It wasn’t doing anything other than the occasional quick sound. She was making it more annoying than it seemed.
Zap.
Nope. She wasn’t going to let it bother her. She walked back up on the deck. When facing that neighbor’s house she noticed something that wasn’t there the night before. She walked over to the other side of the deck and leaned against the railing trying to get a closer ook. Her eyes were still spotty so she couldn’t tell if she was seeing things or if it was the real deal.
It was a blue light and the moment she heard another zapping sound, it lit up before going dim again.
A bug zapper. Her neighbor got a bug zapper. That was it? That’s what was driving her nuts all this time? She groaned rubbing her head. She didn’t realize how much she needed to relax until something as simple as a bug zapper started driving her crazy.
She sat back down in her chair, scooting down, resting her head against the back again. She propped up her feet once more on the chair. The garage light had shut off and she was able to close her eyes and try to get some rest again.
When all was quiet, she breathed in through her nose taking in the summer breeze again. She smiled to herself. The only thing that would make this night better was if there were cucumbers on her eyes and she had a cold glass of lemonade.
“Mom!”
Her eyes snapped open. How were the kids home already? She had just sat back down to relax!
Her daughter opened the back door. “Oh, there you are. We’re home. We brought a couple of friends, too. Hope you don’t mind.” The door closed and her daughter disappeared.
But she could still hear their voices. Both her daughters, her son, and a couple of other voices. They were all in the kitchen, no doubt raiding the fridge, laughing, being loud and obnoxious.
She groaned pushing herself up and out of her chair. Well, maybe she’ll try again tomorrow night.
Words: 795
I hope you enjoyed this story! Let me know in the comments below. If you liked this post, please share it around. Also, check out the other Short Story Sundays I’ve done!
Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | GoodReads | Double Jump