新房的阁楼
<p><span word="We">We</span> <span word="moved">moved</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="house">house</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="house">house</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="cathedral">cathedral</span> <span word="ceilings">ceilings</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="down">down</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="onlyattic">onlyattic</span> <span word="space">space</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="adjoining">adjoining</span> <span word="wall">wall</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="son">son</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="room">room</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="kitchen">kitchen</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="twelve">twelve</span> <span word="feet">feet</span> <span word="long">long</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="highest">highest</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="five">five</span> <span word="feet">feet</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="tapers">tapers</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="angle">angle</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="roof">roof</span>...</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="thing">thing</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="noticed">noticed</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="odd">odd</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="nailed">nailed</span> <span word="shut">shut</span>. <span word="Not">Not</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="nails">nails</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="twelve">twelve</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="ominous">ominous</span> <span word="ones">ones</span>…<span word="The">The</span> <span word="former">former</span> <span word="occupant">occupant</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="either">either</span> <span word="attempting">attempting</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="stop">stop</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="getting">getting</span> <span word="in">in</span>….<span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="out">out</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="house">house</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="nice">nice</span> <span word="neighborhood">neighborhood</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="creek">creek</span> <span word="nearby">nearby</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mountains">mountains</span> <span word="nicely">nicely</span> <span word="within">within</span> <span word="view">view</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="multitude">multitude</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="parks">parks</span>… <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="upon">upon</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="third">third</span> <span word="night">night</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="heard">heard</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="sorts">sorts</span>…<span word="A">A</span> <span word="scratching">scratching</span> <span word="noise">noise</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="kitchen">kitchen</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="told">told</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="wife">wife</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="son">son</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="trapped">trapped</span> <span word="animal">animal</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="attic">attic</span> <span word="space">space</span>, <span word="perhaps">perhaps</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="rat">rat</span>. <span word="Yet">Yet</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="unexplainable">unexplainable</span> <span word="reason">reason</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="imagination">imagination</span> <span word="kept">kept</span> <span word="considering">considering</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="sinister">sinister</span> <span word="prospect">prospect</span>... <span word="Whatever">Whatever</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="course">course</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="investigate">investigate</span>…</p><p><span word="That">That</span> <span word="Saturday">Saturday</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="wife">wife</span> <span word="went">went</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="shoe">shoe</span> <span word="shopping">shopping</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="left">left</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="son">son</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="attend">attend</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="variety">variety</span> <span word="of">of</span> '<span word="honey">honey</span> <span word="do">do</span>'<span word="s">s</span>". <span word="Towards">Towards</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="list">list</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="investigating">investigating</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="attic">attic</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="task">task</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="completed">completed</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="day">day</span>. <span word="Finally">Finally</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="longer">longer</span> <span word="procrastinate">procrastinate</span>, <span word="andretrieved">andretrieved</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="tool">tool</span> <span word="box">box</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="garage">garage</span> <span word="and">and</span>, <span word="with">with</span> <span word="Jonathan">Jonathan</span> <span word="eagerly">eagerly</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="heel">heel</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="slowly">slowly</span> <span word="marched">marched</span> <span word="upstairs">upstairs</span>. <span word="My">My</span> <span word="dog">dog</span> <span word="Tasha">Tasha</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="usual">usual</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="side">side</span>…</p>
页:
[1]