A to Z Challenge - Q is for Quiet

This is part of one continuing story throughout the Challenge.

If you're just joining me now, please start with A is for Abby.

Q IS FOR QUIET

The house at the end of the road. I wonder how much it's like the one in the book. Tawa piped up from the backpack.

"It could be exactly the same for all it matters." Abby rang the doorbell. Her breath made small impatient clouds. Her head still hurt, but from lack of sleep rather than her injuries. Her wrist was wrapped up and she had taken some Tylenol. She was at the best she could be without more time to rest and heal.

"Do you hear that?" Demetrius cocked his head to the side.

"What? The cheesy jazz music Burrows just turned on in there?" Abby snorted.

Hey, that's Sarah Vaughan. This is classic jazz. Tawa asserted.

"No," Demetrius said in a quiet tone. "There's no nightlife. No birds or animals. It's only seven. No kids or even teenagers out in the neighborhood."

Abby had been too lost to her own thoughts to notice the eerie quiet of the night. Even if it was cold out, it wasn't late. She didn't get more than a few seconds to nod at Demetrius before the door swung open.

Burrows smiled at Demetrius with lips painted too red. Then she noticed Abby and her smile faltered. "Oh, hello. Good evening."

"A good evening to you, my dear Myrtle. I hope you don't mind. My sister was feeling better and I didn't want her sitting around the hotel by herself, so I brought her along." Demetrius grinned and walked inside without waiting for an invitation. He unbuttoned his jacket and slid it off. He rolled his big shoulders and dropped the jacket over the back of a chair.

"Oh, well, I suppose. I didn't make enough food for three." Burrows fiddled with the rings on her right hand. She stepped back and motioned to Abby. "Come on in then."

"Thanks. And it's all right. I'm not hungry." Not for food, anyway. Abby walked near to Burrows, but her hands didn't glow. What was different in the store the first time they met? She closed the door behind her.

What's it look like? Is there a curving staircase? Tawa inquired. Two of her characters had their first kiss on it and then one of them was killed in the same spot.

"Nice place you've got here. I see you got a lot of your inspiration for your books from your own home." Demetrius answered Tawa's question as he took a slow tour around the main room. He came near Burrows and threw her a sexy little smile. "You look lovely tonight. That color brings out your eyes."

Abby suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Burrows wore a hideous green sweater that made her look more like a toad than anything else. She undid her coat and eased the backpack off, setting it on the floor. She bent as if settling her bag and opened the top so Tawa's head popped out.

"Thank you." Burrows cooed and flushed. "Um, perhaps your sister would like to go into the TV room and watch something while you and I have dinner?"

Demetrius looked over at Abby and she gave him a subtle shake of her head. She wasn't going to wait for them to have a leisurely meal before they questioned Burrows. They needed answers as soon as possible. The monsters would come out as soon as children started going to bed. There was no time to waste.

"If you don't mind, darling, I think maybe we could all go have a sit-down. Our conversation got cut short earlier today and I prefer to work up an appetite." Demetrius gestured to their hostess to lead the way. Burrows looked as if she was going to protest, but finally nodded and took them into a smaller room where the furniture was more worn in and a flat screen TV hogged the space on the far wall.

"Have a seat. I'll just check on the food and make sure it doesn't get cold." Burrows exited the room with a smile over her shoulder at Demetrius.

Ten seconds later, the power went out. The house was dark and quiet. Too quiet. Just like it had been outside.

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(Blogger pre-scheduling problems: For some reason, Blogger isn't automatically posting for me. I don't know why it's suddenly doing this. Anyone have any ideas?)