In the depth of night, I tossed aside the many blankets. (It was cold, and we were glad for those blankets, especially the one plugged into the DC socket in the teardrop galley). I opened the door. It was a moonless night. Except for the brilliantly shining stars, it was pitch black outside.
As I sat up, I saw a creature scurry into the night. I rattled the door handle to make some noise and then put on my flip-flops, stumbling as I stood, because I had been sleeping so hard in the warmth of the blankets and the fair and industrious Trudy and faithful Izzy. I cast a glance in the direction of the creature’s retreat.
A gray shadow cowered under the the car. I couldn’t see it clearly, because I was trying to stand without falling. But it was there, watching me. I took a step forward, stumbled, and then swung my foot so as to kick some gravel in the direction of the shadow so that I might have some privacy.
A flip-flop went flying into the darkness. It landed (yes) under the back of the car — precisely where the cowering shadow had been. I walked over to retrieve my footwear still stumbling as I went. I picked found the flip-flop and then tripped. The flip-flop flipped back to the ground and flopped further under the car.
I kneeled down. The gravel ate into my knees. Certainly by now, the creature would have fled, I thought as I groped under the car as far as I could, feeling around in the darkness for the renegade flip-flop, finding it after a moment, stumbling again as I stood up. My head having cleared, I walked off into the gloom at the edge of the woods, which had been my original intended destination.
Went I returned, the fair and industrious Trudy was snoring contentedly, oblivious to the hazards her husband had braved. As I shivered from the chill, I pulled the door shut and the many blankets back on top. Izzy came over and lay down next to me. Before my head hit the pillow, I was back asleep.
And there never was further evidence of the creature’s proximity.