Night Sounds
by Anne E Thompson

As she lay resting after a long day,
The sound of breaking glass shattered the peace.
She frowned and rolled over,
Knowing the cat must have knocked a vase.
There followed a scream and a steady drip,
And she sighed,
For the pet must then have slipped.

There was a click and footsteps on wood.
She nestled deeper into her pillow,
For there were often draughts and floorboard creak.
A sound on the landing,
She pulled the cover close to her cheek,
The tree outside must be blown ‘gainst the window.

A muffled cry and heavy thud
And she snuggled deeper still,
A restless child must have knocked a book,
And the scratch and drag she now could hear,
Must be mice again, seeking warmth.
Then there was peace and she slept on.

In the brittle sunlight of a new day,
She went downstairs to find,
A smashed window and strangled cat,
Blood soaked footprints across the mat
That lead upstairs and her child was gone.
The only sound was her scream that lingered
On and on.