Footprints

It had been a long day and he was finally home. He paused just inside the door. Someone had been here. He was always meticulous about everything in his house. Everything had to be neat, organized just so, and he knew something wasn’t right. He could sense it. Something was out of place. He couldn’t quite put a finger on it. Deep in his soul he knew something had changed and something was different.

For quite some time he’d had feelings as if there was another presence somewhere in his home, but he could not pinpoint the reason for this recent unease. He’d given his home a thorough search from the attic to the basement, but he’d found nothing out of place. Was it a ghost?

He discovered only small hints of the other entity that had recently joined him in his abode. He noticed that things that were out of place or had been moved slightly. Small telltale marks were left behind. There was the package that had been partially opened and he found a crumb where he was sure he’d wiped the countertop.

The creature was elusive. It was not leaving enough evidence behind for him to identify it. On one occasion he thought he’d seen a furtive movement from the corner of his eye, but he wasn’t quick enough to recognize what it was.

This intruder was getting bolder. More of his belongings were being moved, knocked over, or gone missing. Just small things, but he’d noticed nonetheless.

After thinking long and hard, he decided to set a trap. Perhaps, he’d find out at last what had come in uninvited and decided to join him in his home.

He sprinkled a bit of talcum powder on the floor before he left the house. Perhaps he would see the footprints of the intruder. He initially planned to stay away for a few hours, but couldn’t keep away for that long. After only an hour he returned, hoping to find clues on the powdered floor.

“Aha!” he thought. The powder had been disturbed. The mysterious footprints in the powder led to the trap he’d set.  It had been sprung and the rat’s lifeless carcass was there at the end of the trail.