Once alone again Kyle attempted to fall back asleep. He tossed and turned a few times but still the nagging feeling of being watched kept at him, keeping him from relaxing. After about ten minutes of not sleeping he pulled back the covers and got out of bed. This time he put on his pajama bottoms and threw on a pair of socks before heading out of the room.<br/><br/>Yawning, Kyle wasn’t sure but he thought he might have heard footsteps. They were distant and faint, and yet distinct. He froze in place in order to get a better listen but as soon as he concentrated on it – the sound was gone. He shook his head before heading downstairs.<br/><br/>The air on the first floor was cool – which was odd for this time of year. While there were gaps in the outside wall here and there covered only by tarps, still the chill took him by surprise. The lights were low, and there also seemed to be some fireplace ash in the air, giving the floor a surreal look to it. Kyle made it to the kitchen and turned on all the lights, which thankfully did turn on. He blinked in the glare until he could see properly again before making his way to the dining room.<br/><br/>There he found Angie staring at the fireplace in confusion, Alex sitting dutifully by her side. The room was lit only by the kitchen light behind him, so Kyle cast a long shadow over the chamber and its two occupants. Alex turned to face him and began wagging her tail, still in the sitting position. She sensed something was wrong with Angie and wanted to stay close to protect her.<br/><br/>“Everything OK?” Kyle asked tentatively.<br/><br/>Kyle was a reasonable, practical person – which made him a good contractor. He saw the world in concrete and steel: things either were real or they weren’t. The evening’s nightmares and strange noises had him off balance, but both could be rationalized away. He often had vivid dreams – especially after drinking a bit too much and making love. It was to be expected that the centuries-old wood in the home creaked and moaned in the breeze. Nothing weird was going on here, he told himself. All they needed was some sleep.<br/><br/>“You look like you saw a ghost,” he said without thinking about his words, and instantly regretted his Freudian slip. “Sorry, I… ah… didn’t meant to ask that question in… well… that way,” he stammered apologetically.<br/><br/>The air was heavy with fine fireplace ash – and the room would need some vacuuming for sure. Kyle stepped over to close the flue and noticed the wood hadn’t burned down. That was odd, he thought to himself. He stared at it closely for a minute in the near-darkness as well.<br/><br/>Eventually he shook his head and took Angie’s hand in his. “Bed?” he asked simply as a yawn began to cross his features. “I’ve had enough strangeness for one night.”