When there is a knock at the door, and your not expecting it, it usually causes an inquisition, and nothing more. When it happens at 2:30 in the morning, that is altogether different. Who knocks on a door that late? Murderers, rapists and burglars don't usually knock, so that leaves cops, friends and relatives. Sarah Johns didn't have any friends that would dare knock on her door at this hour, that's what cell phones are for. Relatives were the same thing, they all had phones, and they would also know better then to knock on the door of a single women at home in the middle of the night.

Tiptoeing to the door on a cold linoleum floor she slowly slid up to the peephole in her door and looked out onto her front pourch. She sighed deeply, it was Mark McGregor, her next door neighbor who had just moved into the house next door. He was probably here to ask about the power outage.
Winter always brought them on in this area of the mountains in Quebec. He had a nice accent, like whiskey and smooth lover, but he was too slick for her taste so most of the time she ignored his good morns and sweetest evens.

Was she in fact dreaming she thought she heard a noise that seemed to be coming from a neighbors across the street as she looked at her watch she noticed it was 2:30 am and someone was knocking loud enough that it startled her out of a deep sleep. Throwing the covers back not sure where the knocking was coming from at this early hour of the morning Mrs. Mills grabbed her robe putting it on as she went to the door to look out of the peep hole to see if someone was at her door. Since her house was the last one on the cull de sac right in the curve she had a clear view that if in fact anyone had visitors she could see as they came and went. But who ever it was had entered the house two doors down she barely caught a glimpse of someone in a long black coat as they entered the door immediately shutting it behind them.

Ms Mills slowly made her way back to bed shaking her head mumbling to herself why in the world someone would have visitors knocking at this time of the morning. Her thoughts went back to when Sarah Johns had moved into the house back in April one moment the house was empty and the next thing she knew it was occupied by a young woman that was always keep to herself she would come and go late at night never seen her speak to anyone or have any visitors.

Ms Mills grabbed her robe and wrapped it around her as she felt a chill run up her spine it was as if she felt a cold breeze from and open window. Even though she checked the window she knew it was in fact shut this was something she had gotten use to over the course of her 91 years. She always had this same feeling when something bad was fixing to happen at times it seemed more of a curse then a gift that some felt she had.

Sitting on the edge of her bed she looked towards the clock that had stopped at 2:25am. She had not even noticed when she was awaken that the storm must have knocked out the power. As she sat down her mind wondered who could have it been visting a neighbors house so early in the morning. She stretched and decided she might as well go back to sleep as she grabbed a couple of extra blankets to knock off the chill that was sure to come. Before she knew it she had drifted off to sleep.

It had been snowing now for around 2 hours. Not a blizzard mind you, but those gently falling big flakes that descend from the sky like feathers out of the blackness. Toby Stokes stood in the stillness. He loved these nights. The cold air around him was close. The quiet was comforting. Standing in his driveway, he closed his eyes and listened. He thought he could almost hear the snowflakes hit the ground.
Late shifts at the power plant were beginning to grind him down; so when he saw the lights winking out on the way home this evening;he knew he should go back to the plant to help out. Instead, he ignored the urge and thought "They'll handle it. I'll go home and feed the wood stove and start a fire in the fireplace."

The banging on a door somewhere down the block shook him from his reverie. He wondered who else was wandering around in the dark past 2 in morning? He hadn't seen any cars come up the road. When the banging continued Toby started walking toward the sound.