Gone--Part 3

    Wearily Mary paused in front of the door to her home, then swung it open, revealing a quaintly furnished living room.  She dropped her purse and keys on the coffee table and then allowed herself to collapse on the couch.  For the longest moment she laid there, hair streaming wildly over her shoulders, her eyes staring vacantly at a blank TV screen.  Thoughts and images from the day pounded through her head.  She closed her eyes tightly.  Everything in her life was going downhill.  The bank was threatening to foreclose on her house, today she had been laid off of her job, and on the way home she had gotten into a huge fight with her mom over the phone which meant she would get no financial help from her.  More tears rushed down her face.  Why was life so hard?  For awhile she just let the tears pour, while allowing herself to sink deeper into a puddle of self pity.  
    Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that a meal was due.  Rubbing a hand over her face she stood to her feet, clicking on the TV.  Perhaps the noise would drown out her thinking as she found something to eat. 

    She entered the dark kitchen her fingers groping for the light switch.  The lights came on clashing with the darkness she had just left. As she headed across the floor a shadow fell upon her.  She whirled around and looked up, freezing in panic.  It was here; it had been waiting.  Grabbing her it lifted her kicking and clawing off the ground.  Her screams, filled with fear and pain, drowned out the noise of the TV.