A Turn of Events

It was a quarter to midnight.  The rain was coming down heavily and was punctuated every so often by distant rumbling.  I hadn't been sleeping well for the last few weeks, so I decided to kill some time before getting into bed.  I curled up on the couch with my favorite novel and placed some hot cocoa on the end table, next to the lamp.  I found my bookmark and began reading chapter 15.  It didn't take long before the steady sound of rain against the window lulled me to sleep.

At 1am there was a knock on the door.  Startled, I bolted upright, put on my robe, and ran to look through the peephole — ever since there had been a break-in down the hall, I'd been really careful to  look before trusting that it was just a neighbor coming to borrow some sugar.  Putting my eye to the small, glass sphere I realized I had left my glasses on the couch, and instead of trying to recognize the hazy form on the other side of the door I called out, "Who's there?"

"An old friend."  The voice on the other side was a pleasant, familiar one.  I smiled broadly to myself when I heard it, and felt my heart skip a beat.  Maybe the night wouldn't be so dull afterall...  I unbolted the door and slipped it open to admit my unexpected visitor.