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Order this writing in the collection book Unlocking the Mysteries available for only $1795 |
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This appears in a pre-2010 issue
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THE PEEPING TOM
© 6/27/04 Connie Vigil Platt
The television newscaster was talking about a county fair showing a Ferris wheel in the background when he switched in mid sentence to announce that a Peeping Tom had been seen in residential neighborhoods.
“All women no, change that to everybody should be on the alert to watch for this low life. He has been seen sneaking around looking in windows. Seven houses have been broken into and all of the women were alone at the time. When he is sure a woman is by herself, he will break in and tie her up with her own pantyhose and rob his victims. He always uses pantyhose. Please be on the lookout for this perpetrator of innocent women’s safety. There has been a run on pet stores for guard dogs due to these incidents. The owner of Pets Inc. says, “I can’t get enough dogs to meet the demand.” The announcer went on to say, “Women out there arm yourselves with something and be prepared to protect yourself. This is a crime against everyone. You don’t want or need to be the next victim. This person will show no mercy. So you don’t need to show him any. Now good night and be careful.”
Melanie was listening intently, absorbed in the story, when she heard a blood-curdling scream and than a loud bang coming from the bathroom.
There was only one thing that made that kind of thump.
That was definitely the sound of a body falling. Melanie jumped from the couch where she had been lying comfortably wrapped in a blanket, untangled her legs from the coverlet and ran to the next room.
The sound had undeniably come from the bathroom. Her roommate of two years, Brandi, had gone to take a long luxurious bubble bath.
Brandi ran out of the room with a towel wrapped around her dripping body, and bumped into Melanie causing them both to slip on the wet floor and fall in a heap in the hall
”What happened? What’s wrong?” Melanie asked when she could get herself straightened out.
“I saw him! I think I killed him, I didn’t know he would be so big.” Brandi sobbed. “Saw Him? Saw who? Did you see the Peeping Tom?”
“Peeping Tom? Is that what you call him? Look in there!” Brandi pointed to the white tile floor, as green liquid oozed from a broken shampoo bottle.
“Oh my gosh! You’ve knocked his head off, Brandi! You’re a stone cold killer! He is pretty big though.” Melanie was completely amazed.
“Well I didn’t mean too. What do you want me to do, sew it back on?”
“Brandi what a ghoul you are. That would be out of the question.”
“What are we going to do?” Brandi asked.
“Not we my dear. You. You’re going to have to get rid of the what’s left of him. I don’t want anything to do with it.” Melanie told her.
“I can’t touch it. He has such hairy legs. What will we tell people?” Brandi shuddered.
“We don’t have to tell them anything if you’ll get rid of him. Nobody has to know. It isn’t as if he’s a little green man from outer space you know.”
“How do you know? This kind of creature might live in space. You don’t know.” Brandi took a step toward the open door.
“Be careful you don’t step on broken glass. You don’t want to go to the emergency room and explain how you cut your foot do you?” Melanie told her.
Brandi shivered and reached for a tissue. “I certainly don’t want anyone to know we have cockroaches this big.” She said as she flushed the remains down the drain.
The next night as both girls sat on the couch to watch television, the newscaster announced, “ The local police have made known that the Peeping Tom that has been terrorizing single women all over town has turned himself in. He claimed while he was watching the window of a bathroom he over heard two women talking about knocking an intruder’s head off and sewing it back on. That made him decide that it was too dangerous to keep on peeking in windows. He realized he has a problem and wants to get the help he needs. He said he didn’t want to get his head detached from his body like they were talking about.”
Melanie and Brandi laughed gleefully together when they heard the news.
“Maybe we did something for the good of the entire town.” Brandi said.
