Preface
The dark room existed in silence. In fact, it was never even discovered until one day, when a dusty, white suburban rambled up the gravel driveway.
The air was hot and stiff, keeping most localists indoors in the air-conditioning. But not the two men slouching in the leather seats of the car.
One of the men squinted through the windshield, studying the "For Sale" sign erected in the front lawn. "All right," he began. "This outta be easy. All we have to do is sneak in there and dump all this junk in a safe place. The relater will be here soon. Once she comes…well, let's just say we'll be ready," he finished holding up a coiled rope.
"Why don't we just buy the houses?" the other man asked.
"This is why I'm in charge," he hissed. "we won't get nearly as much if we take it without paying." He turned all the way around in his seat and glanced into the back. "Where did you put all of the stuff?" he asked.
The other man jabbed his thumb at the air, motioning behind him, "In the trunk," he said lazily.
The man unlatched the car door, and scrambled out. He strolled toward the back of the stationary vehicle, mumbling angrily under his breath about the heat.
"We're just going to leave all this stuff in here?" the other man asked.
"Of course," the man snarled. "What did you think we were going to do? We can't just take all this along with us everywhere. They will all be nice and safe in here."
The other man headed towards the bathroom door. You can finish up. I have to make a quick pit stop."
"Hurry it up. We don't have much time until the relater gets here."
The other man shut the bathroom door.
The man shoved everything into the little room. He continued the action for a few short minutes, until heard a distant noise from outside: rolling tires on gravel, slamming car doors and several voices headed toward the house.
"Come on, Man!" the man ordered. "We gotta go!" He shoved the heavy door to the small room closed, then stalked towards the bathroom. He pounded his fist on the wooden door. "Hide it, now!"
"Where?" the other man asked. "Where do I hide something in a bathroom?"
The man could now hear many voices in the house. "Damn! It's not just the relater. It's people to come and look at the house, too." Then he rushed to answer the other man's question. "It doesn't matter. Put it anywhere they couldn't find it!"
The other man obeyed. He fumbled it into a small place, and hurried out of the bathroom.
The two men climbed out the open window, and vanished.
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