part 2 (original) (raw)

Grover increased his peering, running his eyes along the just over 6-foot length of his rain-soaked yard, almost pushing against the window, almost leaning into it as if that would somehow help him increase his gaze just a bit more.

Crap. He must have been actually leaning into it, for it had just fallen to the ground and cracked. Not shattered, for which he should be somewhat thankful, but it now had a nice little crack on it as it crumpled the scraggly tree beneath it and leaned against the neighbor's fence. Rain came pouring into his house, as if seeking to embrace him with the natural world.

Well, maybe he could do more embracing when his furniture wasn't having to pay the price. Grover stepped gingerly outside, lifted the window away from the fence and his poor tree, and began to haul it back towards the window frame. Then, lightning lit up the sky again and his head darted to the side.