A Dark & Foggy Night

Stepping from the building and into the foggy night, my senses are on high alert. The parking lot is empty, but a man stands at the bottom of the stairs on the sidewalk.

The momentary elation I'd felt when leaving the building dissipates as my adrenaline kicks in.

In the fog, the figure looks hulking, and I'm not sure if it's a person or something else in the fog. With half the lot lights out, it's hard to see.

The figure moves, and a white face looks up at me through the darkness.

My arms are loaded with the dog gate from my office door, and the computer backpack isn't balanced correctly.

It's just him and me.

Why is he staring up at me?

I shift things around in my hands and slow my pace. It's cold, but I'm in no hurry to walk down those stairs.

The rumble of an engine thunders nearby. Through the fog, headlights pierce the darkness as a truck rumbles onto the lot, stopping beside the man. He opens the door and gets inside. The truck takes off.

Now it's just me, darkness, and the fog.

Hurrying to the minivan, I throw the gate in the back before making my way to the big garage.

My steps are quick . I've been hearing a lot about mountain lions recently, and Buena has been distracted by scents that lead away from her usual areas.

Using the key card, I let myself into the garage. With the door closed behind me, I feel some safety. I wait for a moment to allow my eyes time to adjust to the dark shop. The dim light from the bathroom at the other end of the cavernous space reveals the hulking shapes of vehicles and shop equipment.

Next to the RV, a car is up on a lift, an oddly shaped piece of metal...a transmission... laying underneath. Stooping low, I make my way beneath that vehicle and to the RV.

I can't wait to be out of here and on my way. I'm tired of the cold and the dark. It's time for a change.

When I ran into the shop guy today, he said the RV wouldn't be ready until around lunch time. I'd hoped to be on the road by noon!

Now I'll have to wait.

Removing the backpack, I light a candle and go to the bedroom to check on Buena.

She thumps her tail lazily.

"That's all I get? A little thump-thump?" I ask her. I think she's mad at me. I left her in the RV for most of the day so I could work on grading and the assessment.

Eventually, she gets up and brings me her dish. Of course she's hungry. It's after six, and she hasn't eaten anything since this morning.

While she's eating, I step outside the RV to go look at the engine. Carefully, I identify what's been installed: radiator, fan, steering fluid holder and pump. The water pump is somewhere beneath a lot of this. The only thing missing is the timing chain and the belts and hoses.

I hope this will be a quick project in the morning!