Patiently waiting in the entrance way.

Patiently waiting for the slam of the car door.

Patiently listening to the clicking sound of high heels on concrete.

Calmly now, glancing at the 2 Am readout on the clock.

Calmly now, I pour the chloroform onto the white cloth. Calmly now, I wait as the jingle of keys echoes through the condo

Calmly now, I hold back as the door swings open.

Calmly I wait

J.L. LAHEY

*****

Why Exactly do You need Chloroform at 2:AM?

As Mrs. Olson, the night nurse, reached the hospital pharmacy, her spine started tingling.

This had happened before and she was smart enough to pay attention.

With slow, deliberate footsteps, she neared the door. A small line of light seeped under the door.

No one should be in there at this hour.

All medications for the night shift were in the file cabinet at the nurse’s desk, labeled and ready to be dispensed

Mrs. Olsen knew she should call the orderly, but she had sent him to the lab with a blood sample needing to be run immediately.

Taking a deep breath, she inched closer to the door, and slowly pushed it open.

She had been so quiet the man, dressed head to toe in black, reaching for the bottle on the top shelf did not hear the door open.

“Who are you and why exactly do you need a bottle of chloroform at 2:am?”

The stranger was so startled he pulled the whole shelf of chloroform to the floor.

One of the lids had not been put on tight and the fumes began to fill the air.

Mrs. Olson turned and slammed the door shut and locked it before the man in black could escape.

Mary Hanley