: Getting past the Jefffersons back fence was the only real obstacle into the Hammar’s backyard. She’d been doing it since she was four, when her grandparents would babysit while her parents worked. No one but her knows about the loose board at the corner of the fence. She hustles deftly through Mrs. Dupont’s potted plants, the Pattersons’ disgraceful mess of a back yard, across Jenny and Bobby’s backyard, using the swingset bars to vault herself into the Jeffersons, landing with a crunchy little *thwop-bop* onto the leaf-strewn patio pavers. Quickly, she hugs the inside edge of the walking path, going the long way around to the far corner of the yard, avoiding the motion detectors that, if triggered, will light up the entire backyard like a movie shoot. She tip-toe dashes around the path, narrowly avoiding a new potted palm. She jumps the low boxwood hedge onto the grass, when she hears rustling along the pathway behind her. She turns and looks, but can’t see anything. Probably the wind. She rushes into the corner of the yard, crouching down into the shadows. She begins to pull back the loose board when she is suddenly knocked over from behind, rolling her into a row of irises. She shuffles herself up, expecting to see Hammar looming over her.
“Rex!” she hisses as he licks her face with abandon. She pulls away to look at him. “I put you inside! How did you get--....oooooohhhhh,” she moans. “Dog door. Not locked.” Rex licks her face in agreement with this assessment. “Fine, you got me. Don’t tell Dad! C’mon.”
She scrambles back into the corner and pulls aside the loose board. “Go on!” Rex steps through the hole, the hairs of his thick coat catching the raised grain in the old wood, making a sound like a far-off orchestra tuning up. She follows after, barely able to fit through. “This is where skinny and no breasts comes in handy,” she grunts, finally making it through.
The Hammars backyard is just like the front. Without the vine hedge. It’s dark. Darker than it should be with that bright light in the back window. Or, is it a light? There is no light spilling out from the window, yet it is brightly lit. Maybe it’s a big flatscreen TV inside? But then, there would be light shadows on the walls. Slowly, she approaches the window, growing brighter as she nears. Rex follows beside her, looking up at her every step of the way.
They are now nearly up against it. The light seems to be everywhere inside the room, but she can’t see any lamps or bulbs. She closes her eyes tightly, and turns around to face the backyard. Rex does the same, sitting right up against her bare leg. She the opens her eyes. It is nearly pitch black, except for a single coral shaft of light hitting the top of the back fence. She holds her hands up to eye level. No reflection of light whatsoever. She turns again and sees the brightly-lit room on the other side of the glass.
She begins to tremble. Instantly, years of reading science fiction novels and TV shows makes her think-wow. Another dimension in space, maybe in time, too. Hopefully, she scans the room for a blue box. Nope. That would have been too good. Okay, think. You have to calm down. You have to stop…trembling.
She isn’t trembling. She has complete control over her limbs. But, her body is trembling--no, vibrating. From the outside. She looks down at Rex, who is also trembling. But, he isn’t bothered about it. He looks that way when he’s propped up against the washing machine on spin cycle. He smiles up at her, just happy to be with her. Vibrating together.
What does she do now? Does she tell someone? Who does she tell that she’s found another dimension in the Hammar house by sneaking into their backyard? This is crazytown. She has to step back--
Which she does, onto a rock she hadn’t seen in the dark. Her heel suddenly lifts up, forcing her to slam into the window.
Except, she doesn’t slam into the window.
She passes through it, stumbling into the room.
Frozen, her eyes dart around the room. It’s filled with all the stuff Hammar was dragging out of the living room. There’s a table, with a chair. A round thing is on top of it. And there’s this humming sound, Only it isn’t a sound--and the light--and the window.
“Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhh…..” The sound crawls from her throat into the air…This Is My New Orleans.
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