Fiction: A Stranger Comes to Call

This months Words for Wednesday prompts are provided by Messymini at her blog here. This week's prompts are: protest, trap, analysis, confidence, gap, abnormal and/or plaster, way, purse, neighbors, opener, record. Charlotte (MotherOwl)'s colour of the month is Mouse Grey.

Fiction: A Stranger Comes to Call
Joon knew better than to answer his door when the doorbell rang at exactly 2 am. His cat, Loki, an exotic shorthair, protested his discontent by leaping off the bed and blocking the doorway. Joon wound his way carefully around the cat.
    A few months ago, Joon's doorbell kept ringing but no one was at the door when Joon went to answer. After a while, he plastered a sign on his front door: Please only ring the bell if it is a dire emergency. Most people thought it was a joke and children would dare each other to ring the bell and run off.
    Since the age of three, Joon had been making analysis of everything around him especially people. Some had called it an abnormal hobby but Joon's older brother, Gideon, had said not everyone's opinion is worth listening to. Even with a 15 year age gap, the brothers had always gotten along. With Gideon's encouragement, Joon grew to have confidence in himself and to ignore other people's criticisms. Gideon was gone now. Every day, Joon tried to remember his brother's words but he had mostly forgotten them but one: If you believe everyone's out to trap you, then you'll live a very miserable existence.
    Joon pursed his lips tight and turned the first of seven locks. It was better not to take chances, not when there might be serial killers or notorious cat nappers or worst, can opener thieves lurking around. Joon had his can opener stolen more than once. He had recorded it in his notebook of missing items. Though why he owned a can opener when he never used it, he wasn't sure but he had brought his fourth can opener this year.
    At last, he had unlocked all the locks and pulled the door opened. But there was no one there aside from a light rain sprinkling down. Had he opened the door too late? Or was it one of his neighbors' jokes? But who would wait until 2 am to ring someone's door just for a joke? He couldn't see much out in the darkness since the only light was his front porch lights.
    Joon started to close the door but a cool breeze swept over him. Then he was staring at a long, mouse grey coat splattered with raindrops. He stretched his neck to look up as the person was about nine feet tall. The man bended his head down slightly. "My mistress requires a room," said the tall fella.
    Joon looked back down. Mistress? In between the opening of the man's coat, there was a pair of eyes looking out but then they receded to the darkness. "I'm afraid, this isn't a hotel. Sir." Joon looked up at the man, trying to see his eyes but the porch lights didn't reach the man's face.
    "My mistress requires a room," said the fella in the exact manner as before.
    "But I'm afraid, this isn't a hotel," said Joon. He was aware of the repetition and he didn't like it. It was alright when other people were repetitive but not him. "Please leave." He tried to see the man's face but it was still in shadows.
    The tall man paused as if thinking. Then he gently pushed Joon aside, widened the door, bended his head and entered. Joon closed the door and pushed back the first two locks but he didn't have time to finish locking the rest as the tall fella was already starting for the stairs.
    "You may call me Mr. Smith," said the tall man.
    Smith? Joon didn't think it suited the man. "I'm Joon. Where do you think you're going?"
    "Up to one of your guest rooms," replied Mr. Smith not stopping to answer.
    How did he know Joon had guest rooms? He had two guest rooms aside from his room and Gideon's. He followed Mr. Smith up the stairs. "I must tell you, you and your mistress can only stay until morning. I do not like strangers in my house."
    "Indeed," said Mr. Smith. He entered the first door and shut it.
    How dared they just took a room without asking his permission? And how did Mr. Smith know that was one of the guest rooms? Joon covered a yawn. He supposed if they were serial killers or cat nappers or can opener thieves, it was too late to kick them out. Joon yawned again. Where is Loki? That cat always hid when he deemed the visitors not worthy of his time. Joon didn't bother looking for him as he always come and go as he pleased. With another yawn, Joon returned to his room. He might as well get some sleep.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

About an hour later, Joon was woken by a noise. With half-sleep eyes, he got out of bed and opened his door a crack. There was humming coming from the bathroom. He went and opened it and was greeted by a roar. He quickly slammed the door shut and ran back to his room and closed his door. Was there a creature taking a bath and using his ocean breeze scented liquid bubble bath? It looked like a dragon. He couldn't say for certain as he had never seen a dragon except in books. Too sleepy to contemplate more, he crawled back to bed and fell asleep.
    Something woke him again but it wasn't any sound. He opened his eyes. A face was looking down on him. He rushed to sit up. The lamp beside his bed was on and it lit the child's tan, round face as she stood there. From underneath her shiny bob, large black eyes stared out at him without blinking. Joon stared back. Then she smiled and walked out of his room.
    In the morning, there was a large creature who might had been the same creature from last night and might possibility be a dragon sitting by his kitchen table or rather, standing. One of the chairs was on the floor in pieces. The creature was reading the morning newspaper, holding it delicately with its claws. Its head was as high as the light fixture. Loki was at the creature's feet enjoying his breakfast. Mr. Smith had an apron on over his coat and was whipping eggs with a pair of wooden chopsticks. "Good morning, Mr. Joon," he said. His deep set eyes were calm and his lips widened in a subtle smile.
    "Good morning, Mr. Smith," replied Joon. He wanted to ask what the heck is the creature doing in his kitchen but he didn't want to be rude.
    "May I present Mistress Vivi?" Mr. Smith released the chopsticks and held out a hand toward the creature.
    "Good morning, Mistress Vivi," said Joon. What else could he do?
    Mistress Vivi glanced down at Joon with her black eyes. She seemed to smile though her large teeth was not a comforting sight for Joon. She soon returned to reading the paper.
    "Would you like your eggs scrambled or poached?" said Mr. Smith.
    "Um, scrambled. Thank you." Joon smiled. He had never liked poached eggs.
    "Indeed," replied Mr. Smith.
    When the eggs were done, Mistress Vivi swerved around the light fixture, put the newspaper down, folded it in two and placed it on the table. She picked up the plate of ten poached eggs, leaned her head back, tilted the plate and let the eggs fall into her opened mouth and swallowed. She placed the plate on the table, released a burp and shrunk to a little girl form with a round face framed by a shiny bob. Mr. Smith didn't eat anything but he fixed the chair and washed the dishes. When they were ready to leave, Mr. Smith picked up the girl, tucked her into his coat and buttoned up. Joon followed Mr. Smith to the door. Mr. Smith pushed back the locks, opened the front door, bended his head and stepped out. Joon joined him on the porch.
    The sky had barely brightened but the air was slightly warm. Mr. Smith turned and faced Joon. "Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Joon," he said and nodded. Joon nodded in return. Mr. Smith turned, walked down the few steps and down the short path to the gate and was gone. It was as if he became invisible in a blink of an eye. Joon glanced around and back to the closed gate. Loki rubbed against Joon's legs. "At least, they weren't murderers or cat nappers," he said and smiled down at the cat. Loki looked up at Joon, blinked once and started licking himself. Joon gave the gate one more glance and stepped back inside with Loki following him.
    Later, when Joon was re-tidying his kitchen as Mr. Smith had re-arranged some of his cabinets, he found his can opener was missing but there was a piece of gold rock in the drawer where the can opener should be. He left the rock there. After he was done, Joon went out to buy a new can opener.