Unseen

The theme word for this week’s writing prompt is ‘eye’.

Argus walked through the hallway again, making sure it was empty. Many of the exhibits at the museum had been vandalized recently. Nobody could figure out who had done it, or how. As the head of security, Argus was responsible for keeping the museum safe, and he had been failing of late. He was determined to catch the vandals. It was his duty.

He took a swig from his hip flask. The museum management had always turned a blind eye to Argus’ drinking because of his diligence. If he screwed this one up, however, his diligence and overall competence would be called into question. Argus could not afford to fail.

The Egyptian room was secured, as was the small prehistoric fossil room. Outside the Greek room, Argus stopped cold. He heard something. A low, scraping sound. Jaw clenched, he crept toward the doorway. He had his flashlight in one hand and baton in the other. Whoever was in there wouldn’t get past him, though he wondered how they got in at all.

The old man squinted his dark gray eyes, trying to catch sight of a silhouette that looked out of place. It was too dark to tell. Tightening his grip on the baton, Argus walked into the room and swept his flashlight over the entire area. It wasn’t really designed for hiding in, but he couldn’t see anyone or anything there.

He was startled by a loud crash. An amphora lay in pieces on the floor, surrounded by pale blue dust. As he crept closer toward it, Argus felt uneasy. It almost felt like something was crawling around under his skin. He shuddered, and the feeling went away. That’s when Argus saw it. The vandal that had defaced precious artwork and destroyed priceless artifacts. A raccoon. That’s what had been behind everything. Argus laughed with relief. It must have gotten in when the museum was undergoing renovation a few weeks ago. How did the little critter evade notice for so long?

The raccoon ran off and Argus managed to chase it into a supply closet. He’d let Animal Control deal with it in the morning. For now, the museum was safe. Argus yawned. It had been a long night. He walked back to his office, rubbing his pale blue eyes. Tomorrow would be a new day full of new possibilities. He couldn’t wait.