I hesitated for a moment and picked up the call.

 I spoke first, "Hello."

It was quiet on the over the phone. And no one spoke.

There wasn't even any sound in the slightest.

I said again, "Hello?" 

No one spoke there.

Thinking that it should be a wrong call, I hung up the phone immediately.

That night, I sat on the sofa as usual, waiting for Patrick.

By the time I woke up on the sofa, I saw that the sun had completely risen outside the window and that the long-case clock was striking at 9 a.m. Then I felt a burst of loss.

Patrick's slippers were placed at...