I expected to see the usual amount.
A little over one hundred dollars.
Maybe slightly higher if I had used the oven more than usual.
But when I looked down at the number printed on the page, I froze.
Two hundred and twenty-seven dollars.
I blinked.
Then I looked again.
“That can’t be right,” I whispered.
My cat, Oliver, was sitting on the counter watching me with the same uninterested expression he gave everything.
I checked the account number.
Then the meter reading.
Then the previous month’s bill.
Everything matched.
The amount was real.
My electricity bill had almost doubled.
At first, I tried to find a reasonable explanation.
Maybe I had accidentally left something running.
Maybe the old water heater was finally having problems.
Maybe my refrigerator, despite being newer than most appliances in the house, had suddenly started consuming more energy.
I walked from room to room, looking for something unusual.
