Signs, signs, everywhere the signs

As we approach All Hallows' Eve, I thought I'd share some superstition with you - my own personal quirks.

When I moved into this house, I brought two cats with me. One was very chill, the other very hyper. One was boring, the other an endless source of entertainment. I loved them both for their personalities and because... cats. After a few years, when the older one (the "boring" cat) died, we had an infestation of drain flies. I'd never seen them before. Didn't know what they were. They mostly stayed where the cats’ safe haven was and I had the odd sense it was the old cat either reincarnated or a sign from the old cat. Weird. I know. And no, I didn't share that with anyone because ... weird. Fast forward a couple of years to when the younger cat died. She lived to be over twenty years old and was moving like an old lady, so it was only a matter of time before she "gave up the ghost." The odd thing is that when she died, again with the drain flies. Only around where the cats spent their "safe" time. Weird, right?

When my dad had to move from his home into assisted living, an odd thing happened. The senior living apartment my parents had lived in was overrun with drain flies. These little pests now represented death to me, but I kept that weird belief to myself. 

Recently, I found a drain fly in an unexpected place in the house. One. By itself. In a location diametrically opposed to where they appeared when the cats died. A harbinger of death? Now, it's sort of like when people say "death comes in threes." You're always waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

I'm currently writing a ghost story. The ghost's name in the story is Penny (this is not a spoiler, so don't worry about not being surprised). This morning, I was taking my shower and out of the blue, something brown shows up on the shower floor. Eww! That did NOT come from me! I step out of the shower for a tissue to pick up whatever it might be, expecting it to be soft and squishy, and to my surprise, it was a penny. Where the heck does a random penny show up from in the shower? There is a possible explanation for this, but it defies logic. Doesn't make sense, that I could carry a penny around on my body for an entire day and night without losing it. What does it mean? Probably nothing, but it does give me thoughts for the book I'm writing! Similar to the conical mound I visited on my field trip, it's a sign, like the world is tossing things my direction to keep me writing this story. I got the message. Not to mention I like the premise to start with, so I don't need the extra nudges - although they're always appreciated.

As to the drain fly? I haven't seen it again, nor any of its friends. Here's hoping everyone stays healthy and safe.