Sunday, September 21, 2008

Imagined or Real?

For a long time now, I have been afraid of the dark. Not necessarily just the dark, but being alone in the dark. My imagination allows me to hear noises that don't exist, see things that aren't there, and dream up elaborate and often horrifying scenarios whenever my husband is gone for the night, I have to walk from my house to the car at 4:00 am when catching the red-eye, or when I'm taking our puppy out to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Our neighborhood has been extremely safe, but that doesn't stop my mind from churning.

Recently, we have heard reports of break-ins in our neighborhood that involve someone knocking on the front door, and then, if no one answers, going around to the back and breaking in. These reports do not do anything to allay my overactive fears.

Last week on two separate occasions, I saw a lone person walking down my street. One time was at 11:30 pm and the other was at 3:00 am. This person didn't acknowledge me, wave, smile, or anything even though our neighborhood is very friendly. I didn't recognize this person, but that doesn't mean I didn't know them because I didn't have my contacts in so can't even identify for certain if the person was male or female. Still, looking up at 3:00 am to see someone walking down the street while I stood there barefoot in my yard was a little unnerving and creepy, even if it was just a neighbor out for a (middle of the night?) stroll.

Sunday morning I heard the brief cadence of a police siren. I looked out of the window to see two police officers putting handcuffs on a man. I yelled to John that someone was being arrested in front of the neighbor's house. That was a mistake, because here come the boys all excited and curious.

So, as I stood staring out the window and telling my boys not to stare, I wondered if this was the person I had seen walking down the street at night. Unlikely, but my imagination urged it to be true. And then came the scenarios of how close I came to being a statistic while out walking my dog.

The boys, naturally, were curious as to why the man was being arrested. "Maybe he tried to close a garage door on somebody," said Luke.

I'm not sure what that means, but in Luke's world if you do that you get arrested.

I was very tempted to use this situation to my advantage, and tell the boys he was being arrested for unbuckling his seat belt in the car or not behaving at the store or being mean to his brother. But the white lies would have been wasted as there is not a slim chance that the boys would have believed me.

John told them, "There have been some robberies in the neighborhood. Maybe they think it was him."

To this Jack responded, "I don't think so. Robbers usually are running around."

The officers took the man away, and we were left to our hypotheses. Maybe we'll find out why this man was arrested. I hope it has nothing to do with the person I saw walking down the street. Otherwise, I may be forced to admit that my imagination may be fueled less by conjecture and more by reality. Then how will my mind explain away the bumps in the night?

10 comments:

Unknown said...

WOW!!! What a story!! That will not help the afraid of the dark thing. About all that helps me is a baseball bat under my bed :)

I would have taken advantage of the little white lie opportunity :)

Beth Cotell said...

I always think the worst. I'm just glad you are safe. Hopefully you and your neighbors will find out what he was arrested for.

Stay safe and perhaps your husband should do middle of the night doggie duty from now on!

Angie @ KEEP BELIEVING said...

You are FREAKING ME OUT! I have the same fears. Ugh!

And I think people SHOULD be arrested for closing the garage door on someone. And I would probably be okay with my boys thinking that robbers are usually running around. They would feel safer that way.

KEEP BELIEVING

ambergail77 said...

I am not afraid of the dark or the things in the dark, but my husband is. He is always lecturing me about going outside late at night or forgetting to leave the porch light on. Your story of the creepy guy though is going to help make me more aware of the dangerous night. I do hope you find out that he was the robber, so that you can feel a little more at ease when you are out in the dark.

Kathy said...

You poor thing. The fears aren't enough and then someone gets arrested. Maybe it was the robber and now you don't have to worry because he's in jail! Either way, at least you're all safe.

Monica said...

We have had the same problems in our neighborhood, except it is teens doing the deed.

I am not afraid of the dark as I am of people I do not know in or around my little world. The break ins have affected my son the most. He goes around the house at night making sure all doors are lock and the garage door is down (we have had things (his) stolen from the garage.

It is a shame that reality backed up (ratified) your fears.

Shan Nan said...

Fun Fact or not so Fun Fact. When Heather and I were younger we had a babysitting job. Well, one night we were in the living room and the girl we babysat was asleep in her bedroom in middle of the house. I'm not sure when or how it started, but i do remember we peeked out the blinds and a car was in the grass right in front of the apartment window and turned thier bright lights on. They may have been the regular lights, but they were blinding and that flush of heat you get right before an accident,fight,or terrifying moment was in full force. We went running and screaming for how long i don't remember, ran back to the little girls room, woke and picked her up, ran out the bedroom into hallway and on the ground we hid.

Shan Nan said...

We called 911 and i think we tried to call the Mom and could not get ahold of her, but i'm not positive. Anyhow, the police came, looked around, found/saw nothing and left.Um,uuhhh, well, can't you stay? Nope. We just could not believe they left us there and said, "If something happens again just call." What the ----!.....We got through obviously, but i'm sure that helped us here a little to many,"Bumps in the Night":)

Shan Nan said...

It's good to be alert and cautious of your surroundings and such, but i strive to NEVER LIVE IN FEAR! Been there, done that... Besides, haveing Christ in my life... really what could mere man do to me. God, being my refuge and safe place,well, i just need not fear cause he is here! Huh, poet and did'nt know it

Damama T said...

Wow. Could have been the same guy. Who walks around the streets at 3 a.m.?? Nutjobs! That's who! The rest of us are tucked snuggly in our computer desks surfing the Internet at that time of the morning! LOL!

Seriously, get a security system without motion detectors (they don't work well with kids in the house) but with glass breakage sensors. I sleep so much better with mine set!