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Friday, February 09, 2007

Inspired by Bridget's Blog

After reading Bridget's most recent post, I was reminded of a something that happened to us before we left for Jordan.

*****

It was a dark and stormy night. Andrew and I had stayed up late playing games or watching a movie. I can't actually remember why we were up so late. It could just be that it really was a dark and stormy night and the power kept going off, making our printer turn off and on again...making me freak out. Every time the printer reset itself, you know, how the cartridge moves around, I would think it was someone jiggling the handle to our front door.

I would then make Andrew get up and check the house.

After doing this two times, he finally unplugged the printer and told me to go to sleep.

I didn't.

Instead I listened to the wind howling and the branches hitting our window. Suddenly I heard all these banging noises. I was scared stiff.

I shook Andrew awake.

"Listen," I hissed, "Do you hear that?"

"No. Go to sleep." Andrew said.

"No, really!" I insisted, "There are crashing noises, and I think I hear screaming."

"It's just the wind." Andrew said.

"No, really!" I continued, "I think someone is screaming for help."

"You're beginning to creep me out." Andrew said.

"I'm beginning to creep you out?" I asked, shocked, "I'm scared solid!"

"Just go to sleep." Andrew said. Like that was even an option.

I lay awake for most of the night, listening to the wind...

*****

Within that week, our neighbours downstairs and across the hallway put their condo up for sale. At church that Sunday we heard people talking about why they were moving. We stopped and joined the conversation.

As it turns out, their next door neighbours (who were really pretty scary people, really) had had their brother (who was even more scary than they were) over. One night he decided he was going to kill them all, and then commit suicide, so he attempted to do so.

He was trying to scare them first so he was running around the apartment like a maniac stabbing holes in the wall (thus, our neighbours put their condo up for sale) and then coming after them.

The female resident went around banging on people's doors, trying to wake them up so she could call the police. It was like 2 am, so no one was awake. She tried all the doors downstairs, and then ran upstairs.

Our next door neighbours were up watching a show, so they heard her at their door and let her in.

She used the phone, called the cops. They came, arrested the knife-wielding man, and left.

The neighbours who put their condo up for sale moved within 2 weeks. The scary couple moved shortly after we left for Jordan.

*****

And thus we see that crimes can happen anywhere. Even in Happy Valley, USA.

Oh, and, Andrew has been a lot more careful before dismissing my thoughts regarding checking the front door, looking in closets, etc...even at 2 am. Mostly because he knows that I wasn't just hearing things--I actually was hearing things.

4 comments:

  1. Jason does that to me all the time. I'll say, "Jason I just heard something," and he will just mumble something totally incoherent. So I guess if anyone does ever break in I need to be the one with the bat.

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  2. Wow, that is really creepy. Crime can happen anywhere. I am glad that at least someone was awake to help the girl out so she could call the police!

    Our next door neighbor (who is 90 years old) keeps reminding us of a crime that happened like 6 years ago about 7-8 blocks from where we live. She always counsels us to lock our doors, even when we are doing the laundry!

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  3. Yeah, that is scary. You know, it's just a natural thing for women to be really cautious. My mom always double/triple checks doors, etc. before going to bed and we would always tease her about it (my dad still does). But now I'm the same way... The worst crime on our street that I know of is someone stole our welcome mat (who steals welcome mats?!). But you can never be too careful. :)

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  4. Freaky!!! I'm lucky because Jeremy is usually very willing to indulge my "did you hear that??" moments.

    Your story is much worse than mine. I hope that never happens to either of us again!

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