I Was Scared

I was scared.

The first thump outside my window brought me upright in my bed, heart pounding.
'What was that?
The second thump brought me to my feet. I grabbed my dressing gown hanging behind the bedroom door, unconsciously slipping it on as I ventured furtively out into the hallway. As I crept past the spare room door my heart stopped beating. There at the naked window was the shadow of a man. No hairline. Was he wearing a hood?
Who was he?
Why pick on this house, why me?
I slid back in to my bedroom, jelly legs giving way as I plopped down on the bed.
I grabbed the bedside phone. Don't turn the light on.
'Police, how can I help'
'There's a man trying to break into my house.'
'What's your address maam. And your phone number please. Okay we will get someone to come out and see you.'
I hung up and went back out into the hall stopping briefly outside the spare room leaning against the wall for support. He was still there working determindly to get the window open. I ran on tip toes to the kitchen, yanked open the cutlery drawer, cringed at the noise it made, and grabbed a large carving knife. There I stood, in the dark, trembling, a knife in my sweaty hands, adrenalin pounding through my veins waiting to confront my intruder. I wasn't just scared, I was terrified. I stood there hoping to hear a siren approaching but nothing. Then I heard the intruders feet hit the floor. He was in the house. In that moment I thought, 'Stuff this, my life is worth more than this.' I threw the knife on the bench and ran across to the ranch slider. I pulled it open as quietly as I could. I hesitated.
'Were there anymore of them out there, waiting?
In the end I decided to take my chances. I ran for my life up the driveway to the street expecting someone to leap out and grab me at any moment. But once at the top of the street it was all quiet. No cars, no people, nothing. I saw some lights on in a house at the end of the street, maybe there's someone there. I ran up the path to their door, pounding on it and calling for help. No-one came. There was no-one there, they were just security lights. So I crouched down and hid in the flax bushes in the garden and waited for the cops. I waited and I waited and I waited. Eventually I made the decision to run down the road towards town in the hope that I might either meet the cops or find a house with lights on. It must be after 11pm by now, would anybody still be up? Finally I saw a house with lights on. I banged loudly on the door startling seven bells out of the lone male occupant.
'There's someone in my house, can I use your phone?'
He showed me to the phone. 'I'll put the jug on. Are you okay? Would you like a coffee?'
'Yes to both, thanks. Hello, yes, Police. Yes it's me again. He's in and I'm out, where's the bloody cops?'

The police did turn up shortly after but it was an hour and a half after my first call which was never acted upon. I thank God I never stayed to confront the intruder that night in the hope that the cops would turn up to save me, otherwise I might not be writing this today. True story.