A Bump in the Night

Earlier this week, as I was trying to fall asleep, I thought I heard banging. After a few minutes, I heard it again. Someone was banging on our front door in the worst way. By now, I was out of bed, looking out of the front windows. There were two or three police squads in front of our house. That's when I got dressed.

My husband was just closing the door as I reached the main floor of our house. "What is it?" I asked. He told me the police were responding to an alarm at our neighbor's house, and they couldn't reach anyone at her home. Her lights were on, her front door was ajar (though the front porch door was closed and locked) and all seemed quiet, but try as they might (and boy, did they try) they could not find a living creature at home. They asked us if we had a key to her house, which we didn't. I tried to go back to bed, but by now I was wide awake with worry. If her alarm was going off, why wasn't she responding to the banging on her own front door? Was she in trouble? Was there someone in the house with her, preventing her from getting out? 

Eventually, the police left, and we noticed our neighbor's lights had been doused. I tossed and turned all night. We should have a key to her home, as she should have one to ours. I was upset that the police didn't try to force their way into the house (even though I know that the police cannot just break your door down if your alarm goes off... but still). I was a little scared. 

The next day, I was a bit of a train wreck, having had no sleep. I was on the watch for our neighbor, and I was relieved when I heard that she had merely slept through all of the excitement. We exchanged keys and cell phone numbers, and laughed over what now seemed over the top. But inside, I still felt a little cautious, a little more aware that things can and do happen, that danger can come into our home in the middle of the night. It's good to know that one next-door neighbor is looking out for me and my family, and I for her.