It all started at 1:00am this morning, when two idiots decided to have car races on my street. As I lay in bed, trying to fall back asleep amid the revving engines, I wanted to call the Police and turn them in for reckless driving...and I kept hoping that someone on my street would. After nearly an hour in this fashion I see red and blue lights reflecting off of my blinds. I peek through and confirm...yes, the cops are here! HA! It's only a matter of time before these idiots get what's coming to them. Then I hear the revving engines up and down the street at least two more times. What?!? They didn't get ticketed? The police just let them continue to drive and insane speeds in a residential area?!? I look out the window again and see a Minnesota Vikings limo...oh, the police cars we're just a police escort. Great.
One more time I hear the engines revving up for a run down my residential street. I look out again, and across the street I see my neighbor has a huge rifle and an angry look. He shoots at the car as it races down the road...that was the last of the revving engines I heard that night. Now the whole family from across the street is out on their porch. Four of them have huge axes and are lined up one behind the other, and two are armed with large rifles on the front side of their porch. Axes in hand, and eyes bugging out with anger and rage in their faces, the shooting continued. I'm still not sure what they were shooting at or planning on attacking with the axes. All I knew was it looked too intense for me to get involved in. I lay back down in my bed and try to continue to watch inconspicously. I see the husband and wife from across the street (the two with the rifles) walk over to another house. I try to stay hidden. I rack my brain thinking of ways to secure our own house from an intrusion.
I try to reassure myself..."I locked the door...they can't get in."
All the while I know, a credit card inserted the proper way would pop the lock open, and even if not, my roommate doesn't know what's going on. She could open the door to them without even knowing there was risk. I hear a knock on the door. What do I do? Risk trying to communicate to my roommate not to open the door? Hope she doesn't wake up? Hide in my bed and hope they don't look in and find me?
Before I had time to come to any conclusion, someone is at my window. I recognize him. He's one of my parent's neighbors...I went to high school with his kids. Apparently they have moved to Ames and live on my street. I lean towards the window to talk to him. "Jeez, I guess we're living in a Hitchcock movie!" he said.
I agree, but tell him to go around to the other window - into the shadows. "I can see them walking toward our house!" They know I saw everything!
My mind is again consumed with how to protect myself and my house from these crazed neighbors. I hear a knock at the door. I'm frantic! My heart beats wildly. I lay as still as I can possibly hold myself. Another knock. I hear my roommates bedroom door open. "Coming," she says in a groggy, half-asleep voice.
I gasp. And await the inevitable. My roommate opens the door and I hear some conversation, but I can't make out the words or even the mood or intensity of the conversation. I notice that my bedroom door is open just a crack. "Should I try shutting it?" It doesn't even lock, so I'm better off just pretending I'm not here.
I hear the door open...I close my eyes, and brace myself. "Hi Christy," I hear in a soft whispered tone. It's Holly, a friend of mine. I am so relieved, words can't describe it. We sit on my bed and talk for awhile. She came to borrow a video. I look over at the clock and it's 1:26am. "Hmm...I thought it was after two already," I comment.
About that time I woke up. I rolled over and looked at the clock...3:00am. "I KNEW it was after two!" I've since discovered that most of what "happened" last night was all a dream. But where exactly reality ended and the dream began...I couldn't tell you.
