The Longest Night of My Life

I was scared. I laid in bed shivering and trying to calm my nerves. It was dark and only a few lights could be seen in my bedroom, except the clock which brightly revealed the time: 1 am.

I had finished reading my book a bit after midnight and knew it was playing games inside my head. The book was suspenseful, reminiscent of The Hunger Games. In fact, VERY similar to The Hunger Games, except even more gruesome and even more detailed. I was trying to calm my nerves and go to sleep, but sleep would not come.

I kept thinking: go check the back door. I was putting off getting up because I knew, I knew, I had locked it earlier that day. But since sleep was still not coming, and the thought would not leave, I slowly crept out of bed. And slowly walked down the stairs, watching for shadows moving, trying to keep calm and not let my imagination run away with me. I crept through the living room, looking at the shadows and reassuring myself as to what they were. Okay, there's the couch. There's the flowers for my birthday. There's the kitchen table. I made my way toward the sliding glass door, moved the hanging blinds out of the way and looked down at the lock. It was where it should be to indicate that the door was indeed locked. I pulled at the door just to be sure and gasped as it slid open!

You see, sometimes when you lock the door, if it isn't pushed all the way tight the lock doesn't catch and although it looks like its locked, you can still open the door. And that is precisely what had happened.

I slid the door shut tight this time, locked it and pulled to make sure it really had caught. It had and I quickly made my way back upstairs, trying to keep the scary thoughts at bay. It didn't work. By the time I was back in bed, I was shaking and having trouble breathing. What if someone had been in the house?! What if they were in there right now?! What if they wanted to kill me and my little sweet family?! I tried to reassure myself, No, if they wanted to hurt me they could've done it downstairs when I was alone. You would have felt a terrible feeling before going downstairs if something was wrong. But I feel terrible now! But thats because you've worked yourself up. On and on and on I battled with myself.

I stayed awake listening for any sign of an intruder. I would slowly start to dose off, and then wake with a gasp at the slightest sound, terrified and alert again. I dosed and jumped back awake all night long.

Of course nothing happened because I'm here writing this down for you right now, but I have to say I am thankful for whatever thought that wouldn't let me sleep, to go down and check that door. Even if it meant a night of fitful sleeping, because I would feel a lot worse if I hadn't and someone HAD tried to come in our house later that night and was able to. *shiver*

And that is how I know I will make it to my next birthday.

(It was my birthday yesterday, what a way to end the day huh?!)

(My stomach's all clenched just writing this. That is the last scary book I'm reading for a long time!)