ran up my nose awakening me. My hands instinctively went to my head while my brain banged out a rhythm of pain against my skull. I pushed myself into a sitting position and almost fell over again when a bout of dizziness hit. It took a few seconds for my blurring and double vision to subside and I could see where I was.
It looked like a bomb went off around me. Books and paper were strewn about. One of the shelves from the bookcase was on the ground and my dad’s water garden lay busted next to me soaking through my pants. When I pushed myself up I cut my hand on a piece of glass. A scratching noise came from the hallway and I looked up—he was still here. There wasn’t another door to my dad’s office beyond the one that opened into the hall.
I grabbed the first thing my hands felt on the bookcase behind me, a leaded glass vase, and made a soundless, but dizzying way to the window (okay, I probably made a ton of noise but my hearing was blinking in and out). Thank god, the window was open, I wouldn’t have to make more noise opening it. Scratching in the hallway was getting louder coming closer.
Shit!
My back stayed to the window my eyes on the doorway as I walked backwards the vase outstretched in my hand ready to launch it at whoever came through that door. A few more steps and my back hit wall. I whirled around, pushed out the screen and without a second glance over my shoulder, shoved through the opening. I landed on my ass in a stiff, snow covered evergreen below that did nothing to soften my fall at all.
Another surge of pain vibrated through my body making me slow in getting up. I limped my way around the outside perimeter of my house, eyes darting in every direction looking for any sign of the intruder. When I reached the sidewalk in front of my house I took a deep breath and ran for Dean’s across the street.
Mrs. Kingsly answered and before she could say a word I said, “Call the police,” and collapsed on her doorstep.
✩
“Walk me through it one more time,” Officer Hogue said. He adjusted the radio on his shoulder clicking a button to quiet the voice speaking in codes. His thick brown mustache twitched every time his jaw tightened and his bushy eyebrows appeared to dance as he looked up at me. My eyes kept being drawn to the two patrol cars parked in the street with their red and blue lights flashing. Neighbors slowed as they passed our house. Seeing cops doing anything besides patrolling our neighborhood was sure to be the topic of gossip.
That’s all I needed—attention. Last time cops were at our house was when they brought me home after my meltdown at Best Buy.
Officer Hogue shifted feet his pen pressed against his notebook waiting for my response. The bag of ice rustled in my hand as I adjusted it over my forehead.
“Like I said, I was in the kitchen getting a drink when I heard a noise … I thought it was my dad so I went to look for him and that’s when I saw the guy in the mask.”
“Can you describe his mask for me?"
“It was dark blue, maybe black, and it only had eye holes which pushed up the royally screwed factor,” I said.
Officer Hogue tapped his notepad not as worried about screwed factors as me apparently.
“Was there anything distinguishing about his eyes."
“Not really, they were dark, like his eyes were so dark it looked like he had pupils for eyes." I adjusted the ice pack, hoping my brain would stop throbbing soon.
“Junior, you need to sit down,” dad chimed in.
Right after Mrs. Kingsly called the police she called my dad. He must have sped through every red light because he was here in like two-seconds.
“I’m fine, my head hurts a little, but I’m fine.”
I so wasn’t fine.
Officer Hogue looked at my father, “If you’d like we can finish this down at the station tomorrow.”
“No, I’m fine,” I said again. The last place I wanted to spend my time was at the police station.
It looked like a bomb went off around me. Books and paper were strewn about. One of the shelves from the bookcase was on the ground and my dad’s water garden lay busted next to me soaking through my pants. When I pushed myself up I cut my hand on a piece of glass. A scratching noise came from the hallway and I looked up—he was still here. There wasn’t another door to my dad’s office beyond the one that opened into the hall.
I grabbed the first thing my hands felt on the bookcase behind me, a leaded glass vase, and made a soundless, but dizzying way to the window (okay, I probably made a ton of noise but my hearing was blinking in and out). Thank god, the window was open, I wouldn’t have to make more noise opening it. Scratching in the hallway was getting louder coming closer.
Shit!
My back stayed to the window my eyes on the doorway as I walked backwards the vase outstretched in my hand ready to launch it at whoever came through that door. A few more steps and my back hit wall. I whirled around, pushed out the screen and without a second glance over my shoulder, shoved through the opening. I landed on my ass in a stiff, snow covered evergreen below that did nothing to soften my fall at all.
Another surge of pain vibrated through my body making me slow in getting up. I limped my way around the outside perimeter of my house, eyes darting in every direction looking for any sign of the intruder. When I reached the sidewalk in front of my house I took a deep breath and ran for Dean’s across the street.
Mrs. Kingsly answered and before she could say a word I said, “Call the police,” and collapsed on her doorstep.
✩
“Walk me through it one more time,” Officer Hogue said. He adjusted the radio on his shoulder clicking a button to quiet the voice speaking in codes. His thick brown mustache twitched every time his jaw tightened and his bushy eyebrows appeared to dance as he looked up at me. My eyes kept being drawn to the two patrol cars parked in the street with their red and blue lights flashing. Neighbors slowed as they passed our house. Seeing cops doing anything besides patrolling our neighborhood was sure to be the topic of gossip.
That’s all I needed—attention. Last time cops were at our house was when they brought me home after my meltdown at Best Buy.
Officer Hogue shifted feet his pen pressed against his notebook waiting for my response. The bag of ice rustled in my hand as I adjusted it over my forehead.
“Like I said, I was in the kitchen getting a drink when I heard a noise … I thought it was my dad so I went to look for him and that’s when I saw the guy in the mask.”
“Can you describe his mask for me?"
“It was dark blue, maybe black, and it only had eye holes which pushed up the royally screwed factor,” I said.
Officer Hogue tapped his notepad not as worried about screwed factors as me apparently.
“Was there anything distinguishing about his eyes."
“Not really, they were dark, like his eyes were so dark it looked like he had pupils for eyes." I adjusted the ice pack, hoping my brain would stop throbbing soon.
“Junior, you need to sit down,” dad chimed in.
Right after Mrs. Kingsly called the police she called my dad. He must have sped through every red light because he was here in like two-seconds.
“I’m fine, my head hurts a little, but I’m fine.”
I so wasn’t fine.
Officer Hogue looked at my father, “If you’d like we can finish this down at the station tomorrow.”
“No, I’m fine,” I said again. The last place I wanted to spend my time was at the police station.
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