From Anonymous: Home Alone

I was home alone, because my parents had left about a half hour ago to go to the movies. It was around three p.m. on Sunday, and I had to write a history paper due the following week. I was 13. I had always been a bit irked by staying home alone, but by this time I was pretty comfortable with it. As I sat and typed my paper on the computer, the stairs and walls creaked. I reminded myself that the house was just “settling” as my mom would say, because the house was a bit old. I was jumpy as I worked on my paper. I thought I heard sounds, but I kept telling myself that it was all in my head and that I needed to focus. Then I heard thumping from the garage. I assured myself it was nothing, but then I was positive I heard footsteps. I sprang to my feet when I realized that there was something coming from the garage, and I was terrified because I couldn’t remember if I had locked the door between the house and the garage. When I heard the handle turn, I knew somebody was trying to get in the house. He tried the door, but it was locked. Then he knocked a few times on the door to see if anyone was home. I could not move from where I was. I was standing and listening, and the front door to my house was just 5 feet away from me, but I could not get my legs to move. All I could do was listen because I was afraid. Then the knocking got louder, the door handle was shaken, and the cat door was kicked in. I could not move and I was hardly breathing. I pictured what the intruder looked like. Just a few months prior to this moment, the house across the street was broken into with a girl my age home from school sick. A man had knocked on her house’s door, and when she did not answer he threw a rock in her window. She screamed and the robber ran down the street, past my house, through my other neighbor’s yard. I knew this because it was on the news. I pictured the man as the man who had been described on the news. All I could remember was that he had a red, plaid shirt. I kept looking at the door, which was just 5 feet away. I managed to take two steps and then I was stuck. I was so close to the door to run across the street but I could not move because I was so fearful. Then the door dividing my house and the garage was opened. I was paralyzed and I wanted to run away. The door to the outside was so close but I was stuck. The intruder stomped in and paused. I wondered what he was waiting for. Then I heard his rusty, deep, ratty, dangerous, scary voice: “good, nobody’s home.” I wondered who he was talking to. Then it dawned on me that there was more than one robber! That idea had never even crossed my mind. I never even thought of a circumstance where to people robbed a home. I thought how I could protect myself. Since I couldn’t run, I decided I would scream, but I couldn’t get my mouth to open. Then the garage door opened again, and a second person entered. I heard the voice of a woman. I thought I must have imagined it. Then I instantly walked out of the room I was in and down the hall, straight toward the intruders. I wasn’t thinking. I saw my mom standing there with my brother. She was smiling and he was laughing. My mom was telling my brother to stop joking around. I was instantly thankful for my safety and my family and my health. I had a hard time staying home alone after that, so I learned self defense. If I were in that situation again, I would be able to handle it much better.