It’s 3 a.m.
Who the hell would be outside of my bedroom window at this hour? And are they eating something?
I could see the little orange slit beaming from the light plate on the wall.
Thank God the freaking electricity is on.
I take about five minutes debating whether or not I am insane. After all, the noise stopped soon after I awoke.
Maybe the person can see me lying here.
A minute passes.
That’s it.. getting up….
I hit the light. Nothing is outside, but I close the window anyhow – making sure I press extra hard to latch it shut. I stumble to the bathroom, then to the light, then back into bed.
It’s 4 a.m and the noise has grown closer.
I grab next to my pillow my mini-Magnalight and whirl it around the room.
The noise stops.
I wait.
It’s 4:30. I had fallen back asleep, but whatever was going at it apparently had not.
I shoot to the beam up to the rafters to find a slithery appendage wriggling over the ledge. Whatever it was up there was popping the tin of my roof up and down, up and down. My heart starting beating fast.
Is that an armadillo? No. No way. You’re not in Texas, Lindsey. Just calm the hell down. You know, at any rate, that you are bigger than whatever it is that is munching on something up there… So pull it together and take care of it.
The THING realized I was watching it. It stopped moving. I, stopped breathing.
It moved.
A few minutes pass.
A head peers over the ledge.
ITS A FREAKING RAT.
All my fear is now replaced with blind fury. I am so over fighting this losing battle. Mice have been eating my clothes for months. They poop all over my house and knock things over. And despite my best efforts including a highly dysfunctional relationship with a stray cat (I’m allergic), they continue to wreak havoc. Although this was my first rat sighting, I was resolved for it to be my last.
It’s 4:45 am.
I have stacked all my chairs and am standing with my straw broom in hand. I am not thinking about anything else except making that little monster feel the fear he’s imparted on me.
I beat the beam for about five minutes before I remember that I share a roof with someone.
The rat was gone.
And I, victorious in this specific battle, slept until past nine.
My neighbor hasn’t said a word to my about it…. yet.
What a coincidence! I hear my kitty killing something under my bed last night. I got up this morning to see what it was, and saw a bunch of feathers. I assumed that was it until I caught her playing with the back half of a rat in my room! Now I think she must have killed the rat last night and I need to check under my bed more often!
Man, I just reread this and I have to say this is NOT my week for typing! (or I need to start writing them before I am in my center doing a million things at once). Needless to say, I would have to guess that 4 mistypes in one sentence HAS to be a record.
You can send me my award via the address on my contact page.
sweet
You even had me freaked out a little Linds! I’ve been watching too much Criminal Minds lately… anywho. You are amazing. Add that to your resume of mad skills: awesomeness.
Looooooooove you.