The Intruder

Finally Jeff was sleeping after a day of leg pain and depression following surgery. It had been a long day for us all dodging flaming darts and flying walkers. I was tired and ready to sleep. Around midnight I turned off my lap top and switched off the light. I curled up on my side, arranged my pillows with one under my left arm, one under my left leg and another one over my head leaving my nose exposed to the night air. My bed was so comfortable and warm. I love the exqusite luxury of the deep pillowtop mattress covered in tightly woven egyptian cotton. I could feel the tension leave my body as I fell into a deep sleep. I had been sleeping for several hours when I sensed someone standing near me. I opened my eyes and strained to see in the darkness. There was a figure of a man at the foot of my bed. I could see that he was tall and broad. He had a hood of some sort on his head. He was wearing a dark colored sweatshirt or jacket and he stood staring at me in silence. It took me a minute to understand that it wasn't a dream. In the altered reality of being awakened I wasn't sure what to do. I leaned up on one arm trying to will myself to make out his features that were hidden in the shadow of his hood and then I asked "Who are you"?

What the hell was that? "Who are you", what the crap was I thinking? Did I really expect him to answer and say something like "I'm Harrison Hoodlum and I've come to rape you and the slit your throat, and you are?"

What a dumb ass I was. While I was wondering what the heck had jumped from my mouth, the man said "It's just me". It was Jeff. He couldn't sleep and was just coming back to bed.

"What the hell are you doing? I could have shot you! Don't be freaking lurking around in the middle of the night!"

"Teri, just go back to sleep."

I fell back into my pillows and was instantly sleeping. The full level of my stupidity hit me the following morning. I still can't believe it. "Who are you?" It'll be awhile before I live that one down.