O boy, my own personal horror movie!

Last night, as I started to fall into a deep sleep, I heard the distinctive thump-thump of someone walking up my wooden porch. Very very light footfalls. Then I swear that I heard the buzz of the doorbell. I checked out of every window that I could and, of course, I couldn't see anyone. I really thought that someone was going to try to get in last night. I don't think men could understand how deeply chilling this feeling is.

A month or so ago, the 25 year old stoner that lived next door to me was murdered, and her body was found in the alley. There are no suspects in custody at this time. She wasn't a lithe cheerleader either. The polite term is "big boned" and the truth is that to roll her up into a carpet and drag her out into the darkness, it would be a two person job. I was told by one of the local cops that it was her own sister that had the body moved because she is protecting the boyfriend who did it, but the cops can't figure out if it was the victim's boyfriend or the sister's guy that took her life.

Now, mind you, when I do call 911 my local police force show up in a flash. They live to grab the Bad Guys, and they tell all of us in the area to call for them at the first sign of trouble. "Gotham's Finest" and all of that. But this wasn't exactly "trouble," this is life in the Big City. I stared at that white wooden front door for twenty minutes, just waiting for the knob to turn. I can't call the gendarmes on phantoms, nightmares don't wear handcuffs.

It may have been the bad wiring that made the bell ring. It may have been a raccoon or some other nocturnal critter on the porch. It may have been my own anxiety having an aural hallucination. Anyway, I was on edge until the sun rose this morning, so if I'm a little grumpy, please excuse my lack of social grace. I didn't get much sleep last night.