One night I came home through the side door because when they (my parents) leave for work (6 - 10) they usually lock the doors which can be frustrating because I have no key to the house.
I came in and the usual excitement from being at home alone hit me. The house felt so quiet, I felt like I could explore a jungle in this living room alone. I looked out the window through the living room. Just staring at the corner store across the street thinking about smoking in the house. I knew it wasn’t right but it was the only thing I found fun.
I went out the front and brought a black and mild from the store. The way the front door is when you lock it from the bottom it doesn’t really lock, it just stiffened the door handle and you could push it open. When I left out I made sure the top lock wasn’t locked. When I got back to the house I tried opening the front door. Expecting to just jolt the door open and go into the house. Wrong. The door handle twisted but didn’t open. The slight confusion I felt didn’t make me think something was wrong. After all I knew this house my whole life. I never locked the top lock. Only my parents did.
Hmm.
I pulled up a chair, sat down on the porch and smoked my mild. Just looking at cars passing by, the store closing, just life. As soon as I got the last hit of my mild. I was so lightheaded as I stood up. I started laughing at my stupidness and started making airplane noises while stumbling around the porch. I went to open the door again and I went straight into the house. Nothing seemed wrong until I realized what just happened. Someone unlocked the top lock? I looked back at door to confirm. Nope. Top lock was still locked. I swore when I left this house I never even touched the lock but somehow it locked and unlocked the moments I tried to open it? Weird.
I looked around in the dark foyer in my lightheaded haze. The kitchen light was on, I thought of all the snacks I had in the kitchen. Naw. My room was a lot better than down here. I went up stairs and looked out the window on the landing. My neighbors were gone too? They were never gone at this time. I fixed my gaze from the house to the ground beneath me. The window is right above the side door.
I looked down and froze. The side door was open clear as day. I didn’t think anything of it, maybe I left it open.
Going down the stairs again I walked past the mini hallway and noticed the kitchen light was now off. I took a moment, got my thoughts together and walked through the mini hallway to the kitchen. Still dark. I opened the basement door, walked down the stairs to the landing and closed the door. It didn’t feel right, not the door but the experience of closing that door. It was so tense from the squealing of the old door. It closed with a boom that echoed through the house. It was quiet again. I ran from the door, up the stairs, and stopped.
The kitchen light was on.
I bolted. I bolted with full intent to reach my room. I felt safe in my room. I reached my “safezone” and plopped on my bed. 3 things happened Simultaneously
My mother pulled into the driveway, I could see her car in my window. I heard her walk in. Here’s the part when I know something was wrong. When she came in I heard the same squeal and boom of the side door.
Huh?
Why would my mother with a key to the house even think of going through the side door. I heard 10 footsteps that ended at the stairs. Whoever it was went through the mini hallway as well. The dining room was 10 steps alone plus the living room. I listened in horror as 13 steps came up the stairs. I was praying for whatever it was just stayed there and left me alone.
Alone. The whole reason this post is happening. Those steps never happened.
My mother called from the backdoor that she just got home.
The steps have 16 stairs.