Tis the Season

For SCARY stories. Here is the most frightening experience of my life (although, almost getting Banner's truck hit by a train is a close second) But this one is more Halloween-ish:

About this time, seven years ago I was a senior in high school. My parents took off to Europe for the month so it was just me and the younger sibs. Yes, I was THAT trustworthy :) Not much of a party animal. One Friday night I was hanging out at home because I had a competition early the next morning. My friend, Tif, and her date, I think his name was Austin, stopped by after going to a corn maze or haunted house. As they were pulling out of the driveway all my electrictiy went out. I ran out to stop them because I had no idea where a breaker box would be and boys inherently know that stuff, right?

Tif and I went inside while Austin went to find the box. He was gone for a while and said he couldn't find it. I remembered there was a box in a basement bedroom so we headed down there when all the lights in the house started flickering on and off. I wasn't too freaked out until we heard pounding. Everywhere! I thought my house was surrounded by people (murderous people) pounding on the walls and windows. We ran around and locked all the doors and I grabbed a barstool to get the candles above the fridge.

As I closed the cupboard I remember looking down and seeing someone just standing there, in the doorway of the music room, about three feet away. It was one of those moments your heart stops. I shake even remembering it now. We were frozen looking at each other in the dark when the figure says "Ashley, what's going on?" My little brother! Sheesh! Don't walk up on people like that! I thought he was asleep. Actually, by this point, I'd kind-of forgotten all about him. Sorry, Collin.

The pounding started again and someone was trying to get into the music room door. I realized they were running on my roof and that was what was causing the pounding everywhere. Less scary than the thought of thirty people pounding on my house, but still chilling. I grabbed the phone and we all huddled in the dining room--the only room with no direct access to a window or outside door. I was hysterical. I called my neighborhood surrogate pop, Brad and told him what was going on. A minute later, he pulls up in his big truck with...a hockey stick! Oh, I love it. There was this look on his face, like he was not the man to be messing with. I mentioned there was someone on the deck trying the door so he and Austin ran back there. I heard some yelling, mostly Brad, so I ran into the backyard. I'll never forget this pathetic boy in the fetal position screaming "I know Ashley! I know Ashley! We're friends." Yeah, some friend. Meanwhile, Brad, a very strong, intimidating Canadian, is yelling "What are you doing here! Do you know who's house this is?" That's right. Jordan Folsom. You dog. I felt bad, his mouth was bleeding. Which I'm pretty sure was a result of him jumping off my deck when he heard Brad coming--and I'm also pretty sure Brad did NOT hit him. Just to clarify.

The next day, he and Mr. Nathan Bond thought they were pretty funny. It took me a few days to find the humor. They told me they were going to try and break in after they figured out a few weeks earlier they could shimy up the house and climb onto my deck. Hello! I was so scared, I honestly would have grabbed some knives to protect myself. Boys are so dumb. Oh! And I later found out that while Austin was 'looking for the breaker box' he came across the boys and knew they were just joking around. You would think he would have mentioned that when Tif and I were in my dining room crying and calling for backup. Boys are so dumb.