Night Scare

The other night, driving home with my doors securely locked, after all, we do that in the busiest part of town don't we, I didn't give it too much thought when I got fairly close to home and saw the first police car, or even the second. The third one within a couple of blocks did bother me a bit, but they didn't seem to be in any hurry or doing anything special. Just hanging around.

We live in the city, but in the woods. That is, there is city north of us, and south, east, and west, but our house sits in the middle of three acres in one of those unincorporated areas surrounded by nothing but open fields, huge trees, and quiet. Jungle like. Very pleasant living. Very dark at night.

All was quiet at the corner when I passed, but another police car cruised by slowly.

I drove in our wooded road, parked the car and took the long walk across the back yard into the house. Not long after that we heard a helicopter pass over the house. I looked out a window and saw it had a search light on and was making large circles in the sky to the east of us.

"It's the police," I said to my husband who had been at home with the kids while I was out. "I wonder what they are looking for." I remembered all the police cars I had seen within a few blocks. Looking out a different window Jack answered, "They seem to be circling the big warehouse area."

As we both went to check on the children I had a mental image of furtive looking men quietly loading up a truckload of furniture from a warehouse and with a approach of a police car, running off into the surrounding fields. Heading west, of course. Toward us.

The sound of the circling helicopter got louder each time it took a swing north. Before long we could make out faint radio noises, the words indistinguishable, but definitely ominous coming through the darkness. Preparing for bed I listened carefully. The helicopter was coming closer on each circle. As I lay down in the darkness the beam from the searchlights suddenly lit up the trees outside, came through the window and swept over the bed.

Quietly Jack asked, "Do you suppose someone is out there running?"

I bolted upright. Feeling breathless I whispered, "Yes, I do!" I swung my feet to the floor but couldn't decide which way to go. Jack was already on his way when when I needlessly added, "Why don't you put on the outside lights so whoever it is won't run this way?"

He quickly put on the front lights, then the back ones. When he got back to the living room where I stood wringing my hands he told me, "There's a police car in our driveway." Foolishly he added, "Don't upset yourself" and went to put on a robe.

The noise of the helicopter was now so loud it reverberated through the house. Again I went to look at the children. Oh, the children, I thought. Don't let anyone hurt the children. I shivered. I read a lot of true crime and still remember "In Cold Blood" vividly. Were we to be another Clutter family?

The searchlight concentrated on our own field and yard, mixing with the searchlight on the police car as it swept over the trees and bushes close to the house. As Jack talked to the police in the driveway I paced from window to window watching for whoever or whatever it was that was threatening us. The lights lit up most of the yard but the patches where they didn't reach were blacker than ever by comparison. Anyone could be out there, frantic with the police so near.

The children were peacefully sleeping. How could they sleep through all the noise of the helicopter and the police radios?

Even a simple thief would be desperate with the police so near. What might they do? It could be something worse. A crazed addict? A gang of sadistic kids looking for a kick?

Now the police car turns in the drive and the helicopter enlarges its circle again, spreading out further than our own property. Jack comes in the back door and I gasp "What it is? What are they after?"

I lean against the wall weakly when he tells me, incredulously, "They're looking for a lion."

"A lion!," I cry, exhausted. "A lion!", I cry again. "Only a lion!"

"Yeh," says Jack. "It escaped from someplace. I thought it was something serious."

We both disolve in laughter and start putting lights out. "We can't sleep with that helicopter flying around here," Jack says. "Phone the police and tell them to call off the safari."

Just before I put the lights out I look out once more. Forgetting for a moment the slow walk I had taken across the yard an hour earlier, I thought, "Oh I'd love to see a lion out there...who's afraid of a lion?"