The Night the Raccoons Danced

This is a story about the night the raccoons danced downtown, and to be honest if I hadn't been there that night I wouldn't have believed it to be true. It was a quiet evening, the kind that felt almost too quiet. No breeze rustling the leaves of the trees, not so much as a cricket could be heard. It was the kind of quiet that left folks feeling uneasy as though something was about to happen but what, nobody could say for sure. Some folks thought maybe it was the calm before a storm, others just thought it was mother nature's way of taking a nap, but there was one gentleman known in town as "Old Timer".

Old timer was up in years, but he was the guy that could tell you what kind of season it would be by looking at caterpillars, feeling the direction of the wind, or simply the pattern in the temperature. I was talking to Old timer about how unnervingly quiet things felt and he said that there was only one other time he felt a quiet stillness as deep and powerful as this night was. I asked Old timer what happened and he simply told me he would let me know in the morning if his hunch was right or not and wouldn't say anything except to warn me to expect the unexpected before saying goodnight andsaid he would see me tomorrow.

I left Old timer's porch more puzzled then I'd ever been. Old timer sometimes would dodge answering questions but this felt different like he knew something that he didn't want to talk about for some reason. Not knowing what he meant by "expect the unexpected" I started heading home. As I walked along main street downtown, I was nearing the town square where a small park can be found and it isn't uncommon for kids or folks of all ages to be. This evening was different, there wasn't a soul to be seen in the park, it too was eerily quiet.

I approached the park and had just stepped into the grass, when I spotted something in the shadows. I didn't know what it was so I thought I should maybe keep moving, but then I saw it again, only this time I could have sworn I saw a very small child wearing a top hat dart past me. I figured it was kids playing hide and seek, but no sooner did I think that then I saw under the light of a lamp post several raccoons maybe five or six of them I'm not sure of the exact number, but there were a bunch of them. Each one wore a top hat and had a little prop type cane. I couldn't believe my eyes I stopped dead in my tracks and what I saw next I knew nobody would believe. The little raccoons with their top hats and little canes began dancing under the light of the light post. It was like watching a little furry chorus line none of them missed a step as they danced I stood frozen in place not sure what to do. The raccoons then danced past me and headed down main street doing their dance. I watched with amazement, much like the amazement one might have if they actually caught a glimpse of Santa coming down their chimney. I don't know how long it went on, but it seemed like an eternity that the little critters danced their way around downtown. Then as quickly as it started, the raccoons disappeared into the shadows and everything seemed like it was back to normal. There was a slight breeze causing the leaves to rustle gently, and I could hear crickets which at that moment was the most wonderful sound I could have heard because it was something I was familiar with. I went home and tossed and turned in my bed wanting to tell everyone what I'd seen, but figured it would cost me a one way ticket to the nearest mental health facility. I decided that the only person I could talk to about this might be Old Timer, since he was the one who had told me to expect the unexpected.

I didn't get an ounce of sleep that night so at sunrise, I got up had breakfast then headed to Old Timer's house. The whole way there I kept wondering if anything else would happen before I got there, and thankfully it was an uneventful walk to Old Timer's house. I arrived and Old Timer was sitting on his porch and reading the morning paper. Without looking up he said to me "so you saw the unexpected I take it" I told him that he wouldn't believe me if I told him what I saw, to which he replied try me, I've seen many a thing and I'm pretty sure I could tell you that you saw something involving dancing last night on your way home.

I was a little taken back but then told him the story about my walk home last night and the raccoons with their top hats and canes dancing through downtown and how I didn't think anyone would believe me even if I told them it was true.

Old timer nodded slightly and said you know, you aren't the first to have seen that very sight, and I'm sure you won't be the last, many folks in town have witnessed the dancing raccoons but nobody talks about it because they don't want others to think they've lost their mind. Then e went on and told me that it is one of those once in a blue moon kind of things that happens and is so memorable that you'll never forget it in a million years. You'll know now when it's going to happen and can choose to watch it or not watch it, and there will always be someone who sees it for the first time who thinks they've lost their mind but really it's just mother nature playing tricks and having fun the way I figure.

I thanked Old timer for his understanding and swore I would never tell another should what I saw but would simply tell folks to "expect the unexpected" when I saw that the conditions were right for the raccoons to do their dance up and down main street. So the next time things get still and you begin wondering what might happen next, it might not be a bad idea to expect the unexpected just in case you're walking home and spot raccoons in top hats dancing through town, just know that you aren't alone but that many folks won't admit to seeing it.