When the night falls, there's nowhere to go

I do not like being alone at night.

Houses make sounds that are amplified in the darkness. I hear every creak and every groan. And they frighten me.

I used to think I was afraid of aliens, because when I was very young, my (insane) grandmother made me watch a scary movie about aliens invading a house during the night and abducting Christopher Walken and his family. It was billed as a TRUE STORY, and my grandmother told me she believed it was true. My parents did not, but I was unsure. I never stayed up later than the others in my family. If everyone else went to bed, I did, too. I am not sure how this was supposed to protect me, considering that the people in the movie were abducted from their bedrooms, but it made sense inside my head.

I am no longer afraid of aliens abducting me at night, but my original concerns have morphed into fear of an overnight break-in or arson. This is not entirely crazy: both are semi-regular occurrences in Name of Town Withheld. Exactly how the presence of another person protects me from them, however, is unclear to my subconscious. In the light of day, I can see that this is just a continuation of the fear I had as a child, but at night I'm not so sure, especially when I hear noises.

Last night, I was certain I heard someone at the door fiddling with the lock and then coming into the house. I even ventured into the dark hallway, cell phone in hand, to investigate after being momentarily paralysed with fear. (I had left the phone next to the bed just in case someone broke in and I needed to call the police. Yes, you can say "self-fulfilling prophecy". It is now daytime.)

Naturally, nobody was out there. The deadbolt, which I had been certain I'd heard turning, was still locked. Perhaps the criminals were frightened off when I turned on the light in the hall.