I am awake...

It's 3 am. I am awake.  I lie here in the dark with only the faintly glowing doorway into the hall showing the way.  20 years of being a mom has trained me to hear the slightest possibility of a noise.  But, I hear nothing but the clock ticking, the dog scratching from her bed, and the deep breathing of my sleeping children.  I am awake.  Waiting.

And there it is.

In the glow of the hall light I see it.  A thin, dark, spindly form.  Staggering, no, waddling?  It throws its weight side to side, almost like a duck.  One step towards the right.  One step towards the left.  Pause.  It's considering where it wants to strike.  It hears me.  It senses my being.  It moves towards me.  One step towards the right.  One step towards the left.  Pause.  It stares right at me.  I hold my breath.  It slowly raises a spindly hand towards me, straightens its too thin body, whirls around and quickly retreats to its den.

As I release my breath, I realize that had I not awakened, I would have missed the quiet approach of the intruder.  But, I was awake and I saw it all.

There will be little sleep tonight as I know that it is aware of me.  It is a matter of time before it returns.

I am awake. 

09/23/14