Enter Cheesy Horror Film Sound Effects

Last night something strange happened here. I am not sure if it was something to be thinking twice about or merely just my over active imagination at work doing what it does best, conjuring up feelings of panic and dread.

At 11:30 p.m. I was sitting at the dining room table typing away to a friend on AIM. Terry was laying down with the littlest one trying to coax her into sleep mode. There was a knock at my door.

A little shaken by the fact that we know absolutely no one here that would be knocking so late, I got up and went to the door thinking that it was probably the girl that lives downstairs as I had thought I heard someone come up the stairs. She has never knocked on my door but I have told her that if we are ever too loud or if she ever has a problem with her ceiling leaking or anything to come knock. The place was still as everyone was in bed but me. So I dismissed that idea as quickly as it came to me.

Immediately something told my sometimes overly trusting Midwestern brain not to open the door. Had it been daylight outside I probably would have nonchalantely just opened the door like I do for FedEx, UPS, or the mail lady. Stupid me.

I asked who it was as I tried to peek out the little hole in the door. It was completely black. This disturbed me because the landing and stairs are normally very well lit at night. The male voice replied back nothing more than "Delivery".

I said back to him through the door that I did not order anything. I mentally ran through the list of possible delivery items one would expect at nearly midnight. If it were a pizza surely he would have said where he was from, right? I didn't ask him if it was a pizza as I was not going to feed the serial killer his lines for him. I have seen that movie. The stupid blonde girl always dies first.

Also, I think it is standard for pizza delivery guys to say something to the effect of it being a pizza delivery and announcing from where if you sound like you aren't going to open the door for them.

So he mumbled something about being sorry and then a firm "Could I come inside to use your phone?" At that point I had went from being a little shocked and curious to genuinely suspicious and scared. I quickly replied even more firmly, "No. You may not!" So he stumbled around for a second and then asked if I could tell him then where apartment 17S was. I think he thought this would validate my opening the door to give him directions as he was now playing the poor lost delivery person card.

I replied that it might possibly be the next building over knowing very well that this was the only building 17 and there is no apartment S. The letter of our apartment is clearly marked on a little plaque outside of our door. This person was clearly fucking with me.

At this point he gave up. At that moment I noticed the bottom lock on the door knob was locked but the deadbolt above it was open. I swiftly flicked it to the locked position. Shuddered at the odd feeling of the stranger possibly hearing it from the other side and went in to ask Terry if he had heard the whole thing. The odd thing is I don't remember now if I heard him go back down immediately.

I am wondering if I would seem crazy for calling the office tomorrow to just kind of let them know incase things start happening around here.

Posted by gwendolyn on June 15, 2003 at 09:30 PM