Quietly Alone

When I was a kid, I always hated being alone in my house. It wasn't that I believed it was haunted. Perhaps, I always felt like someone or..something..was waiting in the shadows for me.

Joe's been away for the past week...leaving me alone in the house..

I bet you wouldn't imagine that I'm still that scared little girl afraid of being alone in the house, but really, it's all still there. Each night, as I creep up the stairs, and I get just past the point where my feet are in reach of the first floor, I make a quick little jump up the rest of the stairs. I know..seems silly..but I have this image of a hand coming out of nowhere and grabbing me by the ankle! Perhaps this is the reason that i always leave Joe to turn the last light off downstairs when he is around!

When I *do* make it upstairs, it's a series of light switching. For instance, if I am coming up the back stairwell, I can turn that light on. When I get to the top, I walk across the library and turn on the other stairwell before walking back to the first to turn it off. I then go into the bedroom to turn on my bedside light before turning off the hall light. Does it really make a difference? I'm sure it doesn't. Oddly, when I get into the bed, I feel totally safe with all the lights off!

Joe will be home tomorrow. Tonight is my last lonely night. I'll leave the light flicking to him from now on ;)