A spooky tale for a spooky month!
I was stationed in Turkey ten years ago (don’t get me started on the fact that it was TEN years ago). I will never forget one of the times I was working a 12 hour rotation on the graveyard shift. My coworker had gone to lunch (more like midnight chow), so I was left alone until it was my turn for chow. This particular night had been quiet, dragging along like a kid procrastinating an annoying chore.
About ten minutes after my coworker was gone, I heard a distinct thumping in the ceiling. There was enough room between the tiles that made up the ceiling and the roof for someone to crawl—I knew this because they had been working on the A/C all month long, and some of the tiles had been taken out.
Thump, thump…It was the clumsy pitter patter of feet. Thump, thump. I stood very still. My eyes roamed the room for anything that might be used as a weapon. Spotting the electrical safety kit (of which included a wooden cane *), I crept towards it. Thump, thump! The person continued crawling, and he was heading in my direction.
My heart was pounding as I grabbed the cane. A cold dread welled up within me. As long as I got him with the cane first, I’d be okay…or so I lied to myself. I held the cane up when he was above me. Drawing in a deep breath, I prepared my offensive.
“IDENTIFY YOURSELF!” I shouted, holding the cane like a baseball bat.
Silence.
I waited.
“IDENTIFY YOURSELF NOW!” I took the butt end of the cane and hit one of the tiles with it.
Silence again.
“Meow?” came a small, soft cry. I blinked and moved under a spot where one of the tiles had been taken out.
“Meow?” a tiny, furry black head peaked down at me. “Meow!” The kitten was just as happy to see me as I was happy to see it.
* The cane is an emergency tool used to pull someone out of a hairy situation.
In other news, I’m still offering commissions! Here are some that I’ve done recently!
