#3 My Friday Night

My Friday Night 

It was a Friday night, nothing too special or anything. But that night, me and a few friends decided to go to a local bar to talk about our lives since we haven't been able to get together recently because our lives have been a little crazy. For me, the craziness in my life was my 26th birthday 2 weeks ago, and mom being told she had dementia. Me and my dad have pretty much known for a while, but we just got the official verdict from the doctor. That was about a month and a half ago. My parents live about 5 houses down the street from me, so she would always come over to my house and wait up for me like I was a child or something. I love her to death, but it is a little annoying. Sometimes I wish I never gave her a key.

And the bar we were going to, was about 8 blocks from my house. So I figured that since I haven’t been able to get my exercise daily before I got my new job, which severely messed up my life schedule, that I might as well walk. I also, brought my german shepard along, so he could stay at the overnight dog facility in town. He is pretty old, about 16 years now. I've had him since my 11th birthday. They take care of him down there and make sure he gets good attention for a dog his age. His vet said it should help improve his life and make him live a little longer.

After I dropped my dog off, I walked about 150 feet and I felt that I was being followed. I casually looked over my shoulder, and to my surprise, nobody was there. So I just marked that down as me being crazy. Then I never had that feeling the rest of the walk down to the bar. I was there for about 3 to 4 hours. It was a good time, me and my old friends got to forget about our problems for a few hours, and just talk with some new people but, sadly, I had to leave.

I was making my way home in my slightly drunken state, when I realized, I had forgotten about my works softball game that night. “Too late now,” I mumbled to myself. I had all my stuff out waiting on my stairs of my house. “I’ll just tell them I didn’t feel well and forgot to call.” “Yeah, sounds believable,” I thought to myself.

So when I finally made my way home and made it to my front door, I noticed it was slightly open. Most people would panic, but this was typical for me some nights. My mother would come over to wait for me or want to talk, then slowly leave afterwards and not lock or shut the door entirely. When I shut the door behind me, I looked to the little table to my left. There was the rest of the cake from my 26th birthday cake there. I heard footsteps upstairs. It was probably my mom getting up from the guest bed. She would stay there sometimes when I was not home and she was waiting. I called my dad, it was 1:07am. “Hello,” he groaned. “Hey dad,” I said while walking up toward the stairs, “ya know mom is at my place, right?” “That’s impossible, she is right next to me.”

I was halfway up the stairs at that point and almost fell over when he said that. Because right after he said it, I could make out the shape of a person’s head peering around the railing at the top.

“Michael? Are you still there?” My dad asked. I didn’t say anything, I just turned around and ran out of my house, down the street to my parent’s house to be greeted by a very worried and confused mother. My dad and I called the cops and went back to my house. Two cops went into my house to investigate while my dad and I waited with another cop. It seemed like months until they came back out and said it was all clear.

Since that night, my dad and I agreed it is best for mom not to come over by herself anymore. This does make me sad, but also a little relieved. I have trouble sleeping some nights too. But I also have a feeling that the guy never left, and he is still hidden, somewhere inside my house.