Safe No More

With the combination of watching too many scary movies and having very vivid dreams, I tend to have a lot of "nightmares". Through the years I've learned to deal with these nightmares. As a child I would go to my parents room and they would let me sleep on the floor next to their bed. Most of the time this was scarier than in my own bed, but there was a sense of security still. As I got older my tactic was that my bed was always a safe place. When I woke up from scary dreams I would look around the dark room and let my imagination go wild. But, I always told myself that nothing would happen to me if I just stayed under my covers and in my bed.

On August 25th 2008 at approximately 3:40am I was lying sound asleep in our new basement apartment in Rexburg, ID. Luckily for me, I am a light sleeper. Half conscious and half asleep I hear scratching on my pillow above my head. After a couple seconds I slowly realize that scratching on my pillow is also tugging slightly at my hair. Another couple seconds go by and I realize what is really happening and I abruptly sit up and fling my hair. In the 2 foot gap between our bed and dresser there were some pillows still in their original plastic bag and I hear what was just on my pillow hit that bag. It sounded so light and quiet. I laid back down still confused as to what just happened. "Was there really just something on my pillow scratching at my hair or did I just imagine it all?" When I was fully awake I woke up Tyler and told him that something was just on my pillow and when I sat up it fell onto the floor.

I wake Tyler up a lot with my crazy dreams and wild imagination. One time I told him a ghost was moving my ring on the nightstand. Turns out it was our bedroom door which desperately needed some WD40. So, needless to say he didn't really believe me when I said something was on my pillow. His first sarcastic question was, "Was it a cat?" We don't own a cat. "No, it was smaller." Was my reply. Next question, "Was it a bug?" Still not believing me. "No, it was bigger." Finally, after I wouldn't let it go he asked if I wanted him to get up and turn on the light to try and find it. "YES!"

He turned on the light and started ducking under the bed and dresser on my side. He moved the pillows in the bag where I said it hit and there was nothing there. Now looking at me, "See, it was nothing." Then, which I feel was the best part of the entire experience, he yells, "Holy crap!" and jumps higher than I have ever seen him jump right onto the bed at my feet. His reaction scared me half to death and my heart was racing. I asked him what he saw and apparently a little baby mouse had darted from behind the dresser to under the bed! GROSSSSS!

I little baby mouse was scratching at my pillow and tugging at my hair while I was asleep! How did that rodent even get up there? The top of our bed is a solid yard from the ground. After discussing how disgusting that was we tried to go back to sleep, but all I could think about was, "My bed isn't even safe anymore. How am I ever going to sleep again?"

Later that day we were running errands and Tyler asked me why I had dark circles under my eyes. "Do you not remember that a mouse was in my hair earlier this morning?!"