In the Depths of the Night

The house was shaking from at least 2 heliocopters hovering about it and Mia was frantically running from the front window to the backyard, barking, barking, barking. Bright lights shone through my windows, one of which seemed to pin Mia in place in the large living room window. I had been sleeping soundly, but the rukus propelled me out of bed, rather than under the covers, when I realized that I had not secured the doggy door ... .

Police vehicles prowled the street and armed men searched throughout the neighborhood, one of whom came up to my back fence. There were spotlights shining everywhere, both along the easement at the back of the property and into the open garage of the vacant property next door. It was obvious that law enforcement was looking for someone or something, but it wasn't in my area, so they continued up the street.

It lasted about 15 minutes, but seemed so much longer as house after house was involved in the walk-by search. I didn't hear directions through a loud speaker, nor did I hear the flash-bangs that announce another home is being entered, and, thankfully, no gunshots, but the overwhelming law enforcement presence meant something happening in the middle of the night, and this time -- it was in my neighborhood. There had been at least 2 parties earlier, on the next street over, the loud music blaring and drowning out all other sound. Once it was dark last night, I came back inside as I can only take so much live Hispanic music played by bands with no formal music training and/or musicality and the inevitable discharge of firearms that signals they've run out of booze.

After my heart rate slowed and Mia settled down, I crawled back into bed to finish sleeping. I don't know what alerted the response, but with criminals scurrying like rats to find hidey-holes, it could have been just about anything. Choosing between hearing the glass breaking in a window an intruder intends to come through or swarming law enforcement arriving at midnight, I'd rather hear law enforcement outside my window than just about any other sound!