Senior government and politics and information systems major
I live in a pretty safe (and uneventful) neighborhood. The only issues people complain about are windowpanes with mismatched colors and dogs pooping in inconvenient places. That’s right, yuppie adults spend their time whining about these issues when real violence pervades other local neighborhoods.
I usually feel safe at home. One incident last summer, however, somewhat changed my perspective.
Because I spent most of my summer interning in Northern Virginia and living in South Campus Commons, I was surrounded by roommates, coworkers and friends. But for the last three weeks of summer break, I was alone at home during the day, only accompanied by marathons of Forensic Files.
One day, things started acting a little strange. My dog, who always likes sitting near people, spent the majority of the morning quietly walking throughout the basement alone, refusing to go upstairs.
You know those movies in which the animals are always the ones who have the inherent ability to notice paranormal activity? Yeah, that’s what my normally rational mind couldn’t stop thinking about.
Later that day, the phone rang, but the caller ID displayed “Carlson.” After looking closer, I saw the number was my own home’s number; the call was coming from inside my house.
I didn’t pick up.
I immediately called my dad, who told me to leave the house and drive to a different part of the neighborhood until he got home. My father’s not really afraid of anything and never acts on a whim, so the fact that he made me do this affirmed my fear of how serious this situation could get.
After searching throughout the house, we didn’t find anything or anyone. Though I’m sure nothing really happened, every once in a while, when I’m home alone, I try to take note of any aberrant behavior in case something actually dangerous happens.
So, was this just a story about a malfunctioning phone and a featherbrained dog? Probably. But is it a story worth sharing anyway? Definitely.
Caroline Carlson is senior government and politics and information systems major. She can be reached ccarlsondbk@gmail.com.
