A NIGHTMARE FICTIONAL STORY

Autumn was approaching like a slow freight train. It was a moonless night. The stars appeared as diamonds on black velvet. An eerie silence hung in the air like a stage curtain ready to open. The night air had chilled my body like the vent of an air conditioner. On the front porch I was enjoying the quietness of the late night and anticipating my next move.

Abruptly the darkness and stillness was interrupted with sirens piercing the solitude. The neighborhood dogs began to bark incessantly. Whatever I was thinking about vanished like the stillness itself. Blinking red and blue lights appeared in the distance as the sounds became louder.

I got up from my lounging chair and began to walk toward the street to get a better view of what was appearing in the distance. I almost tripped on the step catching myself by grabbing a flimsy bush limb. I continued cautiously trying to focus on the lights in the distance. Then it happened.

A distinct noise I hadn’t expected in the interrupted quietness of the dark night. The hiss was clear; I had just stepped on the freshly mown lawn with my sandaled feet.

In a split second I was in the middle of the lawn where automatic sprinklers had come on and I was getting showered in the now semi darkness. The chilling water soaked my lower body rapidly and I started to shiver in the cool night air. I hastily moved back toward the porch. A bright light broke into my personal space instantly giving me sight to get out of the sprinklers. I had activated the sensor on the porch light with my move across the lawn. I decided to retreat to the house.

By the time I reached the front door of my house the noisy vehicles pulled up in front of my house. Before I knew it voices penetrated the night air and beams from flashlights were being waved toward me and I was told stop and get down on the ground. I knew they meant what they said as I glanced at several firearms pointed purposely in my direction.

I was stunned. What had I done? What is going on? My voice was gone; I couldn’t vocalize these questions at all. The night was darker than ever in this nightmare. I continued to hear commands from gruff and commanding voices. The crackling of police radios pulsated in my ears.

The cold hard concrete was chilling my damp body even more as I lay prone. I was shivering uncontrollably. By this time two officers had grabbed my arms and forcibly pulled me to my feet and slapped cuffs on my wrists behind my back. I was feeling abused and degraded. Voices were shouting and commanding all kinds of things. Some officers still had their guns pointed at me.

I was scared. The wetness of the sprinklers was all I felt. My kidneys had let go and I felt a warm but wet sensation between my shaking legs. This was total shock. How would I escape from the cuffs? Again and again the question was, Why? What had I done to deserve such harsh and cruel treatment?

Suddenly another sound pierced the air. It was a buzzing noise. Ah, yes, the alarm had sounded and it was time to get up and go to work. Boy! What a nightmare! Wait until my wife and co-workers hear about this adventure.