Being Scared

[Point of Order]

I grew up in the country. My house was down a quarter-mile long driveway, surrounded by woods, pasture, and interstate. The nearest house was my grandfather's several hundred yards away. When I was a teenager in high school I would stay there by myself quite a bit. Sometimes I had friends over and they would be pretty spooked by the setting -- odd, unexplainable noises, rustling in the bushes, lights off in the distance, etc. -- but I usually wasn't bothered by it.

For the past 15 years, though, I've lived exclusively in more populated areas: apartments, neighborhoods, and townhomes. I definitely prefer living in the city. City noises don't really bother me. I feel more comfortable knowing there are people all around me.

For several nights over the past couple of weeks, though, I have been staying out at a house in the country. It's a long story, but I'm staying out there to watch over a place that the previous occupant has been ordered out of, and was ordered to leave everything except bare essentials behind, which he has done. He's not known to be a violent fellow, but he has done some rotten deeds and I have reason to believe he might inebriate himself from time to time.

Making matters worse, there is no television, no telephone service (coming soon), Internet (coming soon), and my cell phone gets no signal except at the top of the driveway about a quarter mile up. All things considered, I get kinda scared when I stay there by myself at nights. Would you be?

 

[mustangj17]

If you don't repost in a few days we will send a newbie out to look for you.

 

[BYH]

If you don't repost in a few days we will send a newbie out to look for you.

Make it Mrbio. He can ask him a bunch of wholly unique and personal questions, and then post the Q&A here.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

If you don't repost in a few days we will send a newbie out to look for you.

Make it Mrbio. He can ask him a bunch of wholly unique and personal questions, and then post the Q&A here.

Scoreboard!

 

[dooley_womack1]

I'm so excited...I'm so scared!

 

[MartinonMTV2]

If you really grew up in the country, then you would realize how paranoid you are acting.

If it's this bad, just get a dog. Not a mean one -- just one that will bark if something happens. That should ease your troubled mind.

 

[Steak Snabler]

"The suspense is terrible ... I hope it will last."

 

[Point of Order]

Obviously, since I'm on the web, I'm not out there tonight. I decided to haul it into town at sundown after being there all weekend. Internet is supposed to be hooked up this week which will make it better. I think there's about a 98% chance of nothing happening, but what kinda had me worried is that if something were to happen I am unarmed and unable to communicate with anyone in any way.

Plus, as I was locking the gate to be in for the night last night I saw some shadowy figure rapidly approaching me; scared the **** out of me. Turned out that a kid on a bike had saw my car drive in and he followed to see what was going on. I don't think he was expecting me to be outside the car locking the gate, though, because when he got close enough to realize I was there -- and just seconds before my heart jumped out of my chest because I wasn't sure who or what was there -- he slammed on the brakes and hauled ass back toward his house.

 

[Bubbler]

"The suspense is terrible ... I hope it will last."

Nice.

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

Obviously, since I'm on the web, I'm not out there tonight. I decided to haul it into town at sundown after being there all weekend. Internet is supposed to be hooked up this week which will make it better. I think there's about a 98% chance of nothing happening, but what kinda had me worried is that if something were to happen I am unarmed and unable to communicate with anyone in any way.

Plus, as I was locking the gate to be in for the night last night I saw some shadowy figure rapidly approaching me; scared the **** out of me. Turned out that a kid on a bike had saw my car drive in and he followed to see what was going on. I don't think he was expecting me to be outside the car locking the gate, though, because when he got close enough to realize I was there -- and just seconds before my heart jumped out of my chest because I wasn't sure who or what was there -- he slammed on the brakes and hauled ass back toward his house.

Sounds like the start of a good book or movie.

 

[Buck]

I live in the country. Doesn't bother me a bit.

 

[slappy4428]

If you don't repost in a few days we will send a newbie out to look for you.

Make it Mrbio. He can ask him a bunch of wholly unique and personal questions, and then post the Q&A here.

You know, if we don't watch out for each other, who will?
Didn't we go through this once before. You remember what happened then??
http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/41946/

 

[dooley_womack1]

Holy ****, a classic beej-spnited fight on that thread

 

[slappy4428]

Holy ****, a classic beej-spnited fight on that thread

Yeah, a couple of eerie posts there. Am on Page 8 now...

 

[slappy4428]

Holy ****, a classic beej-spnited fight on that thread

BYH, who the hell are you to leave us for six months on some sabbatical, then start demanding to know our whereabouts?

He vanishes for all that time and he's still a dickhead when he comes back.
Should have stayed lost. ;D

 

[BYH]

If you don't repost in a few days we will send a newbie out to look for you.

Make it Mrbio. He can ask him a bunch of wholly unique and personal questions, and then post the Q&A here.

You know, if we don't watch out for each other, who will?
Didn't we go through this once before. You remember what happened then??
http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/41946/

One of the all-time great threads here.

 

[Ace]

PoO,

I think you'll be fine, as long as you don't have any parties with scantily clad, inebriated college kids.

That's just asking for a supernatural slasher to show up.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

PoO, I've spent a lot of times out in the wood by myself. I used to go on multi-day solo backpacking trips. I've got a hunting cabin that's about two miles from the nearest "neighbor." When you're in the middle of nowhere, all alone, the slightest twig snapping can send your mind racing.

Just be sure to lock the gate and bolt the doors. Consider adding some outdoor lighting. Most electric companies will install one of those halogen street lights on the nearest pole for like $5 per month.

 

[Batman]

PoO, I've spent a lot of times out in the wood by myself. I used to go on multi-day solo backpacking trips. I've got a hunting cabin that's about two miles from the nearest "neighbor." When you're in the middle of nowhere, all alone, the slightest twig snapping can send your mind racing.

Just be sure to lock the gate and bolt the doors. Consider adding some outdoor lighting. Most electric companies will install one of those halogen street lights on the nearest pole for like $5 per month.

If you know how to use one, it's also not a bad idea to get a gun. Not so much for the humans who might do you harm, but the critters. Harsh language does not work well against a pack of hungry, roaming dogs. My country-living in-laws have lost a lot of pets over the years to that, and have shot several others who spend a little too much time nosing around the house and garbage.

 

[Football_Bat]

I spent 18 years of my life in a place like this (off and on, thanks to college and Uncle Sugar), down a gravel driveway and way out in BFE. My parents sold the property, but they got it back when the new owners defaulted, and I ended up buying it from them.

(The intermediate owners were quite the cute couple, apparently. When the humidity is just right, you can faintly see the painted-over spot where "BRETT IS AN ASSHOLE" was sprayed on the outside wall. But I digress.)

The best thing is, it's paid for and I own it free and clear. I'll probably end up living there again someday, if there were any jobs out there that paid worth a ****.

Never once did I feel scared living there.