Posted January 5th, 2004 by Michelle

Monday, January 5, 2004

Driving home tonight, after a successful sojourn to my local Trader Joe’s (the only thing California has on New York, by the by) I surprised a pair of deer and a bouncing jackrabbit as they trekked up my hill. It was Wild Kingdom Lite. I then came home to Dolce who busied herself barking at shadows.

I could never live in a house this size unless I had about five other people there at all times. It’s too big, too roomy, too many closets where the boogeyman might be hiding. It fits when the rightful owners are home, but right now it seems to be expanding, giving me House of Leaves-like jitters. Maybe I’ve spent too much time in studio apartments, but at least when you live in a box, there are no dark corners. I’m tempted to bring Dolce up to the den to sleep next to me, but I’m afraid that if the boogeyman keeps yogurt on hand, she will forsake me for a lick of acidophilus goodness.

It’s odd to be 31 years old and afraid of the dark, I guess, but my overactive imagination rarely misses a chance to freak me out. I think I started reading Stephen King at a very young age and it’s done little good in my later life. My first book was Pet Cemetery, back when I was in the 6th grade, and I remember staying up all night reading it while visiting my best friend Anastasia in Cedar Rapids, IA. I would get too scared to put the book down, to put the lights out, and certainly way too scared to shut my eyes. I know better now, but the intro to an “X-Flies” episode was enough to set me off tonight.

I think I’ll shut (and maybe bar) the door to the den and throw an extra blanket on the pullout bed. After all, the boogeyman’s knife has a hard time cutting through covers. And maybe I’ll put on the extended “Two Towers” DVD, because only that will last longer than I will.

I’m pretty sure I locked all the doors…