A Life-Changing Night | Melissa Erickson

The night was quiet; calm. The only disturbances came from the cool, light breeze dancing playfully across leaves and branches, making them rustle with delight, and the crickets teasing with their calls to one another. We sat on the balcony, enjoying the pleasure of one another’s company, and the serenity of the dark. Looking out into the black, slightly speckled starry sky, commotion from down below caught our eye.

Three boys slithered through the night, whispering, hushing each other, and giving off an extremely ominous presence. We peered over the edge of our railing; confused and slightly nervous. They made hand gestures to communicate with one another, creeping under the windows of the building across from us. Spreading out, they each crouched below the glass. Even the breeze stopped to hold its breath as we waited to see the result of this abnormal activity. All of a sudden, they sprang up, banged against the window, and ran away cackling.

Well, needless to say, this was very anticlimactic. I suppose we don’t really know what we were expecting. Of course we didn’t want anything bad or harmful to occur, but with all that planning, all the secrecy…we wanted a big bang; or at least a dull roar.

The safety of the lights flashed on almost immediately, and girls scrambled to the window in chaos. Lifting up the glass, they saw us and called out: “Did you see what happened? Who was that?! Where did they go?” We told them the very brief amount of information we knew.

“Three boys just came and ran to your window. Then they ran away down that street.”

“Oh. Did you see them? What did they look like? Who are they? Why did they do that?”

Girls. We apologize. However, we have NO idea who these men were, and could care less about their intention of frightening you in the late hours of the night. Quite frankly, we gave you our answer, helped you to the best of our knowledge, and would quite like to be left alone now, and resume the peacefulness of our once-pleasant porch. “No, we don’t know anything else. Sorry”

Now there are girls coming outside, peering up at us. “Where did they go?!” These obviously are not the same group of young women who we have answered before. If they are, they have the memory span of a goldfish. “Do you know who they are? What happened?”
Growing slowly agitated, we repeat our answer. “There were three guys who came up to your window, knocked on it, and ran away that direction.”

The girls are confused. Many of them spin at once, all in opposite directions of where we are pointing. Thinking that they will now deal with this problem on our own, we again settle down into the comfort of the nighttime. We are left alone for just moments, until we hear a piercing cry cut the once-serene outdoors. “Where are they?! Who is it?! Why did they do that?!”

Once again girls, we only saw a split moment of this heinous crime. Please do not expect us to leap off our porch, and run to you hysterically screaming about details we have no way of even possibly knowing. The story was simple. We told you everything. It would be wrong of us to tell you the story of three, perfectly described men who crept through the night so that they may gaze upon the women they love. However, since the blinds were drawn, they were filled with rage and beat against the glass in the anger of their true heart’s desires being hidden away.
It would also not be ethical of us to tell you the story of three lost Chipendale dancers who were knocking against windows in desperation for a place to stay and shield themselves from the biting 80 degree weather. Once inside, they would express their gratitude by performing a spectacular dance number for you, and perhaps even marry some of you. Since you were too late to come to the window, they darted down the street and ended up staying at your best friend’s apartment. You will be getting a wedding invitation in two weeks.

You don’t seem satisfied with our simple: “Three boys. That way.” You also seem to think that we may be lying to you. You’re confused why we can’t describe them exactly from our bird’s eye view from above the incident. It’s almost as if you blame us that we didn’t take advantage of the bright, sheer blinding light of the moon, and make sketches of who these male predators were.

Ever so slowly, they trickle back inside their homes, peering suspiciously out their windows, drawing up the blinds to catch the sneakers if they come on the prowl again. Their lives will be ever-changed by that shocking, and truly frightening night.