Twas Brillig

I’m writing this story in real-time. I don’t know how this post will end, because the end hasn’t happened yet. Hopefully by the time I finish this post, I’ll have answers for you. And me.

About twenty minutes ago, Hubby and I were sitting in our room, talking about our day, when the doorbell rang. We certainly weren’t expecting anyone at 9:00 on a Sunday evening! I jumped up to get the door, since Hubby was already in his pajamas, and found a distraught man, about age 60, on my doorstep. He was supposed to meet one of my neighbors, a divorced woman of similar age, who lives two doors down from me. Apparently, they are old friends, and he’s in town and called to say hello. He had been on the phone with her, she had invited him to come over and gave him clear directions and told him that she’d turn the light on. He was only five minutes away when they had this conversation. When he arrived, the place was completely dark. She never came to the door, though he tried the doorbell over and over again, and she wouldn’t answer her phone—the phone he had JUST been talking to her on. He was so worried, because the house looks abandoned, even though just moments ago, he’d been talking to her on her home phone.

Anyway, you could tell that he didn’t know what to do, and I didn’t know what he wanted me to do! But I know this woman well and we go way back. She’s always been very good to me. So, I walked over there (while Brian changed back into his clothes and joined me shortly) and found exactly what this man had described— her home was exceptionally dark and looked completely abandoned. I tried the doorbell, and could hear it ring through the doors. I tried knocking and yelling her name. No movement, no response. So we walked around to the back, but there is a fence all the way around with no gate for entrance, so I couldn’t pound on (or peer into, let’s be honest) any windows. I’ve tried calling her over and over.

Though none of her children live with her, I see them around all the time. So now we’re trying to track them down, via other neighbors who might know how to get a hold of them, and we’ve contacted our local church leaders who all live right here. In the meantime, Hubby and I decided that I would come home (our kids are all in bed! Someone should be here!) and I’m signed onto the internet, and our Church ward website (containing all the phone numbers for anyone and everyone in the area) so that I can call or give them numbers to call, etc. By now they’ve knocked on dozens of doors, looking for anyone who might have seen her or knows how to get into her house or get a hold of her children or whatever. I suspect the whole neighborhood is searching, calling, and pounding on her door.

I can hear yelling outside now. It’s so dark. Oh, how I hope things are okay! I guess if we don’t find a family member or neighbor with a key, the next step is to call the police.

Well, it’s time to end this post now, but my story has no ending yet. I’m trying very hard not to jump to conclusions—I’m not even sure what kind of conclusions to jump to! Maybe she fell, and can’t get to the phone or the door! Maybe she’s hiding from this man who claims to be her friend (who’s word we’re taking at face value, even though we don’t know him or anything about him). Or… who knows?

Crazy, frightening, and bewildering. And with that, I leave you. I’m sorry! I’d hoped to have an ending by now!