Danger! Danger! High Voltage!
That’s my bed. I’m not posting this picture for any other reason but to set the scene for what is so far, the most terrifying moment of my life.
It all started at about 1am, Sunday morning. I had only been home for a couple hours and was sitting on my bed, typing off a quick email to Matt before I called it a night.
Most of you know I also share a room with my little bro (Chad), due to lack of space in my mom’s house and my stay here only being temporary. His bed is to the left, and a few feet up from mine, since I’m kinda tucked into a corner. Anyway, our room was extremely warm and humid thanks to the weather we’ve been having lately, so Chad asked me to open the window (see above photo).
This prompted the following conversation:
Me: “I don’t really like sleeping with my window open.”
Chad: “Why not?”
“I don’t know…I always get scared that somethings going to rip through the screen and get into the room, and I’ll be the first victim.”
“Uhh, ok….”
Chad usually falls asleep listening to his Mp3 player, so once our chat was over, he put his head phones back on.
Not 2 minutes later, I hear the loudest growl/snarl/roar RIGHT OUTSIDE MY NOW OPEN WINDOW.
I froze. Chad heard it too, and ripped off his headphones just in time to hear me say in a frantic whisper,
“THIS is why I don’t sleep with my window open.”
As soon as he realized I wasn’t the one who made the noise (thanks dude, I’m not THAT loud), he instantly knew what was out there,
“Oh my God, that’s a freaking bear.”
So I’m lying frozen under the OPEN WINDOW, Chad’s in his bed absolutely FRANTIC, and we can both still hear the thing grunting and sniffing around right outside.
I have 2 choices. I can either stay frozen, let the bear get in, and proceed to be MAULED…OR I can close the window.
In what felt like forever, I reached my hand up to the window and SLAMMED it closed as loud and hard as I could, hoping in would scare the bear away. Then we both leapt out of our beds and ran out into the living room, only to stop suddenly when we realized every. single. window. in our house was wide open.
So we rush around closing them all (of course, Chad left the ones closest to where the bear had been for me), then ran upstairs to get mom.
At that point, I let myself start freaking out. I had so much adrenaline going through me and my legs were shaking so bad, I thought I would fall over…but I was also laughing! Even though I was scared out of my mind, it was probably the most fun I ever had too. Chad dealt with his rush in the same manner as he usually does, by talking…A LOT!
Once we got back to our room, Chad asked me how I worked up the nerve to close the window, cause he didn’t think he would be able to do it. I reassured him that it wasn’t that easy, and I nearly wet myself in the process, but it was a hell of a lot better than the alternative.
littlestaroflove said,
August 17, 2008 at 11:16 pm
OMG! I’ve never heard anything like that. A bear outside your window? Wow! I don’t think I would have had the courage to close it either. I would have probably been frozen with fear. That must have been an exciting night.
That reminds me of this thing that happend recently over here where a bunch of campers were killed overnight while they were sleeping by a grizly bear.
Tyler Ingram said,
August 18, 2008 at 6:15 am
Wow a bear outside your window huh? Crazy!
I’ve had to raccoons going at it outside my window. was the most horrific noise too! the female raccoon was just snarling and growling up a storm.. though it was in pain or being run over or something. Looked out side and the male is mounting it from behind!
The two of them looked over (not stopping the deed btw) and gave me the worse and uglist snarl. The female raccoon continued to sound like she was being run over multiple times for at least 2 hours.. i couldn’t sleep
Hannah said,
August 18, 2008 at 12:49 pm
OH. MY. GOSH. I am officially freaked out!!! As you know, we don’t have bears here! I would be terrified if that happened to me. Do you live in a country area, or do bears just roam the suburbs over there? Yikes!!
Angella said,
August 18, 2008 at 1:07 pm
EEEEEK!! I would FREAK! We’ve had them outside, but not with the windows open.
*Shudder*
Tyler Ingram said,
August 18, 2008 at 2:11 pm
@Hannah bears are roaming the suburbs here more and more! I remember coming home and having a bear cub in my back yard. My house at the time was in a cul-d-sac. There have been a few bear maulings too in recent days.
Jigme Datse Rasku said,
August 18, 2008 at 6:50 pm
I’ve had a lot of bear experiences. We live in bear country, and not that far into the City. Well my parents do. I live 80km from them, and I’m in the middle of the city. Don’t see bears here often, but sometimes.
Bears in the apple tree for what seems like 3 months, trying to get every apple there is. Bears in the middle of the day. Bears walking by your tent while you’re trying to sleep. Bears when you’re out in the woods trying to find little triangular red and white flags.
All these have happened to me. I guess living here and growing up here, it’s just become no big deal. Though there sometimes are good stories still even if it is no big deal.
Jigme Datse
CC said,
August 19, 2008 at 9:37 am
Yay! Go Canada! LOL, sorry, THAT’S how home sick I am.
My sister moved to the countryside and she has many bear sightings – this is why she has recently become the owner of a BRAND NEW RIFLE. Although I do not condone this. But she has horses.
You were totally brave to close that window though! Did you see the bear in the process? Did it go through your garbage? Did it poop on your lawn because THAT would be annoying!
Your Mom said,
August 19, 2008 at 1:51 pm
I’ve never seen the top of your bed made.
Can you post about the whole room?
Lance said,
August 20, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Yeah that picture was clearly set up for that photo. I may not live there anymore but i lived in that corner for a few years and it has never looked so pristine.