It all started on Friday morning. I woke up early with the intent of arriving at Parkland College earlier than usual so I could study lightly for two tests just to brush up on some knowledge. I realized I wasn’t going to be able to do that so I instead decided to arrive at the usual time...and allow fate to dictate my grades. Since I had approximately 25 minutes until I had to leave the house, I decided to clear my head and try to relax since I was freaking out about the two tests on the same day. So I walk around the back yard. Since the back yard is connected to Trent’s yard, I walked over on his property just to add some length to my walk. I then noticed that his pool fence was ajar. Even then, I wouldn’t have even noticed if it wasn’t for the fact that morning was breezy which knocked the fence closed, alerting me to its unsecured state. So I lock the fence and go to school. No big deal.
Friday afternoon I come back and I feel sufficiently confident that I performed satisfactorily on the two tests. However, I was still keyed up, so I go to walk around the back yards again. There I notice that part of the fence that surrounds both properties has a loose board. That was when I thought that the broken fence and the opened fence gate were probably connected somehow. I just couldn’t figure out how.
Then it dawned on me: Someone might have jumped the fence and simply exited Trent’s property through his pool gate. When I realized this I was truly freaking out. I had my digital camera with me to take pictures of the “crime scene,” all the while I was like, “Doesn’t anyone care that there is gang activity in a good neighborhood?!” I mean, I was yelling out loud in the back yard like a crazy person because I was so damn scared.
Then, I began to connect even more dots in my mind. The more dots I connected, the more I was truly having a fit outside like a typical schizophrenic. Since Saturday was a “super moon” event, the previous few nights were lit up for anyone to adequately see where he was going by the moon!
This is what I think happened: There was a confrontation nearby. We only live a few blocks from college student housing, so a serious fight could have occurred. Perhaps it really was gang activity in my neighborhood. I think some young urban kid, probably around 16, might have been running for his life from one, or a few, attackers, who I think might have been 17 or 18. I think that the kid who was running for his life diverted down the alley next to Phillip’s house and climbed his fence. That would have been easy for anyone since the cross-beams of Phillip’s face outside to the public. The running kid then launched himself from the top of Phillip’s fence over Trent’s fence. Again, that would have been easy regardless of the fact Trent’s fence is eight feet tall. The fleeing person didn’t have to scale an eight foot fence; he only had to shuffle on top of a shorter fence and jump over another fence that was only a bit taller: He only had three feet to go from the top of Phillip’s fence.
Again, I don’t know what happened at all because, frankly, anything could have happened that dislodged the plank of wood from the fence. Kevin told me that boards loosen themselves all the time, so that could have been normal wear. I would have believed him...but then again the pool gate was unsecured and I don’t think any of Trent’s friends have been on his property lately. If there was a fleeing kid, I also think he managed to escape his attackers simply be cutting through Trent’s back yard.
URGH! I’m still nervous about this situation. How did the gate get opened? Why did the plank fall off away from the fence? Did someone really tresspass on our property?
I guess I’ll have to be vigilant on the back yard for the rest of this summer to try to see if there are other discrepancies. Or maybe I should get a motion-activated camera.
The loosened (but how?) plank.
The path the fleeing person might have taken along the far side of the pool and house.
Trent's gate that was ajar Friday morning.
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1 comment:
seriously? it could have been anything. Did you talk to Trent about this? why did you freak out? First, no reason to freak out if nothing was currently going on. 2nd, how did you jump to *gang activity*/!! there are scores of more likely reasons the board would have been loose/missing and the gate unlocked. Actually I also don't see any reason for those to be connected at all. is that board space big enough for an actual person to fit through? really? boards become loose through weather and natural wear and tear. If it was sudden. . it's *possible* someone might have tried to climb it or even did, but probably didn't hurt anything else. was anything broken? or stolen? what are you actually afraid of? If you were yelling like a schizophrenic. . maybe that was a clue you were being a bit crazy?
so. . calm down. relax. maybe check to see if Trent new about the board or if there might be some other reason the gate was open. and forget about the gang activity theory. Unless you saw them, or saw gang signs spray painted on your fence. .there isn't much reason to jump to that conclusion. you are safe. you are fine. no one is hurt. relax.
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