Stranger in your House
By Katie
@katie4720011 (218)
United States
March 18, 2012 10:02am CST
Two years ago around midnight I was awakened by a strange voice. I looked at the bedroom doorway and could see someone standing there. I thought it was my husband and asked him what he said. The man spoke again and I immediately realized that that was not my husband. I then jumped up from the bed and started screaming at him. He started backing up and thats when my dogs also realized that this was not someone who should be there. They ran after him as did I. I reached out and grabbed the bat that I kept next to my bed and ran after him. He ran into my sons room and tried to close the door. I shoved the door open and screamed at him to get the hell out of my house. He was clearly under the influence of something and said your dogs bit me. I told him that he was in my house and he deserved it. He then tried to shut the door again and I hit it with the ballbat. I then screamed at him to get out of my house and grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him from my sons room. I pushed him towards the door. He tried to turn back and I shoved him again. About that time my husband came in the door. He turned on the light and the man was standing in the livingroom by that time. Well my husband recognized him. The man lived down the street and had gotton confused as to which house he was in because he was drunk and had walked right into mine. I yelled at my husband to get him out. He of course did and took him home. What would you do if you woke up to a stranger in your home? I was terrified and am now very careful to keep my doors locked. The problem is now that I feel violated in some way. Your home is someplace where you think that you are safe and then something like this happens and you no longer feel that security.
4 people like this
15 responses
@berting600 (3453)
• Philippines
18 Mar 12
You have to have some sort of a meeting with your family so that the door in your home would be lock.If all are having some appointments there should be a key to each one so that it could open the door and lock it once inside without the fear of another intruder going in the house.I hope I have made some sort of suggestion in your problem concerning the security inside your house.
1 person likes this
@katie4720011 (218)
• United States
18 Mar 12
The door was actually locked. But the problem was that when my husband had left he didn't pull the door all the way shut until it latched. We had problems with this because the trailer was a little unlevel and the doors would not latch easily. He did fix the problem as far as releveling our trailer though. I now have not only a regular lock but deadbolts on each of the doors. I make sure that each night before I go to bed that all of the doors are latched securly and that all of the windows are locked as well. I still feel not as secure as I once did. I can remember when I was growing up that we never locked our doors and never had to worry about such things and actually never had anything such as this ever come up. But it does happen and we learn to deal with it.
2 people like this
@berting600 (3453)
• Philippines
19 Mar 12
That is quite a relieving story.You are already secured there as you tell.So do not worry too much because your doors and windows are securely locked.Too much pressure in you part is not good to you because you could be suffering from nervous breakdown
due to extreme worries that makes you not feeling sleepy anymore.You must also take good care of your health.
1 person likes this
@katie4720011 (218)
• United States
19 Mar 12
This is true. For many months after this occured I had difficulty falling asleep. But am finally over tha hurdle. I don't know if and when I will be able to get that piece of security that was taken from me that many months ago back. But I believe that in time I will be able to put this behind me completely. Time is a great healer of all wounds and if anything this experience has made me more cautious.
2 people like this
@pahak627 (4558)
• Philippines
19 Mar 12
That was really a terrifying experience. Good for you you still had your mind set and bravely reached the man. But after that incident, i know how you really felt. If that incident happened to me I don't really know. I'm a coward. I fear almost everything. Every time my husband goes out at night, I really exert more effort checking and double checking all the locks.
1 person likes this
@katie4720011 (218)
• United States
19 Mar 12
I think that the most upsetting part was when he tried to get into my sons room and shut the door. I was not about to let that happen. I don't even remember feeling scared, but I do remember feeling very angry.
@choybel (5042)
• Philippines
18 Mar 12
Fortunately for you it was just a confused man and nobody really with a bad intention. That was still scary, though. It did gave you the lesson to always keep your door locked, so that's a good way of seeing it.
I had a scarier and really traumatic experience with relation to this topic but I am still not comfortable sharing it, so I hope you understand.
1 person likes this
@katie4720011 (218)
• United States
18 Mar 12
Thats quite alright. Never talk about something that makes you uncomfortable. I have learned from this experience to triple check my locks on both doors and windows.
@garson (884)
• United States
2 Apr 12
After reading couple of responses, I found out that you live in a trailer. I have never experienced living in a trailer, but securing or locking doors is always people's responsibility no matter what. You may have said this, but you just have to make sure that you lock your doors or yell at your husband about this(lol).
What kind of dogs you have if I may ask?
@dazzledlady (1618)
• Philippines
18 Mar 12
It is indeed terrifying. Good thing it is just your drunk neighbor. Next time make sure to lock your doors before you sleep. Make it a habit. It is not very safe nowadays. If something bad happens to you, it is natural to no longer feel secured until you get over the incident. Just be cautious. Last night, ahmm errr early in the morning I was awaken too but my stupid brother who went out and came back at 3am without a key, he forgot it ggrrr!!! he disrupted my sleep and I was not able to go back to sleep. So I log in and read some discussions until it was time for me to get ready for work.
1 person likes this
@katie4720011 (218)
• United States
18 Mar 12
Yes we were lucky that it was just a drunk neighbor and I know that it could have been a lot worse. I still feel less secure in my own home but am slowly learning to deal sith it. My brother used to do the same thing to me, he would come over at 1 or 2 in the morning and knock...or rather pound on my bedroom window. This would scare the heck out of me. It is very hard to go back to sleep when you are waken in this manner.
1 person likes this
@mylchenke (10)
• China
18 Mar 12
When I was a teenage girl I lived with my parents. one summer night it was so hot that I slept in our yard. When I woke up in the middle of night I saw a man standing besides my bed. I was too terrified to do nothing but scream. My father heard and came, then the man ran away. I think for most women the first reflection is screaming.
@katie4720011 (218)
• United States
18 Mar 12
This is tru. I think that when someone is taken by surprise the first thing they naturally do is scream. It is good that your father heard you otherwise it is hard telling what could have happened.
@AmbiePam (94059)
• United States
19 Mar 12
Holy cow! That would have terrified me. What a moron to be so drunk he goes into the wrong house. When you saw him again, and I'm assuming you did because he lived so close, did he at least apologize? About a year and a half ago, around 12:30am someone tried to open my front door. Then they started to pound on it. Then they tried to kick it in. I yelled through the door at them to go away. And I can hear the guy outside talking to his friend, insisting it's his apartment, so why won't I let him in? The moron must have been drunk or high. My theory is, he went into the wrong breeze way in my building and went up to the top floor where I am. He is also on the top floor, but one breeze way over. I wish I had had a peephole because I would have identified him and told my landlord on him. He scared the crap out of me.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63643)
• United States
21 Mar 12
That is really scary, I have never awaken with a stranger in my house, but I'd bet I'd be attacking him too.
Having said that, I have come HOME and found strangers in my house, one time I went after them in my car, I was determined to run them down, drag them home and tell the police "I have NO idea how they got those tire tracks all over them!"
1 person likes this
@shaggin (72288)
• United States
20 Oct 12
I wonder how closely your house looks to this mans house that he walked in and proceeded to the bedroom thinking it was his house. Even drunk it seems like a pretty lame excuse. Maybe he thought no one was home and was trying to steal money or something. I am glad you were so brave trying to get him out of your house and I am very glad that you had the dogs to protect you and your husband got home when he did. Your son must have been scared with a stranger in his room.
@mysticmaggie (2498)
• United States
19 Mar 12
We had some teens break into our house, steal our stereo system and my car. They totally destroyed my car - puncturing tire, tearing off the doors, bashing down the roof, tearing off the hood and trunk lids and mangling the motor.
Yes, you do feel violated, but even more I felt fear because the night before my brother had slept in the den - the room the thieves came through! He could have been hurt or killed!
To make matters worse, my husband's mother took him to Hawaii for two weeks soon afterward. I couldn't sleep while he was gone since it was just me and the kids there. I did, however, get the whole house painted on those sleepless nights.
Hugs,
Maggie
1 person likes this
@pahak627 (4558)
• Philippines
18 Mar 12
That's really a terrifying experience. Good for you, you still have your mind set. You did something. I don't know what will happen to me if I experience what you had. But I was afraid for you when the man pushed you back, I know what you felt after that happened. At home, when my husband is out at night, I always checked the locks because I am really afraid.
1 person likes this
@katie4720011 (218)
• United States
18 Mar 12
Now thats a good idea. I went after him with a ballbat and you know what, I never even thought to turn the lights on. I guess thats what you call the hometown advantage.
@suzukigirl1970 (106)
•
18 Mar 12
God that must have been very scary for you. May I ask as to why the door was not locked in the first place?
@katie4720011 (218)
• United States
18 Mar 12
The door was locked but my husband did not pull it all of the way shut until it latched.
@katie4720011 (218)
• United States
19 Mar 12
That he most definately does.But now I also do as well. This situation could have been much much worse and I am so thankrul that it was not and I am also glad that it gave me the chance to be much more cautious.
@honest_efforts100 (1607)
• India
29 Jun 12
I would simply call the cops, but in your case it was just a mistake. I mean you should lock your doors at night but you don"t need to over do it. Because of one mistake you shouldn"t break the trust that your home isn"t someplace safe. It"s totally fine that you feel violated but it wasn"t your mistake. Some of these things
