ONE OF MY SCARIEST EXPERIENCES!!

It was in early December, the temperatures were in the twenties, ice and snow covered the acre of land we lived on. The seven foot shrubs encircling our property were completely coated in ice making a quiet and beautiful winter wonderland as I looked out the window early this Monday morning. It was five am and everyone was still asleep in our house. It was that time again, time to get ready to go drive a bus for the school district in our small town.

We lived in a quiet little town, not much happened there, especially back then, before we had the growth we have seen in recent years. I have always disliked having to get up early before daylight and go into town by myself, but this morning I had to be extra careful because the streets were icy and in the winter it always seemed so much darker. It was so quiet.

As I arrived at the bus barn, I had this morning ritual of driving up behind my bus, then I would put my vehicle in park, leave it running and get into the bus, start it to let it warm up , make sure the air brake was on, then go get back in my vehicle, park close to the building and go inside.

Anyway, this morning was different, you know how you just have that eerie feeling, like the presence of evil is in your midst. I just couldn't shake it. So here I am going through my morning ritual, getting into my bus, it is very dark because the windows are iced over, it's cold and the overall feeling was just like the feeling of being all alone and someone is watching you. You know what I am talking about...you can feel their eyes burning through your very being, but of course you know there is no one there, it's just that aloneness you are feeling, so you go through the motions and try not to think about it anymore.

So here I am starting the bus, checking to make sure the air brake was intact, heater on, etc, when all of a sudden, I didn't hear anything but out of the corner of my eye, I see a man in gray clothes move from the rear of the bus, to the seat behind the drivers seat and sit down. I see his shadow in the rear view mirror.

My blood ran cold, sweat popped on my brow, my heart was racing, I gasped for breath and let out a blood curdling scream that pierced the darkness and all in a moment's time, I almost tore the steering wheel and the door off of that old bus getting out, I was falling out of it backwards and managed to land on my feet. I was running and falling all over myself trying to get to my car and trying to look behind me to see if a rapist was after me, I must've looked like the road runner burning rubber that morning, I never realized I could run on ice, but I think I could've walked on water that day if I'd had to.

Fear had taken over my very being, I was acting totally on instinct, I was going full speed ahead to the nearest getaway vehicle, I was going to drive through the walls of that bus barn before I got out. No one and I mean no one was going to get me that morning!! or any morning for that matter.

Then I hear it. Laughter!!!! Uncontrollable laughter, out of the corner of my eye I see him again. It's my supervisor, laughing his rear off. My fear turned to rage, I turned and ran after him, he took off, I was throwing anything I could see and screaming at him. He was laughing so hard he was crying. I began to laugh too, but I was mad at the same time, talk about mixed emotions, relieved to know it was him, but furious he had scared the pee out of me. I almost had a heart attack. If I could have gotten ahold of him, it would not have been pretty!

When I look back now, I still laugh, but I also realize it could've been serious, I am alot more careful now than I used to be. I pay attention to what is going on around me and everyone else these days. Thank God it was just a joke, unfortunately there are people who are attacked everyday in our city, I am thankful I wasn't that night, I am thankful it was just a prank.