I’ll Never Forget That Sound
About 10 years ago, I had a job that started at 6 am on the weekends. I didn’t drive and would take the light rail, which was a 15-minute walk from my house.
One dark morning, I saw a person up ahead of me a few blocks away. I usually see homeless people on my walk to the light rail and most are harmless just trying to collect cans for the deposit or asking for change, but this guy just felt off.
I could tell from blocks away that there was something wrong about him, so I crossed the street and grabbed my phone from my backpack. I still had to go to work and this road was the only way to the light rail.
Suddenly, I hear a “bubububump!” I look over my shoulder and it was him running toward me with his trousers down. That sound was the sound of his shoes hitting the pavement as he ran toward me.
I took off running, screamed, “I’m calling 9-1-1,” and held my phone to my ear. He must have saw and took it seriously because he ran the opposite direction that I ran.
I did call 9-1-1, but they wanted me to wait there for the cop and I was like “Heck no!” I said it was because I didn’t want to be late for work, but I was terrified of him finding me.
I will never forget the sound of his shoes hitting the pavement.