Fight vs Flight

I got a call last night sometime between 9:00 and 9:30. I'm not sure on the time, I just know I went to bed at 9:00, and at 9:30 I noticed the blinking light on the answering machine in the bedroom.

(Why is our answering machine in the bedroom? Well...it's the one room I know I'll be in during the day, at some point. There isn't a phone jack in the kitchen...we'd never see the one in the dining room...there's no phone jack in the living room...and I'm hardly upstairs in the den/office during the week. So, bedroom it is!)

Anyway, I almost didn't get up to see what the message was....but something inside me told me to check it out.

It was my sister, sounding freaked out. "Why won't anyone answer their phone? Where is everybody? I'm scared, I don't know what to do. Why won't anyone answer their phone?"

Holy hell!!!!!!!!! My heart jumped up into my throat and down into my stomach at the same time, is that possible???

I ran out to grab my cell phone, and yep...she'd left a message there as well (it was still set on vibrate from work). There was no more information about the problem at hand in the cell phone message...and she sounded much more desperate!!!! Crying, sobbing...the works.

I called her back, hoping she'd pick up. She's camping out at the State Park we do our annual camping family reunion. Her and the kids headed out there for the whole week as a sort of mini vacation. The cell phone reception is hell, and the fact that she got through on both phones really got me worried.

It either meant she'd tried calling a million times to finally get through to both phones (and I could just imagine in my head, her terror, as she dials again and again).....or she wasn't at the park. If she's not at the park, what's wrong. Where are the kids...is someone missing, or hurt??

She finally answers her ringing cell phone. "Mom?"

me: "No sweetie, this is your sister....what's wrong?"

Inny: "I thought I was talking to mom."

me: "No honey, it's your sister. Please tell me what's wrong?"

Inny: (sob, sob) "Someone was in my car!"

me: "What do you mean, in your car? Where are you? Are you OK? Where are the kids? Is anyone hurt?"

Inny: "No, I heard them, and chased them off by shining my flashlight on them."

It was an assault on her vehicle, not her. Everyone is safe. I can now breathe!!

me: "Where are you now?"

Inny: "Driving into town...I loaded up the kids and flew out of the park as fast as I could."

me: "OK, slow down. This person is gone. Call the cops or go to the police station in town."

Inny: "Um, OK. (sniff, sniff) Where is that?"

me: "I have no clue, go to Caseys. They are open late, and there are lots of lights." (Casey's gas station is in the center of town, and the only place to get gas that I know of. It's kind of the wind tunnel of town...and everyone goes there. Guthrie Center is a TINY town!)

Inny: "OK. Dad is trying to call me, I'll call you back"

We went back and forth on phone calls for quite some time. I had, by then, moved up to the futon in the den/office...so Mot could go back to sleep.

Mom called and said they were on their way out there. They were going to go out on Tuesday, but then decided to stay home, get some stuff done there...and go out on Thursday. So I wasn't surprised to hear they were headed out there now. Dad and I have our differences (lots and lots of em)...but he's a dad through and through. If a daughter calls in need, here's there without a second thought. Dad to the rescue!!!!

The last time I talked to Inny, she had just gotten done talking to 2 sheriff's deputies. They were on their way out to the park, and would patrol through multiple times during the night. She said she called 911, and there were two deputies there in about a minute or so. The 911 operator said they were close, she wasn't kidding.

One reason my sister was really freaking out, was after everything happened...she went to the ranger station, and no one was home. Seems he took his daughter to a high school volleyball game, and they weren't back yet. Wouldn't you know! Both deputies knew exactly where the park ranger and conservation officers were, so I'm guessing that's why they were sticking close to the park area.

I haven't heard from anyone in the family yet this morning...so I'm assuming everything is good. The person breaking into her car was probably going down the line of camper's vehicles, to see if they could find one unlocked. There was no damage to her vehicle, and nothing was taken. She swears she locked it, but must not have. Bet she doesn't forget that again. :-)

When I laid back down in bed last night, Mot asked me if everything was OK. And then he asked me what I would have done in that situation. I told him that my sister is a mama bear. She couldn't very well take off after the person, or threaten the person....when she had two children in her tent.

I, on the other hand, would have called the cops...after beating the guy to a bloody pulp with the nearest pair of fire tongs.


Picture found online.


Fight or flight...which one are you???