5. A man broke into the house

I have the best story for this- a strange man broke (walked) into the house. When I was 15 I baby sat for a neighbor. I would spend the whole day looking after their 3 year old for the summer (basically did a 8-4 shift).

One day I put the girl I was baby sitting down for her nap in the afternoon and when I came down stairs a man was standing at the screen door at the back of the house. I asked him who he was and he proceeded to come into the house. We had been playing in the backyard earlier and stupid me had forgotten to lock the door- but it is a residential suburban area and the backyard was fenced so I had thought I was safe.

I asked the man again who he was, and he started wandering around the house. He was opening cabinets, turned on the radio and moved some pictures around on a shelf. He was not making much sense. At this point I was scared, but did not want to leave without the little girl I was supposed to take care of.

I ran upstairs and tried to pick her up. Unfortunately, she was already in a deep sleep and did not appreciate being moved. She started to cry and complain. Then I looked up and the man was standing in the the door way watching. Some kinda crazy protective instinct came over me and I told him to stay there. He asked if he could see the little girl- I told him he could look from the doorway but not come in. To my relief he listened. He watched us for a while then went back down to the main floor to move things around.

In a bit he moved into the basement. I did not follow him downstairs, I took this as my queue to call for help without him knowing. Stupidly- I admit- I called my mom rather then the police. My parents house was only a few doors away and I knew my mom was home. I scared the shit out of her when I whispered into the phone that there was a strange man in the house. Then I hung up on her because I could hear him coming back upstairs.

He saw me with the phone and seemed to nod to himself. I asked him to please leave. He then opened the door to the garage and left through the garage door (leaving it open). My mom arrived as he was getting in his car. She had the forethought to look at the color and make of the car and memorize the license plate.

We called the person I was baby sitting for. Turns out this man is one of his best friends. He is mentally ill, had gone off his medication and had been missing for a few days. The police were actually looking for him because his family had reported him missing. He was totally not violent, but the whole thing scared the shit out of teen-aged me.