It was the summer of 2013, and my family had met up in Flagstaff for a week of adventure, relaxation, and togetherness. We stayed in a cabin in the mountains just outside of town.
One night I thought it would be nice to sleep under the stars. No one else shared my fantasy, so I had to go it alone. The cabin had a spacious deck in the back that stood about four feet above the ground, with steps leading down into a sparsely wooded pine forest. I selected a spot on the deck, spread out my sleeping bag, and settled down to enjoy the starry night. It was backyard camping at its best.
I had only been asleep a few hours when I was awakened by the lights of a truck rumbling down the dirt road near our cabin. It stopped in front of another cabin about 100 yards away. As I watched, two individuals climbed out, slamming their doors. Their voices carried to me, though I couldn't make out what they were discussing. They began to walk through the forest, the light beams from their flashlights sweeping back and forth in front of them. Dismayed that the stillness of the forest was shattered, I turned to my side to block their bombarding lights and sounds.
I lay that way for several minutes, slowly drifting back towards sleep. And then I was yanked back to complete alertness. I can't say what triggered my senses, but when I opened my eyes, I was instantly aware that those two distant flashlight beams were now very close. By turning to my side, I was completely unaware of their approach, but now both beams were shining right on me from ten feet away. I sat upright, motivated equally by surprised fear and extreme irritation. What the devil?! I have no idea what I intended to say to these inconsiderate (or worse) yahoos, but it was going to be aggressive.
The beams were blinding me from the edge of the deck. So close! As soon as I stirred, one hastily called out, "Put your hands up! This is the police!"
Well there was little chance that the girl rolled up in a mummy bag was going to to be able to either put up her hands or pull out a weapon. Seeming to realize this, the light beam voice went on, and I must emphasize that this is a direct quote, "We're looking for a bad man with a knife." Oh yeah? A bad man with a knife.. And then, perhaps my favorite part, he asked, "Have you seen anyone around here with that description?"
"Uh..." I actually paused and thought about it. Why that required any thought on my part must be attributed to the fact that I really felt a desire to be helpful to the policemen searching for a bad man with a knife. But alas. "...no." Sorry.
Their parting words to me were, "We'll keep looking. " And then, "You should be alright here." And with that, they moved off again into the forest, sweeping their flashlight beams in front of them.
You should be alright here? I pondered that. They did, after all, think that I was the bad man with the knife only about 30 seconds earlier. But they said I should be alright. And the air was chilly while my sleeping bag was very, very warm. If I were to go inside, I'd have to get out of my bag first.. That settled it. I was about to lay back down and go back to sleep when my mom opened the door.
"What did they want?"
"They were looking for a bad man with a knife."
"Get inside."
Ah, yes. I should go inside. Thanks, mom.
I never did check the police beat. I hope they found their man.
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