I Can Do That In My Sleep: Just A Gummy Bear

It was inevitable.  The day was coming that I'd head off into the real world and unleash the sleepwalker on new and unsuspecting friendships.  And once it had, it was here, and it was here to stay.

These are the events that followed.

J U S T  A  G U M M Y  B E A R

When I first left home, I was seventeen years old and wonderfully curious about the world.  In many ways, life was at its peak and everything was an adventure.  And I'm thankful to say that the fun hasn't yet ended. (Click here if life has become a bit colorless for you.  I have some thoughts about that.)

My journey began in Colorado, and as I write the words, I'm tempted to quote the great Lloyd Christmas, but I won't.  Nevertheless, the Rocky Mountains were, indeed, rocky.  Beauty was in abundance and I was as ignorant as a young adult could be... but I didn't know that.

On a quick side-note, if you ever get the chance to visit the state, consider climbing Pikes Peak!  It won't let you down.  And ask the locals about the old railroad tracks in Manitou Springs.  There's a great hike there as well!

So I had made my way to Colorado Springs and joined a group of like-minded people doing some great work.  We were called "theFurnace" and I never asked why there wasn't a space in between the two words.  But to this day, I feel a little insecure when I write it out, thinking that the reader will assume I didn't catch the mistake.

Thanks, guys! ;)

During my first year in the Springs, I lived with a wonderful family, who hosted my stay.  We'll call them the Smith's for this post.  The Smith's were great and two of their sons, Stephen and Devin, were also in the Furnace (I write it this way, too, sometimes because it makes me feel less anxious).

Stephen and I shared a room and for whatever reason, I forgot to tell him about my sleepwalking.  It was an innocent mistake and ended up making for quite the introduction when just a few days into my stay, things got a little crazy.

I don't think he'll ever forget this story...

So it's the middle of the night and we're both in a deep sleep.  Stephen awakes to a sound in the room and something patting on the bed/touching his feet.  Using his cellphone as a light, he points it towards the end of the bed and finds me standing there.

And know this: if Stephen wanted to leave the room, he'd need to pass by me first.  In a sense, I was blocking his way.  So there I stood and I'm using my hands to pat around at the foot of his bed.  But that wasn't all!  Apparently, I had something to say as well.

"There's a demon!" I exclaimed, pointing towards a desk in the corner.

Now realizing the seriousness of the situation, Stephen began to scurry around in his bed, hoping to find that perfect position for... encountering demons, I guess.   

Wait, what was it again?

Try putting yourself in his shoes for a second.  Can imagine how intense this must have been for him?  I mean, for all he knew, this new roommate of his had the ability to see demons in the middle of the night, had seen one, and wanted to tell him about it (in a loud voice).  It was a lot to take in and the sense of urgency didn't help, either (because there was a demon in the room and it was there now).

So there he was, pointing his phone all around the room in search of some mysterious force.  And the poor guy doesn't even know that I sleepwalk yet!  But it gets better.  A moment later, I casually turn away and start walking towards my bed.

"Oh never mind," I say.  "It was just a gummy bear.  We eat those in theFurnace." 

(And believe it or not, I even said it without the space in between the two words.)

I then get back into my bed - still asleep - and nestle in.  But Stephen's wide awake and his adrenaline's pumping.  Is there a demon or isn't there?  And was it really just a gummy bear or - wait, what am I saying??  That's ridiculous!  Who is this guy and why's he in my room?!

I remained unresponsive as Stephen struggled to make sense of it all...
(Or to fall back asleep.)

Quick Bonus Story: One night, Stephen's girlfriend was over and they were in the living room.  I had already fallen asleep and began to sleepwalk.  But the thing was, I was in an angry stupor and pacing all around the bedroom.  It actually freaked them out, and especially his girlfriend (now wife).  I remember waking up and seeing them staring at me from the hallway.  I felt embarrassed and didn't tell them that I had woken up.

I just went back to bed.

<Sleepwalking Adventure #3  

   Sleepwalking Adventure #5>

Mystery Post!

Note: A "Mystery Post" is a post selected totally at random.  There's a lot to explore on this blog & this is a fun way to do it!  Enjoy!

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I Can Do That In My Sleep: Man In The House

Growing up, my sister, Whitney, got a front row seat to all that is sleepwalking.  Her and I each had bedrooms in the upstairs of our old farmhouse, and with the isolation of the countryside, nightfall was especially creepy for a young girl.  But to make matters worse, I'd often stand outside of her bedroom door and talk to people who weren't really there.

And then this happened.

Bless her soul...

M A N  I N  T H E  H O U S E

To set the scene a bit, we had experienced some unusual things at that house over the years.  A man once came onto our property in the middle of the night, drunk, and banging on our front door.  He made a great ruckus and wouldn't leave.  Another night, a mountain lion showed up wanting to feed our dogs to her cubs.  This was the first and only time I've heard the eerie screams they can make.  Then another time, we found that someone had been sleeping in our barn... a place that I often slept.  Blankets had been left behind and we wondered if they'd ever return.  And then probably worst of all, we arrived home once to find our back door kicked in and our German Shepherd, Bear, out in the front yard.  He had escaped from his enclosure and let's just say this...

Nothing Had Been Stolen From The House!

That's him

With all that in mind, one night, Whitney and I had decided to sleep on the couch downstairs.  We had one of those L-shaped sofas and it fit us comfortably.  This was our living room and that's the couch...

And not to get all Inception on you, but here's a quick story within a story.  Do you see the stairs in that picture?  Well, these are the stairs that led to our bedrooms.  And since time was of the essence, I'd often skip a stair with each step when I'd take them.  Our parents bedroom closet was beneath the stairs and as creaky as they were, it was difficult to use them without making a lot of noise.

This was their bedroom, the closet, and two of Bear's offspring, Wyatt & Lexy!

Well, one night, as my parents slept, they heard something fly down the stairs.  My father went out to see what was going on.  He found me in the middle of the room, just standing there, and told me to go back to bed.  I did as he said.  But this is crazy because it's likely that I had actually skipped a stair with each step and ran down them... in my sleep... possibly making me the world's first sleep-runner!  But either way, I had successfully used the stairs while sleeping, which is still quite impressive!

And speaking of these stairs, and the window there in the picture, I recently wrote about one of my fondest memories from this house, which they helped create.

You can find it here.

So Back To The Main Event!

Whitney and I were now fast asleep on the L-shaped couch downstairs.  The moon was high and the critters were out.  It was late into the night when she awoke to a strange figure hovering over her.  Without hesitation, she went on the attack and slapped the figure in the face...

... twice!

I would know as it was I who stood over her and whose face now stung with pain.  So there we both were, terror-stricken in the moonlight.  Whitney was screaming and I was crying.  It didn't take long for my father to emerge like a warrior, ready to slaughter whoever it was that was causing us trouble!  However, he didn't exactly think twice about what he was - or wasn't - wearing.

And for good reason!

(I'm not sure what his excuse was here, though...)

Upon realizing that no one was in the house, he turned back for some clothing as my mother came to comfort us.  Soon after, my father reemerged in a rob and took a look around the house in case someone had, in fact, broke in.  But he would find no one as it was I and only I who had instigated all the chaos.

And that was that.

Now I know what you must be thinking... My Poor Sister!  And yes, she's been through a lot.  But while she's endured bits and pieces of my sleepwalking, I'm not sure that her troubles quite compare to mine.

But who's counting?

<Sleepwalking Adventure #2   

  Sleepwalking Adventure #4>

Mystery Post!

Note: A "Mystery Post" is a post selected totally at random.  There's a lot to explore on this blog & this is a fun way to do it!  Enjoy!

Read More