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The following is based upon an actual incident.
The Scream By Ron Crepeau Copyright 2002 by R. L. Crepeau
Saturday. July 14th 2002. 9:35 PM Alone. Content. Time to relax. Work on a study: "Birth of Athena" Lounge chair. Music. Red wine. Phone ringing. It's late. ? ? ? ? ? My daughter? Neicole? Not likely. Not this late. My son? Marc? Maybe. Wrong number? Probably. Wait…. Screen the call. Four rings. My voice. The announcement. A beep. Neicole's voice “Dad, if you’re there pick up.” Strange tone. Push Phone button. "Hi, Sis. What's up?" “I’m stressed.” Something's happened. A grandkid? "Why? What's happened?" “The house alarm. It just went off!” Tense voice. Worried voice. I remember. "That's right David's gone this weekend." Daughter Seattle. Four children. Large home. Alone. “Wait Someone’s at the door.” “It’s the police. I’ll call you back.” Silence. A dead line. Minutes. Phone rings. One ring. Answered immediately. “It’s me.” Calm voice Relief inside me. Police checked. Nothing. Doors secure. Windows secure. Grounds secure. Probably a problem with the alarm. Yes. Very likely. That happens. Alarm sounds!!! So LOUD ! Even Over the phone. Alarm sound drowned out by her sudden S C R E A M I N G ! ……… A sound a father yearns never to hear from his distant daughter. A scream! A scream of terror! ……… Thirteen hundred miles apart. Helpless to help. Heart races. Stomach twists. "What's happening, Neicole?!" "What?... What???..." What horror am I helpless to prevent? Silence Except for The alarm and “It’s okay.” It's okay except for more S C R E A M I N G ! What??? Okay??? Silence. A dead line. Quandary? Think ! What's happening? “It’s okay,” She said. Then ... S C R E A M I N G ! Logic. It's time for logic. What action should I take? Her S C R E A M I N G ! She's smart. She's learned self-defense. Scream! women are taught. Try to scare off an intruder! A scream! Just in case. That's it! Yes, that's it. Or Is it? Don't assume! Be sure! Err on the safe side! Call her local police. Request check the welfare. A pleasant woman's voice. Yes, her alarm service, they called. Officers are responding again. Minutes. Worry. Stay calm. Nothing more to do except w a i t. Phone rings once. “Sorry, Dad.” Relief. “It’s the motion sensor for this room.” “It’s faulty. Arming when it shouldn’t.” "Put a cloth over it." Problem solved. No more false alarms. Long talk soothes frayed nerves. “Good night.” "Good night." Good night, except now forever remembered: that sound: S C R E A M I N G !
Saturday.
July 14th
2002.
9:35 PM
Alone.
Content.
Time to relax.
Work on a study:
"Birth of Athena"
Lounge chair.
Music.
Red wine.
Phone ringing.
It's late.
? ? ? ? ?
My daughter?
Neicole?
Not likely.
Not this late.
My son?
Marc?
Maybe.
Wrong number?
Probably.
Wait….
Screen the call.
Four rings.
My voice.
The announcement.
A beep.
Neicole's voice
“Dad,
if you’re there
pick up.”
Strange tone.
Push Phone button.
"Hi, Sis.
What's up?"
“I’m stressed.”
Something's happened.
A grandkid?
"Why?
What's happened?"
“The house alarm.
It just went off!”
Tense voice.
Worried voice.
I remember.
"That's right
David's gone
this weekend."
Daughter
Seattle.
Four children.
Large home.
“Wait
Someone’s
at the door.”
“It’s the police.
I’ll call you back.”
Silence.
A dead line.
Minutes.
Phone rings.
One ring.
Answered
immediately.
“It’s me.”
Calm voice
Relief
inside me.
Police checked.
Nothing.
Doors secure.
Windows secure.
Grounds secure.
Probably
a problem
with
the alarm.
Yes.
Very likely.
That happens.
Alarm sounds!!!
So LOUD !
Even
Over the phone.
Alarm sound
drowned out
by
her sudden
S C R E A M I N G !
………
A sound
a father
yearns
never to hear
from
his
distant daughter.
A scream!
A scream
of terror!
Thirteen hundred
miles apart.
Helpless
to help.
Heart races.
Stomach twists.
"What's happening,
Neicole?!"
"What?...
What???..."
What horror
am I helpless
to prevent?
Silence
Except for
The alarm
and
“It’s okay.”
It's okay
except for
more
What???
Okay???
Quandary?
Think !
What's happening?
“It’s okay,”
She said.
Then ...
Logic.
It's time
for logic.
What action
should I take?
Her
She's smart.
She's learned
self-defense.
Scream!
women
are taught.
Try to
scare off
an intruder!
Just
in case.
That's it!
Yes,
that's it.
Or
Is it?
Don't assume!
Be sure!
Err on
the safe
side!
Call
her
local police.
Request
check the welfare.
A pleasant
woman's voice.
her alarm service,
they called.
Officers
are responding
again.
Worry.
Stay calm.
Nothing more
to do
except
w a i t.
Phone rings
once.
“Sorry, Dad.”
Relief.
“It’s the
motion sensor
for
this room.”
“It’s faulty.
Arming
when
it shouldn’t.”
"Put
a cloth
over it."
Problem
solved.
No more
false alarms.
Long talk
soothes
frayed nerves.
“Good night.”
"Good night."
Good night,
except now
forever remembered:
that sound: