Stalked?!

I am house sitting and with the snow over the weekend, I had to shovel. I went out repeatedly to make paths to the bird feeders, to the feral set-up out back and to the garage where my car was safe inside. I ended up shoveling out most of the driveway myself ... I got maybe 2/3rds of it done when the snow finally stopped too. I came into the house, took off my snow stuff (wet boots, jacket, etc.) and had left the side door open with the glass door shut since the cats were watching the birds eat and I was more concerned about getting my wet stuff off.

Someone knocked at the door behind me around evening (like I said, the snow had finally stopped, I'd shoveled and it was just getting to be dark out). I walked to the door and opened it since this guy was standing out there and could obviously see I was there through the glass door. The guy said he was going around clearing driveways. Chit chatty (freakin IDIOT) me said thank you, but I couldn't pay him because I wasn't the home owner. He then said, "You should call them," Cocky bastard I thought and out loud said no, that it was no big deal because it was mostly done and I'd finish the rest tomorrow thinking this stated clearly "No means no and I don't need you" ... but what he heard and figured out was that I was alone.

He was inquisitive then. Do you go to school? Where do you go? Hasn't school started? I was lying so he'd think I'd be gone soon ... yes, a state school that wasn't local but wasn't too far either for me to be where I was, it was the weekend, etc. He ended up leaving after a few minutes of this (maybe the phone rang?).

I'll be honest, from how inquisitive he was about me (no longer the snow) after he figured out I was alone, I was scared. I joked when telling my friend later that night that I was going to sleep with a knife and that I had thrown bird seed down in the snow by the door ... I said I was going "all CSI" and if I ended up dead whoever killed me should have bird seed in his boots. I was joking, but I did seriously throw bird seed down and I did grab the biggest knife in the kitchen (home owner loves to cook, so there was a nice selection) and tucked it under a magazine right next to the night stand where I was sleeping. I was going to jokingly post about all this too on here. You know, haha! Silly girl sleeping with a knife for no reason... but maybe it's good I procrastinate sometimes because this post and the whole situation is no joking matter anymore!

Of course, it snows again mid week, as most of you know, and he came back yesterday morning. The door was open again (habit), so I had to answer it again since he saw me. He came bearing a flyer for his snow clearing services, said he had been thinking about me (would do the driveway for dinner) and asked to come in. I said no, I didn't need help since I had learned how to use the snow thrower in the garage. He handed me the flyer anyway and said he lived near by - what a coincidence (he said) and how great would it be to get snowed in together, I'd make him dinner (I said hell no) and we could hang out. I'm thinking "What?!" as I'm standing there in my pj pants with smiley faces all over them, a thermal with moose all over it and a Flyers TV shirt since the game was on that night. Then he goes, "Is there a fireplace there?" He wanted to read poetry! Ugh!

I said I was really busy for the next week and maybe I'd call him next week when he insisted that we hang out. He then became insistent on getting my number when I wouldn't budge from the "next week" thing and was firm about not getting snowed in together. I said I don't give my number out as a policy and he kept talking, saying he was trying to get me to change my mind. I said no, that I had his number (on the flyer) and I'd call him. He only left when I said, "The more you annoyingly insist, the less likely it is I'm going to fucking call at all."

As soon as he turned away, I shut and bolted the side door (the front door already was since I never use it, plus there is still like 4 feet covering the whole front yard up to it). After saying I was busy for the next week and that I'd call him, I think he came back in the afternoon. I honestly don't know because I barely heard the door and was passing out, so I didn't check it. HOWEVER, at about 11 o'clock at night, as I was getting ready to go to bed, there was a knock at the door. I stood in the hallway nervous to move (aside from the hallway, the house is mostly all windows, especially the back half where he was knocking on the side door). After a minute or so, I hustled to the other side of the house into the bedroom and put my stuff down (pillow and blankets I had with me on the sofa) and went back to stand in the hallway. Say 3 - 5 minutes had gone by since the knock, so I went to the door, pushed the curtain aside just a little with one finger and saw him just walking away - at 11 PM, he had stood in the sleet and snow for like 5 minutes for a stranger (me) who said they were busy and pretty much had completely dismissed him!! Who does that?!

I called the police after several friends said that was what I should do. After hanging up with my one friend, Mo, my brand new cell phone's screen froze and the whole phone wouldn't work because of it, the driveway is untouched (so this creeper could tell I hadn't left and no one had come to join me) and when I told everything to the police officer that showed up, the most comforting thing he could tell me was to risk the roads in a state of emergency due to the snow and leave that house where I was house sitting ... and he insisted on waiting until I got my things together and got in my car. I was so freaked out!!

Petrified does not begin to describe how I felt/still feel.

Thankfully, my WONDERFUL friend DrL woke when I called her at midnight (once more proving my best girl friends rock!) and said I could stay with her. She lives like 15 minutes down the road from this house so I figured from where I'm house sitting that was my safest and the closest drive. I'm staying with her again tonight and hoping to borrow a big dog (or foster one?) for the next few days until my friends are home and I'm done house sitting this place. I feel bad leaving their cats at night (especially with another storm coming?), but feel petrified staying here alone too.

And once more, fate seems to be slapping me in the face ... I only get the crazies!