Paralyzed By Fear

Have you ever felt your heart pound?
Have you ever felt fear overwhelm you?
Have your knees ever given in under you?

Sitting still, I tried to listen to the noise,
Yet only the sound of my heart echoed in my ears.
Fear took over my body, impossible to move.

Have you ever heard your own clock tick?

I still remember every detail of the horror.
Never had I been paralyzed by fear,
Overwhelmed by such a force, powerless.

Imagine being with a baby in an empty house.
Imagine yourself sitting in the basement,
Entertaining the infant, oblivious.

Seconds later, you hear the knob turn.
You're in the basement, yet someone's in the front.
The knob starts to shake as fear takes over.

It's only three o'clock, yet there's someone at the door.
Unable to move, you try to listen.
Yet, only your heart beat echoes in your ears.

As the person keeps shaking the knob,
Your first instinct is to pick up the phone
And call for help, panic stricken.

As you wait for the operator's voice,
The knob keeps turning; incessant, endless.
Your hands shake as you cry for help.

The voice at the end of the line
Does nothing to calm you,
For you're sure this is it.

Meanwhile, the knob stops turning.
This only increases the panic, the overwhelming fear.
Where is he? Did he get in? What is happening??

Questions without answers form in your head
As you create worse case scenarios.

Have you ever been paralyzed by fear?
Have you ever heard your own clock tick?

*this actually happened to me. someone tried to break in while i was babysitting a 15 month old baby 3 years ago. it took me 2-3 months before i was able to be alone in an empty house again.