I randomly click on my links on my blog sometimes to see what things are.
Had no recollection of this scary post and incident...perhaps we try to forget things...
The night ambush
After a long day at work, I found myself weary on the relentless trudge homewards. When the nights draw in and darkness comes, I find myself somewhat nervous of the poorly-lit park route to my humble abode. Bracing myself, I left the main street of bright street lamps and a healthy flow of commuters moving in cars and on foot and find myself on the path of few lights, few people and a sense of isolation.
I walked amidst the avenue of trees, the comforting hubbub of traffic dimmed to a faint memory and left me as a solo passenger on this journey. Heightened awareness of noises means my breath sounded loud and panicked and I wanted this ordeal to be over. I increased my pace to a paranoid canter.
As I neared the gloomy, old pool building, with the memory of swimmers as a mere memory, I wished for some company, some sense that I was not alone. Reaching the end of the building, my eyes darted left and right, left and right like a tortured cat seeking the elusive swinging toy.
It was then that I saw them.
Looming out of nowhere in the darkness, a mass of tall, lean, muscular individuals whose stony faces were a mystery to me in the complete lack of light as they stood to my right.
Involuntarily I gasped in shock and braced myself for the threatening encounter that was surely to come with this ambush. I'd always imagined this kind of horror in my imagination but didn't even consider it would come to fruition here in this place that I had come to love.
Words failed me, they died in my mouth as a kind of panic unique to rabbits in the middle of a road held as a statue.
A stentorian voice came out from behind me to my right- an unexpected extra individual. "Right, I want 50 press ups! GO!"
As those anonymous individuals threw themselves down the grassy surface where their feet had been, I breathed a sigh of relief as I realised that the Boot-camp participants were back in winter training.
(This account is based on a number of times I have suddenly happened upon the Boot-camp members training by the side of my path home in the pitch black throughout winter. I tried to imagine back to the first time I had seen them. It has always struck me as slightly sinister the way they are there with no pomp or circumstance just getting on with it in the dark. Bootcamp is an extreme form of exercising rather like the army, I believe)
I was all worried about you! hehe. I like bootcamp, it's awesome.
ReplyDeleteHaha! I was also worried about you, I thought this was a very artistic and bloggy way of saying you had been mugged or something.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're okay ;)
Corinne x
www.skinnedcartree.com
Oh my! I was prepared to hear something awful.. What a relief it must have been to hear that shout of command. :) Do you carry pepper spray or any such thing? I'm glad it all worked out and you are fine!
ReplyDeleteTamara xo
Kezzie, please don't scare me like this, I was on the edge of my seat with my heart in my throat. Seriously, you have a great gift of writing and i think that you should consider writing. You can hold my interest and you have a way of vividly describe what you write about. You could start by writing short stories and then who knows.
ReplyDeleteYou are so talented.
"Just do it"
I'm so relieved that you were not mugged, robbed or something worst.
Please don't walk alone in the dark.
Hugs,
JB
You scared me, too. I knew you survived because you were writing this but still.... I was shopping for fabric one evening when I noticed a lot of very miserable looking sweaty people in matching sweat suits running like hell. I thought they had perhaps escaped a cult and were running to freedom. I almost called 911. But it was just a cross fit class. Which I think is sort of like a cult. Anyway, I'm so glad you're okay.
ReplyDeleteWell you should have just joined on in, that would have made their night. Walk up and say "Sir, yes sir, 50 coming up" and watch them light up. I would be more frightened to encounter a Booty Boot Camp crowd, those ladies are intense :) Hey I have a new little picture post up if you get the chance. Thanks!
ReplyDeletebrilliant piece of writing!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds terrifying! You really shouldn't walk alone in the dark! However, this was amazing and you're so good at writing! You must have been so relieved haha! :) xx
ReplyDeleteyou described this so well. I'm sure I would feel afraid too. Well, I'm happy to hear you're perfectly safe:)
ReplyDeletePodstrana is located 8 km from Split but in other direction, opposite of Sibenik...so maybe that was not the place you had in mind.
Ha! This was a great read : ) Training in complete darkness is a bit crazy.
ReplyDeletebisous
Suzanne
Brilliant read, I was gripped and couldn't read it fast enough! When I was at Uni, we lived on the other side of a big park. There were creepy looking toilets as you entered that anyone could be hiding in or behind, a graveyard over the small wall to the right and then the "long way round" main road to the left. That main road CURVED widely around the park, so it took much longer than popping through the park and coming out at the opening to our house, so I was always reluctant to use it. However in winter, it was so dark and creepy, I was always in two minds about it. I used to have my rape alarm and key (to use as a weapon) in each hand, plus all my bags and practically ran through that park!! I was always so relieved to reach the other side. There were a few times I gasped loudly when someone appeared from the dark though!
ReplyDeleteJust remember, Kezzie- they're much more scared of you than you are of them. Or something....
ReplyDeleteOh, no- what I MEANT to write was "What kind of nutters do a boot camp EVER, let alone in winter?!". Lunatics. xxx