The Intruder

Last Wednesday afternoon, Steve left to go on a hunting trip.  I hate it when he is away from us, but I would not say that I get scared being alone when he is gone.  We live in a safe neighborhood and our house has a security system.  I am always certain to set it when I leave the house.
Thursday night we did a little photo shoot with Kelly and then went out to eat with Kelly and another friend.  I failed to set the alarm because I did not think we would be gone long and I knew we would be home before dark.  As my mother always says, "everything takes longer than what you think." 
We stayed out MUCH later than I expected and did not get home until dark.  It was about 8:00.  We came in to a dark house.  As we were walking in the house I told the girls to go straight to the bathroom.  As we were standing in the entry way, I heard walking and thumping upstairs.  My heart sank!  The only beings that could have made that sound were with me.  Frisco was locked in the laundry room and meowing like crazy.  Kristen the cat was standing in the living room looking like she had seen a ghost.  I knew we needed to get out of there!  SK is heading toward the bathroom and Emily grabs onto me in tears and says, "mama, there's somebody upstairs."  I got doublely scared!
I had a plan......................  I said, "oh girls, we need to run to the grocery store real fast and get some breakfast food."  Emily was crying and SK was asking why we were going to the store.  I grabbed a magnet off the fridge that had the number of the local police department.  I pulled out of the garage and drove over to the next street.  I was going to get a neighbor to go through the house, but they were not at home.  I contemplated asking another neighbor to go through the house, but hated to pull anyone into that situation.  I called the police number and talked to a very very nice lady.  I told her the situation and asked if a police could come without his lights or sirens off and just walk through the house and check the attic.  She asked the address and asked me a lot of questions.  I slowly drove to a nearby grocery store.  She told me she had an officer that would meet me there on the parking lot and get the key.  Within one minute of the call, we see a police with lights and sirens.  He pulls in the nieghborhood.  Then we see another police with lights and sirens.  And then another.....and another.  The lady had asked me to stay on the line with her and I asked if it was nessassary to have ALL these police????? She said they had to have back up.  There were SIX police cars and one unmarked vehicle.  I was just about to die of chawedness.  I just wanted ONE officer to go through the house. ONE...just one.  She told me to go back to the neighborhood and wait with an officer down the street.  One of the police comes over to my car and I knew him!  He is one of the nicest men in the world.  He told me they were sending a dog through the house.  I freaked and said, "I have two cats in there!"  He told me they would NOT send the dog in.  Several officers went in.  After about five minutes the officers says, "nothing in there but two scared cats and a varment in the attic."  I called the police for a RAT!  Or a squirrel!
Happy that we are safe.  The police went above and beyond the call of duty!  Thank you men for taking care of us.
We have pest control men coming to take care of the critter.
Emily tells everyone she sees this story.
AND.....when we came in the house, Frisco's laundry room door was open.  He was GONE.  There was no Kristen to be found either.  They were nowhere.  I was so sad.  I looked in Kristen's hiding place.....under our bed.....and there she was WITH Frisco.  They were side by side.  Not hissing or biting.  They bonded in a crisis!