\n\n\n\n\nA food delivery man saddling up on his motorcycle | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
When Ravi arrived, he seemed very nervous. Fidgety. He shoved the food into my hands and bolted back to his car without a word.\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s up with Ravi?\u201d Kai asked, peering out the window.\n\n\n\n
I shrugged, watching Ravi\u2019s tail lights disappear down the street. \u201cNo idea, buddy. Maybe he\u2019s in a hurry.\u201d\n\n\n\n
As I brought the food into the kitchen, still puzzled by Ravi\u2019s behavior, I noticed something on the back of the bag. Scrawled in shaky handwriting was a message that made me forget about dinner entirely.\n\n\n\n Helpings of fast food laid out on a table | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n \u201cCHECK YOUR TRASH CAN\u201d\n\n\n\n I set the food down and turned to my kids. \u201cHey, why don\u2019t you two go wash up? I\u2019ll get everything ready.\u201d\n\n\n\n Once they were out of sight, I bolted to the backyard. The message kept repeating in my head as I approached our trash cans. My hands shook as I lifted the lid of the first one.\n\n\n\n A brightly-colored trash can in a backyard | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n Nothing unusual. Just our regular garbage. I moved to the second can, dread building with each step. I threw open the lid and froze.\n\n\n\n Inside, wrapped in an old, dirty blanket, was a collection of gloves and what looked like a few small tools. At the bottom sat a bottle without a label, filled with some kind of liquid.\n\n\n\n \u201cMom? Are you okay?\u201d Isla\u2019s voice startled me.\n\n\n\n I slammed the lid shut and spun around, forcing a smile. \u201cYeah, sweetie. Just\u2026 checking something. Go on inside, I\u2019ll be right there.\u201d\n\n\n\n A woman closing a trash can in a backyard at night | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n As soon as Isla was gone, I pulled out my phone and dialed the sheriff\u2019s office.\n\n\n\n \u201cSheriff\u2019s Department, this is Leona speaking.\u201d\n\n\n\n \u201cLeona, it\u2019s Nora. I need you to come over right away. I found something concerning in my trash.\u201d\n\n\n\n \u201cSlow down, Nora. What exactly did you find?\u201d\n\n\n\n I described the contents of the trash can, my voice barely above a whisper.\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t touch anything,\u201d Leona said, her tone serious. \u201cI\u2019m on my way. Stay inside with your kids until I get there.\u201d\n\n\n\n A police officer on a call in a precinct | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n I hung up and headed back inside. Our neighborhood had recently experienced a string of break-ins, all with eerily similar methods. Chemicals used to weaken locks, meticulous clean-up of any evidence.\n\n\n\n It hit me: my house was being set up for the next break-in.\n\n\n\n \u201cMom, what\u2019s going on?\u201d Kai asked as I entered the kitchen. \u201cYou look scared.\u201d\n\n\n\n I forced another smile. \u201cEverything\u2019s fine, honey. Let\u2019s eat dinner, okay?\u201d\n\n\n\n A woman setting dinner for children at a table | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n We\u2019d barely started eating when there was a knock at the door. I jumped up, but was relieved when I saw Leona through the peephole.\n\n\n\n \u201cKids, stay here and finish your dinner,\u201d I said, stepping outside to talk to Leona.\n\n\n\n She listened intently as I recounted finding the items and Ravi\u2019s strange behavior.\n\n\n\n \u201cYou did the right thing calling me,\u201d Leona said, her eyes scanning the street. \u201cI\u2019ll take a look at what\u2019s in your trash and get it to the lab. In the meantime, I strongly recommend you beef up your security. Also, we\u2019ll patrol the house all night, so in case they re-tool and still try to break in, we\u2019ll nab them red-handed.\u201d\n\n\n\n A police officer smiling | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n I nodded, already planning my next move. \u201cI\u2019ll call a security company first thing in the morning.\u201d\n\n\n\n Leona placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. \u201cTry to get some rest, Nora. We\u2019ll figure this out.\u201d\n\n\n\n But sleep was the last thing on my mind that night. I spent hours researching security systems, jumping at every little sound outside. By morning, I was a jittery mess of caffeine and anxiety.\n\n\n\n A woman working on a laptop computer at night | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n As soon as it hit 8 a.m., I called the first security company on my list. \u201cHi, I need cameras installed around my house. Today, if possible.\u201d\n\n\n\n \u201cMa\u2019am, our earliest available slot is next week \u2014\u201d\n\n\n\n \u201cYou don\u2019t understand,\u201d I cut in, my voice cracking. \u201cI think someone\u2019s planning to break into my home. I need those cameras now.\u201d\n\n\n\n There must\u2019ve been something in my tone because the receptionist\u2019s voice softened. \u201cLet me see what I can do. Can you hold for a moment?\u201d\n\n\n\n A woman on a call in a work environment | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n After what felt like an eternity, she came back on the line. \u201cWe\u2019ve had a cancellation. Our team can be there in two hours. Will that work?\u201d\n\n\n\n I nearly cried with relief. \u201cYes, thank you. Thank you so much.\u201d\n\n\n\n The next few hours were a blur. I called in sick to work, kept the kids home from school, and paced the house until the security team arrived.\n\n\n\n A security camera installed on a wall | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n As they worked, installing cameras and explaining the system to me, I couldn\u2019t shake the feeling of being watched. Every car that drove by, every person walking their dog, they all seemed suspicious now.\n\n\n\n Just as the security team was finishing up, Leona\u2019s patrol car pulled into my driveway. She got out, her face grim.\n\n\n\n \u201cNora, can we talk inside?\u201d\n\n\n\n A parked police patrol vehicle | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n My stomach lurched as I led her into the house. \u201cKids, why don\u2019t you go play in your rooms for a bit?\u201d\n\n\n\n Once they were out of earshot, Leona spoke. \u201cThe lab results came back on those items we found. The liquid in the bottle? It\u2019s a powerful corrosive, often used to weaken locks.\u201d\n\n\n\n I sank onto the couch, my legs suddenly weak. \u201cSo it\u2019s true. They were planning to break in.\u201d\n\n\n\n Leona nodded. \u201cIt looks that way. But Nora, you\u2019ve done everything right. You\u2019ve got cameras now, you\u2019re aware of the threat. We\u2019re increasing patrols in the area too.\u201d\n\n\n\n A policewoman discussing something in a living room | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat about Ravi?\u201d I asked. \u201cShould I talk to him?\u201d\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you see him, yes. But be careful. We don\u2019t know if he\u2019s involved or just an observant bystander.\u201d\n\n\n\n As if on cue, I spotted Ravi pulling up to my neighbor\u2019s house. \u201cHe\u2019s here now,\u201d I said, moving to the window.\n\n\n\n Leona joined me. \u201cGo talk to him. I\u2019ll watch from here.\u201d\n\n\n\n I stepped outside, my pulse racing. Ravi was just getting back onto his bike when he saw me.\n\n\n\n A delivery man astride a motorcycle | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n \u201cHey,\u201d I called out, trying to keep my voice steady. \u201cGot a minute?\u201d\n\n\n\n Ravi hesitated, then nodded. As he approached, I could see the tension in his shoulders.\n\n\n\n \u201cLook,\u201d he said before I could speak, \u201cI\u2019m sorry about yesterday. I should\u2019ve said something, but I was scared.\u201d\n\n\n\n \u201cScared of what?\u201d I asked, though I had a pretty good idea.\n\n\n\n A woman having a conversation with someone in a front yard | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n Ravi glanced around nervously. \u201cAfter I parked, I saw these guys messing with your trash. They looked not good, you know? I wanted to warn you, but I was afraid they might still be around.\u201d\n\n\n\n I was so relieved. \u201cThat\u2019s why you left the note?\u201d\n\n\n\n He nodded. \u201cYeah. I\u2019m sorry if I freaked you out. I just didn\u2019t know what else to do.\u201d\n\n\n\n \u201cRavi,\u201d I said, my voice thick with emotion. \u201cYou might have saved my family. Thank you.\u201d\n\n\n\n A profile view of a woman talking to someone unseen | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n His shoulders relaxed a bit. \u201cReally? You\u2019re not mad?\u201d\n\n\n\n I shook my head. \u201cNot at all. In fact, I owe you big time.\u201d\n\n\n\n As Ravi drove away, I felt grateful but also a little afraid. The threat wasn\u2019t over, but at least now I knew we weren\u2019t facing it alone.\n\n\n\n Back inside, Leona was on her phone, talking in hushed tones. She hung up as I approached.\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got some leads based the description Ravi gave us ,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019ll catch these guys, Nora. Just stay vigilant.\u201d\n\n\n\n A police officer talking on a mobile phone in a living room | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n That night, after tucking Kai and Isla into bed, I sat in front of the new security monitors. The cameras showed empty streets and quiet yards, but I couldn\u2019t shake the feeling that somewhere out there, someone was watching, waiting for their chance.\n\n\n\n I thought about Ravi\u2019s quick thinking, Leona\u2019s dedication, and my own newfound strength. Whatever came next, we\u2019d face it together. For now, all I could do was watch and wait, grateful for the unexpected allies who\u2019d helped keep my family safe.\n\n\n\n A woman looking aside thoughtfully | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.\n\n\n\n The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided \u201cas is,\u201d and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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