One evening, a scribbled note from our delivery guy, Ravi, sent me rushing to the backyard trash cans, where I found something terrifying. His cryptic wa:rning may have saved my family from a d:angerous situation, but the threat wasn’t over.
Whenever I’m too tired to cook, I often order food delivery. Over time, we became friendly with Ravi, who would always chat with my kids, Kai and Isla. But last Tuesday night, Ravi seemed different—nervous and fidgety. He handed me the food quickly and left without saying a word.
“What’s up with Ravi?” Kai asked as he watched Ravi drive away.
“I’m not sure,” I replied. “Maybe he was in a hurry.”
When I brought the food into the kitchen, I noticed something scribbled on the back of the bag: “CHECK YOUR TRASH CAN.”
I told the kids to wash up and then hurried to the backyard. My hands shook as I opened the first trash can—just regular garbage. But when I opened the second can, I froze. Inside was a dirty blanket covering gloves, small tools, and a bottle of some unknown liquid.
Isla’s voice startled me. “Mom, are you okay?”
I forced a smile. “Yeah, sweetie. Just checking something. Go back inside, I’ll be right there.”
As soon as she left, I called the sheriff’s office. Leona, the dispatcher, answered. “Leona, it’s Nora. I found something concerning in my trash.”
“Don’t touch anything,” Leona said seriously. “I’m on my way. Stay inside with your kids until I get there.”
I realized our neighborhood had been dealing with a series of break-ins, all involving similar methods—chemicals to weaken locks, careful clean-up. It hit me that our house was being targeted next.
When Leona arrived, she advised me to beef up our security and said they’d patrol our house all night. I couldn’t sleep, spending the night researching security systems and jumping at every sound.
The next morning, I called a security company. “I need cameras installed around my house. Today, if possible.”
The receptionist softened her tone when she heard my fear. “We had a cancellation. Our team can be there in two hours.”
Later that day, as the security team was finishing up, Leona returned with news. The liquid in the bottle was a powerful corrosive used to weaken locks. “It looks like they were planning to break in,” she said.
“Should I talk to Ravi?” I asked.
“If you see him, yes. But be careful. We don’t know if he’s involved or just an observant bystander.”
Just then, I spotted Ravi delivering to a neighbor. I went to talk to him, and he explained that he had seen some suspicious guys messing with our trash. He was scared but wanted to warn us, which is why he left the note.
I thanked Ravi, realizing that his quick thinking might have saved us. Back inside, Leona assured me they were following leads and would catch the culprits.
That night, I kept a close eye on the new security monitors. While everything outside seemed calm, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was still out there, watching and waiting.
But now, with Ravi’s warning, Leona’s help, and our new security measures, I knew we were better prepared for whatever came next.
0 Comments