Midterm season is the worst time for any student. I mean, at least after finals you have the hope of the worst of your classes being over forever. Midterms are just hard tests worth a chunk of your grade and you’re still left thinking about break and what homework will be assigned over said break. So at least I didn’t feel alone amongst the sea of anxieties and caffeine overdosing when I woke up slumped over my desk and blinded by a lamp and algebra formulas. It never ceases to amaze me the way I sound like I’m a bowl of Rice Krispy Treats whenever I stand to get something to drink before actually going to bed, ignoring the fact that it’s freezing at three in the morning from our A/C blasting, but unfortunately even in October it’s still hot in Charleston. In fact, everything feels slightly off in Charleston, from the way the air makes you feel like you’re drowning in humidity, to the way the city lights make it seem like it’s never fully night, it’s a whole different world than the small town I grew up in. What’s the point of turning on lights when you can see clearly from street lights outside?
Nothing is scarier at night than a sudden, loud noise. I laughed as my roommate’s dog barked, after I recovered from almost spilling my cup of water. Probably some freshmen walking back from their Thirsty Thursday endeavors. I couldn’t imagine going out at a time like this, three am plus midterm season. I feel tired just thinking about doing the Charleston shuffle in heels. The dog is still growling, roommate’s up trying to calm her down. Typical night at our house. Going back to my room, it’s unsettling how destroyed a room can get when one is more focused on other priorities. Bed’s not made, clothes spilling out onto the floor, blinds are open. Weird, blinds are never open at night. I go to close it, should I avoid looking outside? I laughed, I did that as a kid cause I was always scared of the dark. I reach for the blinds and I jump. There’s a dog outside, and I laugh cause it looks just like our neighbor’s dog who I saw when I was walking to the corner store. He must’ve gotten out. I close the blinds and go to bed. It didn’t last long for me to suddenly be wide awake as two things occurred to me.
My room’s high enough off the ground that you would have to be over seven foot tall to look into my window.
And dogs don’t have human teeth.