Conflicting Experiences

Last night I went to dinner with friends.  It was absolutely lovely and charming.  I met their little girl for the first time, and she took to me immediately, which felt fantastic.  (Doesn't always happen with her, and doesn't always happen with little kids and me.)  Anyway, it seemed good times were had by all.  And after the visit, I walked around Millennium Park for a while.  It was a warm night, and Lots of people were out and about.  Many families.  The two big screen sculptures with the fountains around them were crowded, and little children ran around in their bathing suits and wet clothes.  It was SO charming.  They were giggling, chasing, splashing, and all had Huge smiles on their faces.  It was a completely wholesome scene, and I caught myself smiling many times, just being around it.

Then this morning.  *sigh*  I woke up at 5 to go to the bathroom.  I decided to check my email, so I sat at the dining room table, facing out to the street, one room removed.  We have one of our front windows open (with screen) to get a breeze through the house.  With no warning, I heard three extreme, desperate, male screams.  One right after the other, less than a second between them.  It completely scared me.  First, because the tone of them was so intense and desperate.  Second, because we don't have curtains.  The glass in the tops of the windows is so pretty that we didn't want them.  And with the dining room light on, anyone outside could see me sitting there, paying attention.  In short, I was freaked.

I rushed to my brother's room and woke him up.  There were no follow-up noises.  But because the scream was so, again, extreme, I decided to call the police.  As I walked back out to make the call, a car turned on and pulled away from across the street.  More freaked.

Here are the scenarios in my head:

1. Someone was murdered.  This is the least likely scenario, but the easiest to jump to when one is paranoid.  The killing happened with a blade or blunt object, as no gunshots were heard.  If they'd had a silencer, I don't think the screams would have happened.  But I see no bodies outside, so they must have taken it with them.  (Now I'm also thinking that there could still be someone outside, and they're watching me through the windows, and I'm next.....)

2. Someone mentally ill was outside.  They make loud, painfully inappropriate noises at inopportune times, and I misinterpreted the intensity of their intentions.

3. Some drunk IDIOT made these noises.  But it really wasn't a drunk-sounding thing.  It was so strong and it sounded like there was a great deal of out-of-control emotion behind it.

4. (Maybe the most likely scenario)... someone had an absolutely horrid night.  He got dumped at five in the morning, or someone close to him died, and he had to leave wherever he was.  So he walked out to his car, and took a moment to scream and let out some of the anger, tension, etc. before getting behind the wheel.

But really, I've never been this physically, mentally, and immediately scared.  I called the police (3-1-1), and they transferred me to 9-1-1, which apparently they're required to do when screams are heard.  I told them what happened and gave them my contact information.  As I typed here, I saw a police SUV drive by, back, up, and drive by again.  So clearly nothing shady can be seen from the street.  A relief, to an extent.  

It's now six a.m.  In about a half hour, I have to take my car in to the shop.  This means I'll be freaked and paranoid as I walk out to my car, and as I'm sitting before I drive away, and especially in the 45 seconds my car won't start.  (Why I'm going to the shop.)  Then I'm taking public transportation home, so that'll be a paranoid walk as well from the bus stop.  

So we're going with the somebody-got-dumped theory.  That MUST be my focus when this comes to mind, or I'll lose years from stress.  I'm kind of mourning my warm and cuddly feeling about Chicago from last night.  And wondering (a) if this noise would have woken me from a sound sleep (maybe not with the window air conditioning unit in my room), and (b) if groggy me would have gotten up to call the police.  Don't know.

It's getting light out.  I'm tense, but my heartbeat is returning to a normal pace.  How on EARTH do people live day to day in the middle east with suicide bombers making regular appearances and people being killed on the street with such regularity?!