When I wrote a couple of nights ago about the wind flinging itself at our house, and the rain battering us coming in from the southwest, it was loud and fearsome, but it was the sort of racket we’re used to, living not far from the sea (400 yards from it and 4 inches above it) There are all sorts of whistles and shrieks and we have a cowl on our chimney which spins like a fury and rattles away even in a light wind.
However the night before last something different happened, but I forgot all about it until a friend in the pub mentioned it. The night before it had been wild again – as I have described. It didn’t disturb me, it was just another windy night – was it still Storm Gerrit? I’m not sure. As usual, I was writing until the early hours, then read a little more, and I guess I turned the light off at about 1:30. I began to doze as I headed towards sleep. It usually takes me a while to drift off, imagining scenes from my stories, or thinking about things as I wander into the Land of Nod.
Suddenly I was wide awake and jumped out of bed and rushed to the window. There had been a big bang, it sounded as if something had hit something else,. My dozy thought was a car had been turning in the cul-de-sac outside and had bumped into something – and I hoped it wasn’t another car, especially our car. The street lights were still on, casting a warm orangey glow, although the twinkling Christmas decoration lights were all turned off. And what was outside? Nothing, no unusual cars on the road, only the neighbours’ vehicles sleeping on their drives.
Had I imagined or dreamt the bang? Was it a sonic boom? Was it something which had happened a couple of streets away? All was peaceful outside my bedroom window although the trees in the front gardens were thrashing wildly in the storm. A mystery. I went back to bed, read a little more then slept. I forgot all about it and in the morning didn’t remember the strange bang. However, last night, as I was standing by the bar, chatting to friends one asked if we had heard a big bang the other night. I suddenly remembered that I had, I remembered jumping out of bed and going to the window.
I had looked down the road in the direction of the sea, my friend had looked out of his window across the roofs in the direction of where we live . He had thought, like I had, that a car or vehicle had crunched into something. Well, at least I hadn’t dreamt it. or it hadn’t been something in one of my stories. At least it had actually happened, but what was it? There had been no mention of anything on the village social media pages, or the town sites. I guess we’ll never know. A mystery!
” The night has been unruly Where we lay our chimneys were blown down; and, as they say, lamentings heard i’ the air, the strange screams of death; and prophesying with accents terrible of dire combustion and confused attempts new hatched to this woeful time.”
Macbeth, act II, scene iii
Lois Elsden 