My wildlife encounter

So I pull up to work Thursday morning, late as usual. Before turning off the car I notice something. Something I've never seen before. There is a raccoon under the back stairs. Between me and the door is a wild animal with little claws and teeth. "What do I do?" I think in a panic. I'm not going out there. I honk the horn. Nothing. I call a friend hoping she'll have some raccoon wisdom to share. It goes to voicemail. "Crap!" Before making my next move I remember I have my camera with me and take a few photos to document this experience. (I know it's kinda blurry, I was far away...)



Then I honk again. Nothing. It just looks scared and goes further into it's lair. I start the car, back up and drive towards it, horn going (don't worry, I wasn't actually going to run it over!) Nothing. I call my friend again and this time leave a cryptic message. I call a former colleague who will 1) thoroughly enjoy my predicament and 2) possibly have some advice. More voicemail. I call a colleague, she doesn't answer. I've been trapped in my car a good five minutes now, afraid of the beast under the stairs.

I think of who else is available during the day. I call Carly and she becomes my saviour. I explain the situation and she reasons, "maybe the honking and the driving at it scared it into not moving." Yes, that makes sense. "Throw something at it," she adds. Oooo, I think this idea. I have a messy car, I'm bound to have objects I can throw at it. I pick up a water bottle and get ready to aim, but stop, thinking it might not go very far or be very scary. I wedge into the backseat and open the hatch - as I refuse to leave the safety of my vehicle. I have roller blades! And old shoes! I take a shoe in one hand (a roller blades wouldn't go very far and if it made contact it might hurt the little beast) and the water bottle in the other. I step out of the car - making sure to leave the door open for easy access incase it attacks - and throw the shoe. I miss, but it scampers away. I grab my stuff and make it safely inside.

I spend the rest of the day afraid to go outside in the event I angered the raccoon and it didn't really leave, but rather just went to get friends to mess me up.