An intruder in my home

He came into my home under the cover of night. Creeping through my house like a thief. He stole precious pieces of our lives — some of what I treasure most.

It wasn’t just that he was taking things that didn’t belong to him, he became destructive vandalizing our personal property. He destroyed items that were dearest to my son — things that he had had since he was a baby.

This monster is shredding clothes, stuffed animals and toys and eating all of our food.

This intruder to our lives has returned over and over again, almost nightly. Just when I think the nightmare is over, he is back.

We have asked him — begged him — to leave on his own accord. “Please, just let yourself out the way you came in. I promise I won’t tell anyone. Take what you need and go,” I begged him.

He refuses to listen.

The authorities are powerless. There is nothing they can do.

And when I first found him crouching in my kitchen rummaging through my cupboards, he seemed about as startled of me as I was of him.

I might not feel so badly about having to protect my family and rid the world of this continuous deleterious behavior pattern that has developed, had I not looked into his eyes — those almost too-big-for-his-own-head brownish-black eyes.

He is very cute. Adorable even. It is hard to think of that cute little face as a criminal. But tough as it may seem, that is what he is.

And just like that he was gone. Not gone from our lives for good, but gone into hiding to return again later. Sometimes several times a night.

I am loosing so much sleep laying in bed wide awake with the covers pulled tight up under my chin, waiting for his return. Knowing that at any moment, he will be back and the torture will continue.

This has been going on for at least three weeks. I haven’t had time to give it a lot of thought, but now it is as though his presence in my house is consuming my every thought.

It is time to take matters into my own hands. May God forgive me for what I might do.

Tonight, I am going to set a trap. Maybe two. Maybe even more.

I need to get that that little flying squirrel out of my house.

Yep. The intruder in my home is a flying squirrel. And let me tell you, while they are cute and adorable outside, they take on the appearance of a monster when they are inside.

Having critters of the outside world come inside is one of the hazards of living in the woods. It is going to happen. I have to admit, this little flying squirrel, while it is more destructive, it is less scary than when we had bats in the house. Then, I moved out for a week.

But this little flying squirrel has got to go. I really just want him gone. Well, to be fair, it could be a she flying squirrel.

But I doubt it.

Peace.