Last night

Last night as I was leaving for work, Wildman showed up... the closest he's ever been. I didn't even see him or think to expect him on the other side of my car, which is almost a sheer drop into the canal. Good thing my next door neighbor was coming out for a smoke. He's ex-military, home from Iraq now that his tour of duty is up. Normally he annoys the crap out of me because he drives a massive truck and parks it much too close to my small car for comfort, but I was never so relieved to have someone nearby with a little military training... even if there was no physical confrontation.

Obviously my previous comment got someone's attention in whatever passes for SM's chain of command.

I didn't even know Wildman was there until my neighbor shouted at him. Still it was enough to startle him and send him tumbling back down the incline and into the canal. My neighbor and I both looked for him, but Wildman was gone... didn't even hear any splashing sounds of him swimming away, though the squawking of the ducks and geese may have masked it. He could have just been hiding out under some of the bushes hanging over the water or holding his breath. As it hasn't rained in a little while, I can only imagine what Wildman smells like at this point, covered in canal scum and goose poop.

My neighbor (I'll call him Iraq) thinks it was our mutual neighbor (we'll call him Hobo) from down the road, though I have my doubts. I know he's mentally disturbed (lives in the shed behind his mother's house), but his antics extend more to getting drunk and driving into my fence than stalking people. I admit they have a similar build and scruffiness, but that's about it. Iraq wanted to call the cops, but I insisted it was nothing. Hobo has skulked around the neighborhood since before I moved here and never done anything to anyone outside his own family (none of them are quite right). I told Iraq that Hobo's mother is selling the house and moving into a group home, so it's possible Hobo is just wandering around confused at this point (not that I believe it was Hobo at all). I thanked him and said I had to get to work.

I hope this won't make Iraq a target for interfering. He's finally home from the war, married, a new dad... they rent the place beside me and are trying to buy a place if their landlord will ever let them out of their lease. I'd feel so guilty if anything happened to them. I painted some hex signs on a large piece of bowled metal, punched holes through the center and along the rim, and strung some crystals and more painted scrap metal up to make a folksy wind-chime as a way of saying thanks. I don't know what their feelings on magic are, but at least it's a decoration that will not be too outre for the area. I left it on their porch a little while ago as they weren't home. Hope they like it.

In other news, my niece has an "imaginary friend," who sleeps under her bed!? I checked, and her bear is still there and untampered with.... and there is no one under her bed. She told me that the little girl who lives under her bed is very sad but doesn't talk. I'm not sure what to think. She said that the little girl makes the bad man go away when he comes to the window at night. I don't know if she means Wildman or SM. Her parents are now pissed because she's been "stealing food" for her imaginary friend though they haven't found it hidden under her bed or anywhere else. So it's not like it's rotting, and even if she's eating it, she's not exactly obese so they should STFU. Never wanted any kids, but half the time I'm tempted to abduct her. I never met a kid who was more browbeaten than my niece.

Proxies don't usually act this way though. So what's this Shadow-child's game?