Cell Phone saved my life......

Friday the 13th ....what a day! It was by far the scariest day of my life.

I left my weight watchers meeting and had quite a few errands to run before I had to pick up Asher from pre-school at 11:30. As I was driving I felt 'T.O.M.' coming back for a little visit. I knew that I needed to find a restroom to check. I was going down Taylor Street and thought about running home but didn't want to fuss with the dog and parking. I just wanted a quick stop. I was passing RockHill park and remembered that the other day I took Asher there to play and the restrooms were open. When I was there with Asher about 7-10 cars came through. People on there lunch breaks, people walking their dogs, and some stopped just to use the restrooms. It's an open park and pretty spacious.

It was around 10:00 on Friday morning. I pulled into the drive and noticed that a two door black car was parked and a man was in the car. I didn't think much about it, because I knew that people parked there to eat their lunches or to take a break. I parked and fiddled around with my purse. I got out of my car and started to walk towards the pavilion. The pavilion is facing east to west, the east side is facing the parking circle and is solid stone, the middle of the pavilion is open and filled with tables, the west side of the pavilion has the restrooms. The men's is on the left, south side and the women's is on the right, north side. I parked my car on the south side of the pavilion and the black car was on the north side of the pavilion.

As I was walking I noticed out of the corner of my eye the man in the car got out and was walking towards the restroom. I got a very uneasy feeling in my gut. Something was wrong. I wanted to turn around and run to my car but couldn't. I didn't want to turn to my back. I continued to walk to the restroom but picked up my pace a little bit. When I got to the west side of the pavilion I passed the men's room and then passed the man. I had my head up high and made direct eye contact with him. I turned and went into the women's room. By now my knees were shaking and I knew in my spirit that something was amiss.

I locked the door (or so I thought) and just stood by it. I couldn't hear anything, no noise, no toilet flushing. A minute or two went by when suddenly my door swung open. I was standing right there and I grabbed the handle, I was shocked because I thought I locked the door. As I looked up the man was standing less than a foot away from me. He had opened my door. I made eye contact with him and he looked shocked, his eyes opened wide and he drew his head back a little. I scared him, he didn't expect me to be at the door. I slammed the door mumbling that I thought that it was locked. He stuttered saying he was sorry. I held on to the handle tightly while I fiddled with the lock again and making sure that this time it was latched. For about another minute or so I didn't know what to do.

Maybe the men's room didn't have toilet paper or was out of order. Maybe he thought that I wasn't in there. Reality set in and my knees and hands were shaking like crazy. I spun around the restroom looking for any kind of weapon I could find. Of course everything is bolted to ground and walls. I had nothing except for my car keys. Then it hit me, he thought that I'd be on the toilet with my pants around my ankles. He would have came into the restroom and locked the door and ...... I don't want to go any farther. I saw his shocked look when I was right there at the door. He didn't knock he opened the door. He must of known that the locks on the doors were funky. I turned my lock 180 degrees thinking that it was locked, it needed to turn 360 degrees to actually be locked. A couple of minutes went by and all I could think of was getting someone there that I know and quickly. Kim. Kim is Bryan's sister and she lived less than 5 minutes away. Thank God I had my cell phone. I called Kim, which was quite difficult with my shaking hands, and told her that a guy tried to walk in on me in the restroom and I was afraid to leave. He had a two door black car. She said she would be on her way.

During the next 10-15 minutes was pure hell for me. I felt for the first time in my life like a helpless woman. Knowing that more than likely he could over power me. I was alone. There was a brief time that I thought I was being paranoid. I debated leaving the restroom but my spirit kept saying NO. I waited and waited. Trying to listen to see if I could hear anything. I heard nothing. Kim text me to say she was on her way. I called her back and she said she was pulling into the park and yes there was a black two door car there. I heard her walking up the restroom and she said my name. I opened the door and she said that the man heard her car come in (she made a lot of noise on the gravel) and as she was walking up to the pavilion he came out from around the restrooms and tried to cover his face and went to his car. He was waiting for me to come out for 15 minutes. He was behind a stone wall where I would of been unable to see him when I left the women's room. Right then it hit me that I could of been beaten, raped, or even killed.

I went to Kim's apartment and she called the police. They filled out a report and got a description of the man. The police officer asked me why I didn't just call the police. My jaw dropped, until that moment I didn't even think about that. Why didn't I call the police? I had no reason except that I was scared and wanted someone I knew to be there and quickly. I just wanted out. To be safe. The officer told me that that would of been the best bet but the fact that I was able to get out of situation with out an incident made it a success. I said that I was stupid to use the restroom and should of just gone home or to a gas station. He said that I did nothing wrong and had every right to use the parks restrooms and should of been able to do it safely. Let's face it it was 10:00 in the morning. Things like that don't happen in the morning and they don't happen to me. Well, my thinking has now been changed. Things like this can happen at any time, any place, and to anyone. God saved my life. He gave my spirit the discernment to know that something was wrong from the very beginning. Even though when the door opened and the man was standing there I was scared to death....if that wouldn't of happened I probably would of left the restroom and been attacked. I think that even Kim at first might of thought that I was being paranoid but definitely wanted me to feel safe. She said it got her when she pulled in and saw the car I described and didn't see anyone. She was kicking herself too that she didn't call the police. I think that she just wanted to get to the restroom to make sure that I was there and alright.

Bryan left work when I talked to him and needless to say has stopped by the park many times since then to see if the car and man I described was there. I can't stress enough that a cell phone is great to have with you at all times. We will be getting some mace too to keep on my key chain and in my purse. It's one thing to hear stories on talk shows about assaults and rapes but to know that I could of been some sicko's victim still bothers me. Last night I couldn't sleep and the situation still runs through my head. The only thing that I could of done differntly was to call the police. I must admit though that I don't regret any choice that I made. I was not a victim. No harm came to me and I was able to keep myself safe. The first thing I did right was to not look like a victim. I held my head up high and looked him in the eyes as to say that I'm not intimidated by you. I was aware of my surroundings and followed my gut instinct. I got someone to come to the scene knowing that there is strength in numbers.

I still don't know if I would of fought or froze if it would of turned out differntly. I assume that my adrenline would of kicked in and I would of fought. I know enough self defense that I would gouged his eyes out and continued to stab him with my keys, but not knowing if he had a weapon, like a gun or a knife, who knows what I would've done. Kim said as he passed her the thought went through her mind to kick and knock him down, but then she to thought, he could have a weapon. It's amazing just how helpless and weak a woman can feel. I am so thankful for my sister in law and I'm so glad that I called her. I'm also grateful to my God for protecting me and for allowing the situation to play out as it did. I'm still a little freaked out and I encourage all women to carry your cell phones with you at all times, get some mace, learn some self defense, and never walk around like a victim and making yourself easy prey. Always be aware of your surroundings and keep your head held high and make eye contact with people. Scum like that man like to be in control, they like to have it planned out, they like to have victims. Me making eye contact with him at the beginning probably stopped him from attacking me the first time, then when I was at the door waiting and he opened it and saw me - it shocked him- ruined his plan of attack. Then he waited for me to come out when I thought it was safe. Of course he didn't know that I wouldn't think it to be safe until someone else arrived. I ruined his plan every time and took the control, the surprise away from him. All women who read this please share this story with your daughters, sisters, mothers, and friends. Let's all be aware of how not to be a victim and remember if you are ever in a situation like this, call the police. The one thing that I didn't do.