Sounds of the Night

I intended to write a ghost story about the strange bumps in the night that occur in the law school, but Thanksgiving break provided me with alternate inspiration.

My parents got a new dog about a year ago. She's a happy, sweet, stupid yellow Lab. Don't get me wrong, I love labs and think they are incredibly smart, typically, and protective, regardless of what you've heard. What I didn't know is that they snore.

My brother built a doghouse when he was a teenager, I must have only been 6 or 7. This is the mother of doghouses. It has a floor, it is huge, too heavy for one strong man to move on his own. It has a shingled roof - this thing is intense. And, it is up against the exterior wall of the house in the carport. That exterior wall happens to be one wall of my bedroom. I didn't move into that room until after my junior year of college, but now it's my bedroom.

At any rate. One night, I don't remember when… ( I haven't been here much in the last year - the whole, growing up thing, law school thing, separating from my parents thing being much in the way). I was laying in bed, so thankful to be resting and not have to worry about school. I was almost asleep and I hear this deep rumbling sound. I was instantly wide awake. What was that? Was it dangerous? Was I safe? (did I mention I'm a little scared of what's in the dark - not the dark itself, but whatever it's hiding) I tend to have weird nightmares when I'm home, so I thought maybe that was it, but no, I was wide awake. Not to mention that I can be unreasonably paranoid sometimes.

Ok, what could it be? An earthquake? Maybe someone driving slow up the county road - are they parked outside? Are they going to harass us? (it's happened before, could happen again) It sounded like something moving something heavy. Is it a bear? Raccoons? What is that sound!
It was very rhythmic, not constant…. This deep steady rumbling.

It sounded like snoring. But, even my dad doesn't snore that loud. Not to mention that his bedroom is at the other side of the house. So, still, what could it be.

Then it stopped.

Simultaneously, I heard the chink and clinking of Ellie's chain on the entrance to the doghouse. Is it possible?

My final determination is that my dad's dog takes after him and snores. My theory is that she snores somehow against the wall of her doghouse which transfers into the external wall of the house and therefore resonating in my bedroom.

I never could understand why women would get so annoyed with their husband's snoring. Now I understand. There is something about that sound that is grating and irritating at a deep, deep level.
It still sends thrills and chills through my heart, it's a very unnerving sound. Then I just get annoyed that the dog is sleeping so soundly when I'm awake. She's supposed to be awake, protecting us, right? No. She's snoring peacefully in her doghouse, while I lay in bed wondering what manner of assailants are organizing themselves against my house. Bother.

A year later, she still snores. Just as rythmically, just as loudly. And I lay in bed and listen.