July 16th, 2000 3:50am
After I moved to NY, and had gotten used to living in the city, I found going to the country almost scary. I always thought New York was scary, who knows what could be lurking around the corner? It wasn't until I had lived here for a while and adjusted, that I realized it is the country that is frightening.
I used to imagine my car breaking down on some lonely country road in the middle of nowhere, without a soul for miles. In the country, you can feel all of the spirits and unknown creatures lurking in the woods all around you. In most parts of the city, you can walk a few blocks and find an open store, or someone sitting on their stoop. All of the unseen forces of the night are kept at bay by all of the metal, concrete and technology.
Tonight was different, though. For some reason, as I walked home through the sparse streets, I could feel the presence of something else. At one point, I thought I heard the clicking of a bicycle behind me, and I turned around to see that a cat was following me. I started to catch fleeting glimpses of spirits ducking behind garbage cans, and fluttering in the shadows. I guess there are spirits also in the city. For some reason, I just noticed them tonight.