Baltimore by William Capozzoli

When I fuddle through someone's front porch turned playpen for a spare key that is supposedly hidden in a toy, it usually turns out well. Three locks on a front door require some extra experimentation but unzipping my suitcase in the family room at 4 in the morning is priceless. Friends asleep, its the perfect way to unwind for a full day in the morning. Someone knocked on the door and I kept unpacking my clothes. Someone knocked again but I didn't want to greet unless I was sure my arrival was announced to all members of the household. The knocker entered the apartment and began walking up the stairs. Then tiptoeing. Then it stopped. I didn't want to occupy in silence so I called out my friend, "Andrew, is that you?" More silence. I walked over to the staircase to see what nightmonger entered. A police officer awaited, genuflecting on the stairs with full attention angled upwards. Staring down the barrel of a gun isn't as bad as you'd think as long as you face it head-on. I only saw a dark circular ring in between the officer's eyes. It was very two-dimensional. Phew. Secondly, it helps if the gun has already been pulled on you. This way you see no movement. He was in stationary kneel, crouching tiger. This made it harder to flinch. 

I was a defiant boy during childhood but today I'm better with authorities. I'm like a model citizen, a sheep. The officer wasn't enthused that I didn't put my hands up in reaction but in my defense he never told me to, and I don't want to become the next Amadou Diallo. I complied in answering his questions, "No sir, I am not armed" and exhibited astute truthfulness, "There are no weapons in this household, to the best of my knowledge". After 15 minutes and 3  officers rummaging through stories and sleeping roommates and not finding any college paraphernalia laying about a dusty cocktail table, they left.

The flight-or-fight response of my nervous system was inhibited tonight. Its in your best interest to not flinch when you stare down the barrel of a gun. The chance that a dense piece of lead smashes through your epidermis is increased by flinch behavior.