I had a terrifying encounter with someone who was NOT where they were supposed to be.

This happened in 2015, but I still think about it almost every day. I work at an elementary school in a small town in the US. My school has a very unique and special schedule: we are one of the few schools in the country that offers year-round schooling. The students still get a much-needed break, but they get to come to school more often. My husband also works in this district and is at a middle school, also on the year-round schedule.<br><br>One of the best perks of working for the school district is that our children are able to attend the schools where we work. So, my son is at my school, and my daughter is at her father’s school. I often get out of work pretty early, so I sometimes go to my son’s school and sit with him in his lunchroom until his next class. I also love sitting in the cafeteria with him sometimes.<br><br>This particular morning, I was sitting in the cafeteria eating lunch with my son. I had just finished eating and was sitting in the corner of the table, reading a book, while my son and his friends were playing cards. I had been aware that the principal of my school was in the hallway talking to the school secretary. I didn’t think anything of it, because I wasn’t doing anything wrong. As I’m reading, I hear a loud crash coming from the kitchen. I don’t want to seem suspicious, so I sit still. The noise was loud enough that I could hear the principal and the secretary rush into the kitchen. I hear a man and a woman talking. My stomach drops, but I’m trying to be calm and not notice anything is wrong. I’m still sitting, still reading. My son and his friends are completely oblivious. A moment later, the principal walks back out of the kitchen and stands right outside the door of the cafeteria. She looks in at me and my son, and I can tell she’s trying not to stare, but I could see the look in her eye. She walked back to the kitchen and I could hear her telling someone else to call the police and the superintendent.<br><br>I pretended I was reading a book. I stood up and walked out of the cafeteria and into the hallway. The principal walked out behind me, still staring at me with a confused and suspicious look on her face. She walked up to me and put her hand on my shoulder, and I could see the look in her eyes change from suspicion to understanding. I smiled, and she smiled back, telling me that everything was okay.<br><br>There is only one door out of the kitchen, and that door leads directly to the cafeteria. A few minutes before the commotion started, a man and woman were in the kitchen, and had just left the door as locked as they could lock it (the principal said the only way to really get out was through the door leading to the cafeteria. The principal and the secretary were trying to call the police and the superintendent while trying to keep the students in the hallways and away from the cafeteria.<br><br>The man and woman were caught by the school security camera, and it was later discovered that they had broken into the school. The police chased them away, and they were later caught by the sheriff’s department. They were caught with meth, and the man was on the most wanted list.<br><br>The principal said that they had never had anyone break into our school, and that they were so grateful that no students or staff were hurt. I’m grateful for such great schools, and I’m so glad that nothing happened to my son or myself. This was very frightening for me, especially since we have a young son. I hope this was a one-time occurrence, and that the man and woman never try anything like this again.