I escaped an armed stalker who hid in my closet

I’m a 26 f and I have been in a serious relationship with my boyfriend for five years. We live in the mountains in Colorado near a small lake. About a year ago we noticed that sometimes peanut butter would go missing and the neighbors cat would show up in the house when no one was home even though all the doors and windows were closed. We chalked it up to an animal eating the peanut butter and the cat squeezing through small openings. We put chalk around the doors, but still found scratches. We put aluminum foil in the pantry and the noise woke me up one night to a man hiding in the closet. I woke up with a start and saw a very tall, lanky man with light red hair. I got out of bed to run to the bathroom to wake up my boyfriend and call 911.<br><br>The man was armed with a knife and he jabs me in the ass. I can feel the cold blade at the end of a painful poke. My boyfriend came out of the bathroom and the man ran away with the knife out to the front door. I was in so much pain from the stab wound that I couldn’t get the police on the phone. My boyfriend yelled 911 and gave our address. He was covered in blood and screaming at me to stay awake.<br><br>I vaguely remember being in an ambulance with lights and sirens. I had no idea how I got there. I woke up again in a hospital bed. I had surgery and spent 6 days in the ICU. I was told that a large man with red hair is a fugitive who is wanted for multiple crimes.<br><br>While I was in the hospital I learned that I had a punctured intestine. I was not allowed to eat solid foods or even liquids for 5 days. I was on IV fluids and IV nutrients. I didn’t think about food the whole time but once they let me start drinking water I craved food so badly. I was given apple juice and apple sauce. I was allowed a few sips of water and a spoonful of apple sauce each hour. I was in agony and ravenously hungry.<br><br>My boyfriend didn’t leave my side the whole time. He hardly slept, and ate small snacks at the vending machine. He was so traumatized and worried about me, and I could see it in his eyes. I felt so bad for what I put him through. <br><br>When I finally got home after weeks in the hospital I was still in a lot of pain. I could tell my boyfriend wasn’t the same. He wasn’t as talkative and he looked so tired. I am afraid he has PTSD and that our lives will be changed forever. I am glad to be alive, but I know that I will never forget the man who hid in my closet or the terror I felt when he stabbed me.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>Edit: I could not have survived this without my boyfriend. He is a real life hero. I am forever grateful to him and the first responders who saved me.