Why I'm Scared to Death of Llamas

Heather, I just want you to know that our blog is not a radio show where you can call in and make requests for stories.......but since I think you're pretty great, and since you are open with your stories, I'm going to post my Llama story for you. Because of the following story, I have an intense fear of llamas now, and I just can't wait to get all the emails with llama pictures attached to them. . . . .

The story begins with 8th grade me getting off the bus to go to home after a long day of school. I climbed off the bus along with about 10 neighborhood kids to start the long (it took like 5 minutes, which is a really long time considering what's about to happen) walk uphill to my house. The neighbor that lived right next to the bus stop where we were all dropped off was a huge fan of animals. He had horses, dogs, cats, and just happened to keep a random llama in his front yard.

This is what you all picture llamas to look like isn't it?? Innocent, sweet, almost cuddly! It's a LIE!!! As soon as we were off the bus, this llama (who conveniently wasn't tied up, or fenced in) came wandering over to this new group of "friends" to say hello. I followed behind us for a little ways, just content to be doing something different with its day. One by one the other kids peeled off from the group to go home, until it was just me left and I still had a long way home.

I wondered to myself, "Why am I so lucky? This llama could have followed any other kid home, but he chose ME!" As I was wondering this thought, the llama became increasingly interested in my backpack, so walked a little faster until it could stick its face right in my back. I started to get a little nervous. I mean, there's a llama riding my tail, that's not something you really train for and know how to handle! As the llama would pick up pace, so would I, until I was in a full on run with this llama still chasing me. It was so close to me that it's feet kept jabbing me in my calves. Llama feet are incredibly painful to get jabbed with......

Anyways.... I kept running until I saw a car in the driveway of one of my neighbor's homes. I ran as fast as I could and hid behind it. I was crouched low so that the llama couldn't see me, but I could see him through the windows of the car; he was looking for me. After a minute, he put his head down below the windows of the car, and I took that as my chance to escape. I bolted from behind the car and made a last sprint for my house which was about 200 yards away. As I made it out of the driveway I was hiding in, I cast a glance over my shoulder to see if the llama had noticed my retreat. It had.

While I was looking, the llama picked its head up, saw that I was running, and came after me as fast as it could go. My heart was racing; not just because of the physical exertion, but also because I was scared to death. I managed to run through my front yard, into my house, and slam the door just in time to see the llama stop with its face an inch from the window I was watching out of.

I called the owner of the llama and informed him of the situation. He was upset! I'm pretty sure he thought it was my fault, and that I had somehow provoked the llama into chasing me home. Boy, if he only knew....... After that I called my friends and told them what had happened, and they decided that was not something the llama would get away with. Another story for another day.........