I was awakened last night by what sounded like someone kicking in a door downstairs. It seems that what I heard was actually a board on the deck “popping” from the cold. That was scary, I have to say.
I would have been at the door with my .45, or maybe the 9mm, or perhaps the .38 or the shotgun. Whatever falls to hand first, I guess.
In any case, it’s very good that you got scared by a creaking board and not by some criminal trying to break in.