Going Home Alone

This all started last week, I was walking home from my mother’s house. We ate dinner together and watched a movie like we do every other weekend. This weekend I picked a movie from my childhood, 'Halloweentown’. As I had been feeling sort of nostalgic these past few months. Among other things that I had been doing to regain the feelings that I had for Halloween. It had been difficult these past few months as well and well…reliving these feelings had been a childhood comfort.

In an odd sort of way.

It was sort of why I hadn’t noticed it right away. As I had been mulling over Halloweentown for a little too long. Mostly about how things would’ve been terrible if Marnie hadn’t disobeyed her mother. And how she would have lost her powers. Maybe she even lost her entire world, too. I started walking through the park that’s closest to my mom’s house and my house. When I was halfway through the park, I started to feel this odd…presence. Like someone was standing just behind me. Too close. Breathing down the back of my neck as I walked. Could see the shape of something out of the corner of my eye. A tall man. Or at least something man shaped. All I could make out was a vague shape of whatever the Hell this was.

Not just thanks to barely being able to see it. But thanks to how bad the lights in the park were at this time of night. The city had been too cheap to replace them, and I wished they hadn’t been. Then maybe I could have had a better look at whatever this thing was behind me. Whomever it was. My mind kept referring to the shape as a person. Since the thing is about the size of an adult. I’m not sure how tall it was since I didn’t have a good look when I was walking home. But it lit a fire under me, and I sprinted the whole way home as fast as I could manage. That thing was still hot on my tail. Breathing even more heavily as I ran away from the damned creature. Person? Whatever it had been. I may not have known what it was when I first spotted it. Unfortunately, I still don’t. All I know is that when I stopped at my door and looked back, it was gone.

No shape. No sounds of hard breathing. There was just nothing there but me and myself. Feeling as if I had just run a marathon as I tried to get my breathing under control. My heart is pounding hard against my ribs. It was difficult but I managed to get myself calm enough to get my key out. And I had gone inside and went back to doing my normal nighttime routine. Nothing was out of the ordinary after I had got into the house. Soon as my head hid the pillow, I was fine.

The next day things were a little different. There was this feeling that someone was right behind me throughout the whole day. Like a strange shadow that I couldn’t quite shake. It felt as though I was going to be attacked at any moment. Yet, somehow whenever I entered my house, I was perfectly fine. Or turned on the light. Like when I was a child and ran up the stairs to escape the ‘demons’ behind me. The ones that I for whatever reason knew were waiting right behind me.

Except this isn’t some funny childhood memory…well sort of funny childhood memory. It was really happening to me.

I haven’t been wanting to go outside for a while. I would much rather not be outside all together if I can help it. Unfortunately, I need to work. And mom wouldn’t tolerate me not coming over to see her for dinner. Even if I think the threat is something to be feared of. Mom would think it was the stupidest thing she had ever heard of. Also, I doubt that my bosses would tolerate such silly fear. No matter how legitimate, I think that this strange thing I can’t see is. Breathing down my neck.

Seemingly.

It seemingly breathes down my neck. This fear might not be true in the slightest bit. That might be the work of my overactive imagination. Tonight, however, I’m going to prove that this fear is unfounded. Prove to myself that I’m perfectly safe. And I decided that since I don’t work tomorrow that a long walk is best. So, I grabbed my headphones and keys. Slipped on my tennis shoes as I started to walk. Going through that damned park as I tried to look anywhere but behind me. It only took about five minutes before that strange feeling of being followed came up. This feeling against my neck would make me shudder if I wasn’t so used to it. Pushing this feeling down I kept walking. As I walked, I noticed just how beautiful the scenery was. There were so many plants that I hadn’t quite noticed when I was walking home from mom’s house. But to be fair it usually is late at night and I barely can see anything.

It's strangely more serene than I was anticipating it would be. I couldn’t keep my eyes from the flowers near the sidewalk. Or the cute little chalk drawings that someone had drawn with their kids. Little hands drawn there. Cute bugs, cats, and one hopscotch grid were drawn. It was big enough for an adult to play with if they wanted to. And I don’t know why but I got the urge to do so. A small smile came to my face as I glanced around to check if anyone was watching. When I was sure that no one would be seeing me do this I picked up a small rock. Tossing it onto the grid and quickly hopping like when I was a little kid. It was as much fun as I remembered it being.

A little more so if I were being entirely honest. Smiling ear to ear, I picked up the rock that was on the five and continued to hop across the grid. Then I continued my walk around the small park. After twenty minutes of walking through the park did, I felt calmer. Like that strange sensation of being followed was gone. I couldn’t see anyone in the corner of my eye at all. Or any strange breath against my neck. Taking a deep breath, I started to walk back to my home. No longer afraid of that feeling of being followed as I turned the corner. Teasing myself that maybe I was more paranoid than I thought I was. Maybe I should lay off horror movies for a while. Calmly I take out my keys as I get on the porch. Glancing to my side to see that there was an odd shape. When I turned my head, I saw that it was just a squirrel running down a tree. A small acorn in its mouth as it headed towards another tree nearby. I sighed as I walked inside to take a short nap. Deciding that sleep was probably what I really needed. And that tomorrow I was going to be putting my horror movies into the attic.