The Visitor

A confusing encounter

"Who was he?" I pondered as the stranger who had arrived an hour ago, stared at me, trying to catch my eye. He hadn't spoken a single word since he first knocked on my door, and I was beginning to get scared. I don't know what possessed me to let him in! It just sort of happened. Maybe it was the way he smiled at me or maybe it was just the fact that it was raining heavily outside, and he looked like he needed somewhere dry and warm to stay for a few minutes. Only, it hadn't been a minutes, it had been a few hours. What if he was a serial killer, a drug addict, or even a spy? I became quite agitated when all of a sudden I jumped out of my skin. 

"It's okay, Miss Jackson, I'm just here to help."

It took me several minutes to recover from the initial shock of this man talking but now many other questions were arising. His eyes stared at me, piercing into my soul. What would I possibly need help with? However, this question could have any answer and I wasn't sure I wanted to know. I was left completely puzzled. 

What happened next, I will never be able to understand. He got up from the seat where he had been sitting. I had never liked it because it looked as if it was covered in blood stains. Then, he took long strides, like a tiger about to pounce on its prey, towards the cabinet where I kept all of my stationery. Next, he opened it and took out a sheet of paper. The panic suddenly started to rise and spread all over my body, like a wildfire. My cause for panic was how he knew where I had all my stationery. I wondered if this stranger had been watching me previously. The cabinet was opeque with no possibility of seeing inside. I was almost certain that I hadn't opened it while he was there because I had no need to. 

The stranger then quickly wrote down his number on the piece of paper he had acquired, thanked me for the dry place to stay for the past few hours, and then left abruptly. Was I going crazy? Had any of this even taken place? 

The panic was now taking over my whole body and eating away at my insides. At any moment now, I thought I was going to find the remains of my late lunch all over my well-trodden, threadbare carpet, which happened to be from be late grandmother. Never had I felt this bad before. Had I been watched before? Who was that man? I didn't even know his name. Why didn't I ask? Did anything happen in the first place? Did I imagine all of this? Did I let a stranger into my house? This was completely out of character. 

I was now becoming so paranoid that I cowered at any small sound or movement outside. A leaf, which floated gracefully with the wind, became open gunfire in my mind, through the paranoia. 

Suddenly, a small sparrow flew to the tree outside my back window. It made an ear-piercing squawk. How was it possible that such a small bird could make such a loud, intrusive noise?  

I screamed as the tiny bird screeched again. I sprinted to the window and tugged the curtains closed as quickly as I could. I felt as if I was falling apart. I was no longer in control of my thoughts and actions. Paranoia was ruling me now. The worst part was that I knew there was no going back. Not now, not ever. 

I jumped around only to glance at the small, demonic bird as it flew off. What was that bird? Was it even a bird? What if it was a bomb, waiting to explode? Wait, why would it be a bomb? I knew I needed to calm down but my thoughts were spiralling out of control. 

I began to attempt to seize control of the paranoia, but it only got progressively worse. I was constantly seeing shadows slowly creep up the walls of my living room. Soon after, the walls started to close in and I had no place to move. The room, which was once a cream colour, was now very dark and changing into black. My worst nightmare was becoming reality.

I had never been so paranoid in my life. I was constantly telling myself to think and act accordingly. There must have been a reason for that man coming here. I was sure that I recognised his face! Or did I...?

This was when a new fear swept over me. My brain was messing with my thoughts. I was just about sane enough to realise this.

"AHHHHHH!" I screamed at the top of my voice as I heard loud, fast, heavy footsteps approach my front door. I ran to the nearest object that I could hid behind. The large chest that my recently deceased grandmother had left me in her will, would serve the purpose.

My mind suddenly leapt to Frank. I wondered what he would do if he was with me. Would he have tried to calm me? Would he have protected me? I knew I shouldn't let thoughts of those kind into my head. Frank was dead. He passed away the same hour as my grandmother had.

"AHHHHH!" I screamed again, but this time as the doorbell rang.

Terrible thoughts were entering my mind. I dreaded the day I would have to leave my home. I wondered if I could somehow remain here forever. Everything had just happened so quickly.

Frank...

The minutes passed much too quickly for my liking. I managed to forget for a while that there was still a man waiting patiently outside my door.

The doorbell rang again and this time I knew there was no avoiding it. I had to open the door. However, I had no idea who it could be. I was a stranger to the majority of the residents in Scorpio Road. I was known as the unhealthy, unsociable woman who lived with her husband, Frank, or at least used to. 

I glanced over to the kitchen table where Frank used always to sit. I had never been able to force myself into that room since he tragically departed from this life. 

I staggered out from behind the chest when the doorbell rand once more. It was louder this time and I thought my ears were in danger of exploding. There was a ghastly ringing in my head which, in turn, made me dizzy. The room was spinning. I thought that if I maybe waited long enough, the man at the door would give up and walk away. 

"Ding dong." The doorbell repeated its shrill. I began to doubt that this man would leave, ever. 

I dragged myself across the room. I reached agonisingly slowly for the door. Silently, I turned the key in the lock. Then I just stood there for a few seconds, which turned into minutes. I questioned if I should have opened the door. I wondered if the man even remained. It could have just been my mind playing tricks on me. I knew that, after all, I was very tired. 

That was when the man on the other side opened the door himself. I didn't have enough time to register what happened before I grabbed the handle and slammed it. The man had only managed to open it a crack. I shock from the shock and my body trembled tiringly, a weak tree in the wind, waiting to topple over at any moment. 

The inside me crept one step further towards engulfing me completely. Surely it was human nature for any man to scream out in agony? My heart was racing like a torpedo ripping through the ocean, destined to inflict serious damage. The pain was unbearable. 

I heard scrambling noises come from outside. Then, loud, fast, heavy footsteps which had previously been coming towards my house, trailed off into the distance. 

My heart stopped with relief. I was safe! The man was gone. 

Suddenly, I felt cold, then I couldm't feel at all. I collapsed in a heap, in a heap of crimson, warm, wet blood. I was so confused. Then I felt the searing pain take over. I jerked violently around the floor until it felt as if all the blood had seeped from my body. That was when I realised that my heart had been pierced by a bullet. 

The last thing I heard was a voice laced with malice coming from where the demonic bird had once appeared. 

"You should have called me, Miss JACKSON."