As I wandered down the dark, cold, snow coated path, I couldn't help but feel as if I was being followed. With every step I took my discomfort rose. My heart began to pound, my body started shaking, and my thoughts were racing.
"You're fine!" I thought to myself.
Suddenly, I heard a branch snap behind me, followed by rapid footsteps. I was not fine.
The chase had begun. I was running as fast as I could. The cold had only been making this worse, taking over my body, freezing my bones and forcing me to slow down with every step I took. I could hear it getting closer. I could feel it there behind me, waiting for me to slip up so it could strike. The freezing winds had been piercing through me, making it excruciatingly painful to run.
Eventually, I couldn't go on any longer. I fell to the ground, allowing my fate to take over. Tears slowly crept from my clenched eyes, trying to run down my face but instead freezing from the frigid winds. My terror hit its peak. Even though I was truly terrified, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement come over me. I only wanted to discover what fate had in store for me.
I sat there quietly for a moment, frozen, waiting for my destiny. There was nothing. I slowly forced my eyes open. Breathing heavily, I carefully observed my surroundings. There was nothing. Could I have imagined this? I very cautiously pulled myself off the hard, frozen ground and brushed myself off. I observed my surroundings on last time before continuing my long, paranoid walk home. I would occasionally stop to check around me, only to find nothing.
By the time I got home my emotions were still scrambled. Did the cold air confuse me? I went directly to my room and sat by the window, staring out, trying to get my thoughts together. I kept telling myself it was nothing, all that mattered was that I was now okay. No matter how hard I tried I knew I would never forget. I knew it was real. I couldn't bring myself to forget the way I felt, only to find that nothing was there. That's when something outside caught my attention. In the shadows lurked a figure, almost like a man, except it was clear to see this creature was no human. It's piercing red eyes, staring into my soul, made me realize it wasn't my imagination or the cold. It was real. I sat there waiting for it to go away, waiting for it to stop staring. It never did. It stood. Staring. Waiting. I could never leave this house again. I would never be safe. It would always be there. As I sit here now, writing in my journal, I feel the red eyes. I see the shadow. Five years have passed.
