The Hooded Stranger

It was late May. I was walking home from school, when, out of the corner of my eye I see a figure looking in my direction. I look over to see the hooded stranger staring at me directly. He walks slowly over to me. I didn't know what to do. Maybe he was good. Maybe he bad. I stood there. When he reached me, he handed me a book and walked away with a sly smirk. I looked at the man walking, then the book. It had no title. It seemed to have no words relevant to it. But as I flipped open the front inside cover, it said,

"Where Does my Story End?"

I continue walking home holding the book in my right hand. As I reach the front door it swings open. My mother is standing there, eyes bloodshot. She had been drinking.

"Where have you been?" She screamed breathlessly. "Do you realize how late you are? You had me worried SICK!" It had only been about 5 minutes. "Get in here!" I stared at her. "NOW!"

"I'm not even that late." I retorted as I stepped by her to get inside.

"It's been a whole HOUR." She exaggerated.

"Mom, obviously you've been drinking. Maybe you need to rest a bit. It was only 5 minutes!!" I said as calmly as possible.

"Don't tell me what to do! You're not the adult here! I am!" She screamed with a finger pointed at her chest.

"Then why don't you start acting like it!?" I shouted regretting it right away. She had nothing to say after that. She just lied on the couch, back facing me. I was about to apologize, but thought better of it. I wasn't a kid anymore. If she really cared about me or my safety she would stop drinking.

I headed to my room. And suddenly remembered that I had the book. I forgot all about it through what had happened downstairs.

I flopped on my bed and opened it up. When I looked at the inside front cover once more. The words, were gone. What were they again? "Where Does My Story End?" I don't know? It's your story! Should I know? Why did this man give this to me. Was it meant for me? Or someone who looked a lot like me? Would he be in the same place tomorrow? Maybe I should try and find him and ask. But not now. Right now, maybe I should try reading this book to find out if it IS for me.

I flip to the next page and find it to be blank. Yeah, so much for that idea. I try and see if the rest of the pages were blank or if it was just that one page. No. It was every page. Why would he give me a book with no words? I guess it was time to set out and ask him myself.

I walk quietly down the steps trying not to wake my mother. But as I look towards the couch, no one is there. I walk a little faster and look around. My mother is at the door talking to someone. From my angle I wouldn't be able to see who, so I went toward the shades and pull them apart. And what I witness, would be the first step to my living hell.