The Man of the Shadows

The Prologue

My name is Victor Dermontehugues, I am 23 years old and the year is 1912. I recently purchased a Victorian style home. It was a bit of a fixer upper, you see. The plumbing was shot, the electrics had to be rewired, and the floor was rotting. I spent almost three thousand dollars repairing the place. After several months of contractors and plumbers, I had my dream home.

Life was going well, I had found work in the nearby town. I worked as a Bar tender in the local bar. My work days were from Monday to Thursday, six hour shifts. It was spring, it rained all day everyday, dreadful weather I thought. Though my neighbors would disagree with me. Mr. and Mrs. Parsex were an elderly couple I'd say in the they're in their late sixties. Though it was not until recently that I had noticed them, in fact it wasn't until yesterday, that I had been formally introduced to the Parsex's. They seemed nice and all. I had my suspicions of coarse, as is human nature.

   The truth being I'm quite paranoid of others. Which is why I chose this house it, was the last house on a dead end street. It was beautiful in my opinion. I now lived at 5974 Privett Dr.
   
       I had heard rumors of this house, and decided to do some research. Unfortunately the previous owners had passed away of well unknown causes. Supposedly the couple had suffered the loss of a loved one. Rumor is that it drove them mad. Some say that they murdered each other, others say that they simply passed of old age. One thing is for certain, no one has occupied the house in well over thirty years. Or so I thought...

   It was a Friday when I saw it. In the upstairs window, looking at me. It appeared to be an elderly gentleman wearing a black suit and top hat. The first thing to cross my mind was what is he doing in my house, but then I realized the second floor was blocked off and locked. The key to the staircase was lost. No one could have gotten up there. I decided to quickly get inside and call the police. Though as I entered my home, I was halted by a horrible chill. I looked to my right to notice the door to the staircase was open and standing in the door way was the elderly man. His skin was pale, grey almost. His lips were dark and chapped, almost as if he hadn't drank or ate in many years. Though I could not see his face, for it was to dark, shadow had fallen upon the room. The man smiled and vanished.

   I thought about that day for long amounts of time. Every time I would see his smile. It was filled with malice. As if he'd achieved some mischievous goal. It haunted my dreams. Every time I would close my eyes I'd see him. I would think to myself what demon have I stumbled upon, what spirit haunts my home, was it even my home?  A voice often fell upon my mind and calmed me. I do not know who it belonged to, though it soothed my thoughts. As if i were being watched over.

It even dawned upon me at one point, that this foul creature could very well be the previous owner. Except I'd seen a photo of the previous owners. They seemed very happy, though at a closer look I spotted something in the window of the upstairs bedroom. In a photo over fifty years of age. I then realized that this oddity could not have been from