The Midnight Guest

Ch4:The Porch's Company

"Dad?" I half shout and half whisper to him as I take few steps towards him. Dad was right down there, but then who the heck is this? "Daddy?" I whisper again yet slower this time he mumbles something and heads down to the kitchen. Yes, that's definitely dad. Now, all the questions are storming in my head, if this is MY dad then who the hell was that creep down there? How did he get in here? How did he know my name? Why did he say he missed me? All the questions are running in my head, and I had this strong feeling called curiosity telling me to go down to find out what happened. At the same time, everything else in me was telling me not to do anything stupid and just go lay down beside my brother. Well, curiosity killed the cat.

   I reach the end of the stairs, taking a deep breath, I slowly and silently start wandering around in search for... Well I have no idea whom I'm looking for. When I find nothing in the rooms, the thought of going to the porch to check out hits me. But should I do it? I don't even know who this man is! Heck, I don't even know if he is a man. I mean how could he just get in and in the same looks of my dad hugging me telling me he misses me, but here I am walking towards the porch as I internally curse my curiosity, I pass by my father in the kitchen and I was pretty sure this man is my dad. I cautiously open the door to the porch and take two small steps forward. It is very calm out here; I scan the place around but all I can see is the dark and a little glimpse of the trees due to the outside lights of the house. Well what was I expecting? I think eating a lot and staying up late has its affect, but in the same it felt so real and right now my brain hurts from thinking about this; so I give it a minute while standing outside in the  refreshing breeze in the dark, to understand what happens.

    Many people thought that its weird how I felt that the dark is my escape, dark may be something a few fear but for me its the perfect surrounding to escape the world, to see nothing at all and only feel yourself. That's why here I am trying to find a logical explanation to whatever happened in that kitchen. But before my mind can reach even one single reason I get that feeling again, the feeling of being watched. No I didn't hear a thing nor did I see but I just know that I'm not alone. Chills are spreading in all my body and I can assure you this is not the breeze. I slowly and cautiously start to turn around to get a little sight of my company. I finally can see what's behind me well the good news there is no one, no creep or anything; but if nobody is here then why is the hammock swinging on its on. The wind isn't that bad to move it like that, neither it is this bad for the trees to go crazy; and while I stand there confused, scared and reluctant in this cold weather I feel warmth on my cheek like a touch of a feather leaving goose bumps on my skin. I freeze I literally can't move, I'm even scared to move. Then this warmth glides over my shoulder, my arms, then reaching my cold hands to wrap its scary warmth around it. "Sorry I can't help it, it has been years" a voice out of nowhere says in my ear tingling. This is too much for me, it’s like my one part of my brain tells me to run but the other is scaring me from even moving a finger; and my body between this and that and the fast beating of my heart can't seem to handle it. As a matter of seconds I feel weak and my vision is blurry, and just as everything darkened I heard "Shhh, it'll get better your just not ready."