GHOST 👻 (A Paranormal Romance)

A Good Old Fashioned Haunting

The park's lone visitor is a shabby man with scraggly, unkempt hair. His worn blue jeans and putty-colored polo shirt look like they could use a good wash. As I watch him loiter on the lake's grassy bank, he walks amongst the graves, smoking a cigarette. I can't put my finger on it, but something  more sinister than his unkempt appearance unnerves me.

I try to catch a glimpse of his face, but his features are hidden under the shadowy trees. As he scans bronze nameplates embedded in the turf, I hurry past him. Glancing back, I involuntarily gasp when his ice cold eyes lock with mine. A psychic blast of menacing energy envelopes me and I stagger as if I've been hit. I've never felt psychic energy so evil. As if a clairvoyant switch's been turned on, images of my strangled, naked body, hidden in the shrubs, flood my mind. Without warning, the stranger tosses away his cigarette and lunges towards me. Terrified, I break into a swift run and sprint across the narrow bridge. Huffing, I don't dare to look behind me as I tackle the steep incline on the other side of the lake.

Cresting the hilltop, I bend over and wheeze as my body trembles with fatigue. My calf muscles burn, while my face is flushed and covered with sweat. I'm afraid my heart is going to explode. After a few minutes, I'm able to stand upright and steady my breathing.

I'm safe. Whoever he is, he won't wander far from his car.

Glancing downhill, my breath catches in my throat. The predator is on the same side of the lake as me. He's staring upwards tracking me. I breathe in raspy, short painful gasps. From this height, I usually enjoy the panoramic view of the cemetery, but today I'm only focused on the menacing figure that waits below.

Out of nowhere, a dry, hot wind picks up and buffets against my body. Invisible hands shove into the small of my back. They urge me away from the dark-haired stranger. Something that sounds like a high frequency mosquito starts buzzing in my ear—a woman's frantic voice. "Don't go back down there—he's waiting for you!" Leaning into the wind, I try to ignore the disembodied voice, but the wind abruptly picks up to gale levels. The distressed, eerie voice rises in intensity. My hair, crackling with electricity, lifts up in the warm gusts and whips around my face.

Looking down, I hesitate, unsure of what I should do. The wind intensifies and pushes against me while an icy pit forms in my stomach. The skin at the back of my neck starts crawling. Something's squeezing my heart. After a moment I realize what it is. Fear.

"You have to leave, now!"

Usually, I would retrace my steps back across the bridge and cut through the broken section of fencing. That's the shortest route home, but I can't choose that direction. The dark-haired stranger is blocking my path. Looking around, I panic. I'm alone in a remote cemetery park the size of three football fields. If I call for help, no one in the traffic racing by on the other side of the unscalable fence, will hear me.

"Run!" The disembodied voice screams in my ear.

Without thinking, I race towards the highway. A minute later, I hear the Volkswagon's engine start up in the distance. Gasping for breath, I don't dare to stop or look back. The lake and the high pike fence have trapped me into one path of escape—exiting the cemetery through the main gate. I run down the hill, parallel to the water. Fear nips at my heels and propels me forward.

Please, don't be locked! 

I sprint towards the heavy wrought iron gate. I'm so frightened I don't care who sees me anymore. I want to be out of this creepy park around people. Anywhere but here.Someone grabs at me from behind and I fall to the ground screaming.