Lady Luck: Hoodie x Reader

Chapter 20

       Have you ever been stalked by a tall, faceless monster?

       Most likely the answer is "no" because most people live in a normal, rational world where that kind of thing only happens in scary movies and stories meant to give people thrills. Just a few months ago I also lived in that world, where I was more worried about "real" problems than monsters hiding under my bed, but not anymore. Now I was trapped inside this messed up world of fear and danger, where seemingly anything could happen.

       Droplets of sweat formed on my face and hands as I stared at the blank white face hidden among the trees on my camera screen, my heart pounding violently in my chest. This wasn't an old recording or video, the camera was recording this image live at this very moment. If I looked up from the screen, I would see that tall black-clad figure standing among the trees—and that knowledge only made me feel more and more nauseous.

       Suddenly I was back in that abandoned building fleeing through the winding hallways, never knowing when my vision would flicker and I'd appear in another room. Chills ran down my spine at the memory, at the fear and anxiety that powered every step. I knew that every moment I spent staring at this monster right now was dangerous and I should run right away, but I couldn't. My body felt heavy as lead, my joints locked in place and every muscle tight and rigid, unable to do anything but stare at the camera.

       Visual tearing began to ravage the image, bands of color and static flashing across the screen as the colors were distorted and darkened to near-black. A dull hum began to sound, white noise gradually seeping into my thoughts. With its emergence my mind suddenly cleared, leaving one thought above everything else: Get the hell out of here! Almost grateful for the sudden clarity, I obeyed the voice in my head and took off running as fast as I could.

       I didn't dare look back as I fled from the Tall Man, trying to ignore the growing static in the back of my mind. The world began to tilt around me a little bit as a sudden wave of dizziness washed over me, but that was it. This time there was no extreme vertigo, no sudden flickering in my surroundings, no endless disorientation. All I had to do was follow the dirt path without falling and remember not to drop the camera.

       Hours seemed to pass in the span of minutes as I ran, but eventually, the trees began to fade around me and give way to dry, slightly yellow grass of the park. As soon as I was out of the wooded area, the white noise vanished and my head abruptly cleared. The change was so sudden I skidded to a stop and almost stumbled, but somehow I kept my balance and took a few moments to collect myself.

       Relieved to have made it out safely, I went over to a nearby picnic table and dropped my backpack on it before plopping onto the bench. My mouth was left pretty dry from a combination of running in this heat and the sheer fear of my encounter with the Tall Man, so I got out a water bottle and chugged it all down. Sufficiently hydrated, I put it away and then just laid my head on the table, staring into space.

       There was a playground here. Kids crawled all over the jungle gym, screeching with joy as they slid down the slides and chased each other. A little girl sat on the swing, laughing and yelling "Higher!" as an older boy pushed her. The adults just watched from nearby benches, chatting lightly with each other as they kept an eye on their rambunctious children.