The Man Beyond The Trees

Part IV

I went back to school, but something was different. Everyone was hesitant to talk to me. It was like I'd been gone for years instead of days. I did not like it. I tried to hang out with my friends but they looked uncomfortable whenever I tried being part of the conversation. I stopped trying and let them chatter and play like I wasn't there. When I left them to go inside they never noticed.

My mother had walked me to school and that made it easier for me to ignore the man beyond the trees. But I was alone on my way home. My friends rushed out of school and ran ahead without me. I didn't try to catch up.

As I walked closer to where the man always stood, I covered my eyes with my hands hoping that I wouldn't have to see him. I walked ahead as straight as I could, carefully counting each step. All of a sudden I realized I wasn't walking on the concrete sidewalk, but in soft grass. I stopped, trembling. I didn't uncover my eyes although I could hear his footsteps coming towards me, crunching the leaves as he trumples on them, my heart began to race. I knew, without having to look, who it was.

The strong, sickly sweet smell of wild honeysuckle reached my nostrils, and I almost gagged, for some reason. I didn't say anything and he also kept quiet although I didn't look. I could feel his stare on me the whole time.

Feelings of dread and fear filled me, and I finally forced my feet to turn and run, at first shakily, then steadier as I gained speed. I didn't open my eyes, I kept them shut as I ran away from that thing that masqueraded as a man, that thing that stared and stared.

I ran until there was a sudden change and feel in the ground under me. It was suddenly hard and the next step was considerably lower than the ground I had been running on. I stumbled and fell, a loud blaring horn screaming into my ears and the high screeching of brakes. I felt the air on one side of my body get hot, and I stared open my eyes.

A hood ornament, crudely shaped into a fat dog was near inches from my nose.

I didn't go back to school after that. My mom kept a careful watch on me. Even thought I felt safe at home, I didn't like the way she watched me, with bags under her eyes, it gave me flashbacks of the man beyond the trees.