I first saw the man in my dreams. I was staring out my window, and there he was, standing in the yard. He just stood there, and I just stared. That’s all the dream was, but there was something strange about him. He...had no face. He didn’t have any distinctive features really; he was like a shadow. I didn’t think much of it, though. After all it’s just a dream. At least that’s what I thought. 

I was in the kitchen eating my breakfast and there he was, in the window. Then I looked away for less than a second, and he was gone. 

Then when I was at school, there he was again. I rubbed my eyes and took another look and he was gone. 

When I was laying in bed, ready to go to sleep he was standing right in front of my closet. I was terrified, my brain was telling me to move, but my body wouldn’t listen. ‘W-w-what do you want?!” I forced myself to say. 

It continued to stand there, not moving at all. Was he even breathing? 

Finally he did something. He brought his finger up to where his lips should have been, his voice was in a low whisper, but loud enough that I could hear. “Shhhh.” That was all he did, but it was enough to get my body to jump out of my bed and run. I tried to scream, but I couldn’t. I don’t know why, but no sound would come out of my mouth. 

I ran to the front door and there he was, standing there. I turned and ran into the basement, not the brightest choice, but I was panicking. I ran down the steps, almost falling as I did so. I stayed hidden beneath the staircase and held my breath, my hands over my mouth. 

“I’m so close, I can even hear your heart beating.” The source of the low whisper came from right next to me. I quickly looked over, only to find nothing but an old, empty box. A tear slipped down my cheek as I shook. 

I quickly ran back up the stairs and slammed the door closed behind me. I grabbed for the home phone that laid on the kitchen counter and dialed 9-1-1. Ring, ring. On the third ring I saw him, standing outside the kitchen window. I dropped the phone and it fell onto the floor. “I-I-I called the p-police! They’re on their w-way!” 

He continued to stand there, until he finally said, “What if I’m just a distraction? Distracting you from the demon creeping up behind you?” Then, darkness was all I could see, and silence was all I could hear, and it stayed that way.