haunted

I sighed, twirling my pencil absentmindedly as I stared at my math homework. I was barely paying attention in class, much less understanding what we needed to do. I leaned back into my chair, slightly tipping it over as I stared out of my window.

The sky was clear today, not a single cloud to be seen. I could see my front lawn and my two apple trees in front of the gate leading to the front of my house. Today was Saturday, but despite the lazy weekend, I decided to wake up early and finish my homework. My eyes flickered back to my papers spread around my desk. That plan didn’t work out.

I gazed outside of my window again. There was a small twisted brick road from the gate to my front door. It was old, and I was too lethargic to bother to renew it. Moss was crawling up the sides of some chipped bricks. Some lost their color, washed away from the rain, turning it to a muddy brown or a stained gray.

My gate creaked. My gaze shot to it immediately. Just as I was going to return to my math homework, I noticed a man standing only a few feet away from the gate.

He was wearing a loose black jacket, the zipper open, revealing another black sweater inside. His jeans were dirty and torn, way too big for his thin frame. His boots were used and in a desperate need of cleaning.

He was pale, so pale I started to question if he’s ever stepped outside since now. He had a five o clock shadow, a rugged look on his sharp features. His dark eyes were hooded, something more sinister swirling within them.

And he was staring right back at me, his haunted eyes pinned on my face.

It’s the fifth time he’s been here this week.

He’s always standing there, watching me. I usually go back to doing whatever I was, and when I glance back, he’s gone. Other times, I pulled down the curtain. When I check back on him, he’s gone too.

He didn’t move. I hastily ducked my head, staring at my math homework. His eyes were burning holes in the side of my head. I gritted my teeth, extremely unsettled, but didn’t look back.

I stared at my homework, but didn’t see any of the letters or numbers. I was too focused on trying to peek at the man without directly looking at him. I couldn’t see his dark figure in my peripheral vision. Cursing under my breath, I drew a scribble on the side of my page, feigning work. Could he leave me alone?

A few tense moments passed, and I glanced outside. He was gone, as if he was never there before.

I let out a quiet sigh of relief. Next time, I was going to call the police or do something. He was a strange man. But was he dangerous?

Knowing I was not going to work anytime soon, I stood up from my desk, my chair squeaking against the wooden floor. I put down my pencil and turned around for a possible coffee break.

He was standing right there, blocking my entrance.

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