Long walk home

"This is for Paul Stewart's Unnerve, Unsettle, and Scare Me Challenge"

Paul,

I realize I may have gone over the requested number of words by a wee bit.

But what ya gonna do? Hope you still read this.

They are watching me, ever since the April 13th incident, I can feel their eyes upon me. Never see them, but they are there. The problem is I don't know who 'they' are.

Dancing solo to the upbeat music, my eyes focus on nothing, letting my soul feel the groove of the night. I don’t care what others think. I feel free for the first time in a long while.

Until that overwhelming fear consumes me once more.

The party is still going strong at one a.m. when I decide to leave. I tire of the constants stares, side way glances and whispers when I walk past. Trying hard to ignore it but failing. Part of me wonders why I stayed so long.

Stepping outside I pull my coat closer to my body, the fall air is crisp, and the cloudless night sky makes for a chilly evening. My exposed legs grow numb. I stamp my feet waiting for the Uber to arrive, it was supposed to be here, yet there is nothing but a night mist rolling down the street, winding through the trees. Muted sounds of the city life drone on in the distance. The familiar hum begins in my head, the same hum when I was thirteen. Everyone thought I would have permanent brain damage from the accident, but I proved them wrong.

Ten minutes drag by and still no car, a ping from my phone goes off. Looking at the screen it's the Uber sending me a survey to complete, regarding my recent experience with tonight’s ride, a ride I never had.

Quickly scanning the empty street, I knew I had to leave. The lamp’s yellow glow barely cuts through the fog, its dim light reflects off the damp sidewalk. If I cut through the park I can make it home in less then twenty minutes, fifteen if I wasn’t wearing high heels. Sounds of the party slip away into the night. The only sound is a squishy crunch that echoes off the half naked trees, their limbs refusing to relinquish the last of their leaves.

Suddenly, I hear a rustling noise in the bush behind me. Spinning around I see only shadows. Holding my breath, my heart pulses in my ears, I try to quiet it and listen.

Silence.

High in the trees a soft coo of an owl fills the emptiness, as the dark closes in on me, smothering me like a bag around my head. I force myself to breathe in deep, the aroma of decay and rotting leaves comfort me.

I quicken my pace and move with more urgency. I visualize every face at the party, wondering if someone there was watching me, waiting for me to leave. I hear the hollow sounds of footsteps behind me. Pressing up against a tree I hide in the shadows, I swear there is movement just beyond my sight. My face flushes as forced blood flows through my veins. A breeze blows through the forest, loose leaves flying towards me. Hypnotizing me with the slow swirling, drifting motion. Spiraling unfettered they surround me. Their dead flesh crackling as they fly past. A voice floats on the wind.

Run.

My heels click on the cobblestone path, ahead I see a woman bathed in the translucent light of the streetlamp. She is standing by the bench, staring up. I cry out for help.

I turn as a twig snaps in the dark.

My mouth goes dry, my heart beats faster, when I glance back the girl is gone. I keep moving. The familiar hum returns, and my body starts to tingle, one step, then another, and another, I approach the bench. Something catches my eye; I try not to look but am drawn to it like a moth to fire. It flutters with a life of it’s own. I stand before it, my hand automatically covers my mouth as I stifle a scream.

A blue scarf, with tiny yellow flowers lay upon the wooden slats. My scarf, from that night. Until now, I never realized it was missing. My mind races, wondering who placed it here, how did they get it.

More importantly, why now?

I run, the world blurs as I try to see through water filled eyes. Coming to the fork in the path, I veer right, heading to the creek. At a bend in the road, I throw myself into the bushes lining the side of the trail that leads to the bridge. If any one is following me they will have to cross here.

I am tired of running, of stares from strangers, this feeling of being hunted.

I lay on the damp ground nestled in the hollow and realize, this night is similar to that evening in April. It was here by this bridge, two strangers who just met, kissed under the moon. Passions raged until it became more. I relive that night, the scuffle, a hand clamped over a mouth desperately trying to scream. Heels scraping, digging into the ground, while fingernails tore at the stonework, leaving a bloody trail leading beneath the bridge. Later I dragged myself out of the mud and went home, telling no-one.

I snap from my memories by the sounds of heels tapping on paving stone. A lone shadow passes by my hiding spot, approaching the bridge. The silhouette stands silently leaning on the light pole, pausing I watch as a cigarette is lit. A face illuminates in the dark, it is the same face from that night. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out the knife I now always carry. Crawling on my knees I approach, the handle warm to my touch. I need to know; can this be the same person?

Standing in the shadows of the trees, I move forward, the form is looking towards the water and away from me. I creep ever closer; my arm begins to tremble. I can just as easily walk away, disappear, but I feel compelled to continue. I debate on this until the shadow turns and I see in the light it is her.

Hesitating, my feet suddenly feel heavy, my stomach drops. A nauseous feeling nearly overwhelms me. The world reels and spins around me.

The air becomes eerily calm, then a breeze starts blowing, rustling scattered leaves. Taking a deep breath, I charge forward. The knife raises high; I move swiftly. The familiar hum is with me once more, filling my soul with a symphony of music that only I can hear. I rush on saying nothing, my eyes wide.

Until.

She turns to me, and smiles, my feet freeze, I cannot move, as she demands. "Do you remember me?"

All I can do is whisper ."You're dead, I saw you die."

Again, the specter smiles, casually flinging the glowing butt in my direction. "And you got away with….."

Cutting her off, I Stutter. "Th...the cops questioned me."

Her eyes narrow. "Yes, I am aware, but we both know what you did."

"How is this possible?" My mind reels with different scenarios.

Keeping the knife behind me I take a step towards my ghost. "Kara, listen. I don't know what you remember but..."

Before I can finish, she laughs at me, a dark and desperate laugh. "Kara? Guess again.”

"Of course, you’re not Kara, that's silly there is no such thing as ghosts. Who are you?" I need to keep her talking, three more steps and I'll be close enough. "You look like her, you have the same eyes."

"I know, all my life."

As she glances down I take my chance, the blade reflecting in the moon light. From the shocked look on her face, she isn’t expecting this.

I see fear in her eyes and love it.

I am always careful, I never leave any evidence behind, I need to find out how she knows about me, how she got my scarf. I place the blade against her throat ready to use it, when I see the similarities, and begin to laugh. "You're her sister, you were with her at the bar that night. I remember you, there was one other person there as well."

Instead of a reply, she smiles again, a dark secret smile. Her eyes go black and sinister. Something is wrong.

I step back.

Suddenly I feel a dull thud in the back of my head, stars fill my vision and I sense I am falling before all goes black.

When my eyes open, the world is blurry, and I am cold, so very cold. I am under the bridge laying in the water. Two silhouettes standing on the bank. Staring at me, without a word they turn and walk away. Stunned, I start crawling to shore, slipping on the mud. I am almost there and start to rise. When I feel the grip of a hand on my leg, fingers digging into my flesh, dragging me back into the waters. I grasp at the stone wall but fall. My face smashes onto the wet rocks, the crunch of my cheek shattering reverberates in the dark hollow. I claw at the ground, my nails peel off. I try to scream but am silenced by a chilled wet hand covering my mouth. I can do nothing as I slide back, my body slowly sinking beneath the surface. Cold water burns my throat as it fills my lungs. The last thing I see is...

Thank You,

Jason