The Man In Black

Ever since I could remember I've had this....companion. It was some man in a suit. He watched from a distance but when we were inside he stood near the closest door. He never said a word, only stared. Occasionally he would nod or shake his head but that would be the extent of his communication.

I tried to tell people about him many times throughout my life. Most would laugh or scoff. Some would call me crazy and others, they would look to see what I was talking about. Ironically those were the worst times.

"Hey Mommy, do you see that man with grey skin?" My mom looked around and shook her head. "I don't see anyone." "Hes's right there! In the black suit." I pointed out to where the man was. "What are you talking about? Noone is there." I looked at my mom and pulled on her shirt. "But Mooom, he was watching from right there!" I looked back to where the man was watching, he was gone. "Seriously my dear, we must have your head checked out."

I gave up after the third attempt. I was never able to get any answers nor any help figuring it out. He would just be a part of my life. Or at least I thought so, until I was twenty-five.

It was a Friday night and I was running a bath. "Don't get in that tub." The voice was dry and raspy. It pierced my ears and sent shivers down my spine. I jumped at the sudden sound but I'd be more terrified if he hadn't been there all my life. I turned the water off and turned around to face him. "Why not?" I looked into his sunken eyes for about ten minutes without a response. "Hello?" Nothing. I shrugged and continued undressing. I was probably hearing things anyway. I grabbed my shirt and pulled it over my head. ZZTttzZzZtTTtt "AH!" I jumped back from the deafening crackle as the lights flashed. I fell against the wall and dropped my shirt. The first thing I saw when I was able to see again was the man. He was now by the tub, his eyes were glowing red deep in the back of the sunken eyes I've grown used to seeing. The light however was not something that had ever happened before. Behind him the water sloshed around in the tub...but I had stopped the water, right? "No tub." My heart was beating out of my chest. I could barely form thoughts and I used every ounce of myself to squeak out another 'Why?' Another ten minutes and another ten minutes of silence. At least this time around he pointed. I followed his finger to a cord that ran into the tub. "Is that my hair drier?" I yanked it's plug out of the wall and peered into the tub. Inside the tub was my hair drier and a bar of soap. I turned back to the man, he was no longer beside the tub and his eyes were no longer red. Did he save me? Warn me? Or was he trying to kill me? All the possible outcomes flooded my mind. I swallowed hard. "Did you warn me?" His head slowly nodded. He was actually answering me for once. Maybe, maybe I could get some answers. "Are you here to protect me?" His eyes glowed a dim red once again. The most activity he's ever had. "Pay back what is owed." "What is owed? But I didn't do anything, you don't owe me anything." His eyes faded back to normal well, his normal anyway. Yet again another ten minutes passed and yet another ten minutes without answers. I sighed and pulled the hair drier out of the tub. I continued with my bath all the while thinking about what happened. What did he mean by 'Pay back what is owed'? Was he protecting me because of someone else? Were his words even to be trusted? But he saved me right? Why would he save me if not for something he owed somebody? That was the best answer I had by the time I was out of the tub.

A few hours had passed since the tub incident and I was sitting on my bed. The man, as usual, stood next to my bedroom door. "The victims represent something that the suspect seems to be lacking..." I was watching TV when I thought I heard his voice again. I paused my show and glanced at him. No red eyes, maybe I was hearing things. Then again, it was probably my show. I returned to my show trying not to think of it. "I think that the girlfriend might be..." "...in danger." I could've sworn it was him but I was watching 'Perpetrator Brains' so it was probably just the speaker glitching. I continued watching my show until the lighting in my room become crimson. "What? Am I in danger?" No response. I shot up from my seat and stormed over to him. Twenty-five years of not having any answers swelled up inside of me. "Look I don't know who are what you are but you need to start answering me. I know you can talk now." I stared deep into his sunken glowing eyes. Once again, he didn't answer me. An ear shattering crash came from the window behind me. "Closet." Another crash followed so I ran for the closet on my right. I ducked inside and slammed the door behind me. The closet around me began to shake. What is going on? Was I being attacked? The room began to boom and things began to shatter. I heard my TV hit the ground and the electrical spark that resulted. By now I was hyperventilating and my heart was in my throat "I can keep you safe." I could feel him looming over me. Another cacophony of crashes rang out and the closet shook violently. I heard a crash and another electrical spark, probably my lamp. "How?" "Look into my eyes." Then the closet began to glow a comforting blue, all the while things crashed and the closet shook. I turned around and looked up into his eyes. The way they were sunken in were different now, almost like they were pulling me in. My heartbeat slowed, almost like it was disappearing. I took a long deep breath and the sounds stopped, but the breath never ended. I felt dizzy. What did he do? What happened? The closet door suddenly opened. My eyes were still adjusting but I seemed taller than before. In fact a woman smaller than I walked out from underneath me. I felt my body move to follow, but I didnt feel my body moving. I had no control. I walked next to the front door while watching a woman. That woman was me. My blonde hair that she flipped at me. My blue eyes winking at me. My mouth curved into a confident smile. I opened my mouth but nothing came out. I struggled to understand that my arms wouldn't respond but I could feel my arms slamming on something that felt like glass. "Confused?" That was my voice. I don't understand. "It's my turn." I looked around the room, not a single thing was out of place. H..she picked up the controller and clicked a couple buttons. She was the only thing that had color. Another thing that was odd was that a few feet from her everything sort of faded. At the edge it became a neverending darkness, an abyss. She turned towards me and smiled. "Oh don't tell me you didnt see this coming. We've been linked for so long. It is just my turn in the drivers seat girl." She turned back to the TV and didn't make eye contact with me again. In fact it was years. She knew how everything worked and I knew nothing. So I just stood there. Void of feeling and of stimulus, aside from the woman in color.