As I pass out of that old trailer I see the sun stained sky, orange and red, with night fast approaching. Passing the few potted plants, faces drooping towards their homes, lawn ornaments greet me with that same plastic smile. I walk onto the white, chalky sidewalk and, like a child, begin to twirl my arms. Around and around I turn, until a loss of balance overcomes me and I fall to the ground with infantine giggles.
My eye is caught by a looming shadow, a strange man, hidden down the road. Walking, endlessly walking, his face masked by a massive paper bag held in his burly hands.
The idea that someone I didn’t know was a stranger, and strangers are to be feared, was the mantra of every child’s upbringing. So I pick myself up off of that bright dusty sidewalk and begin to skip back into the trailer. Somehow, as I foolishly prance towards home, a feeling of limitation overshadows my gaiety. I am completely unable to move forwards! I command my legs to move me towards the safety of that building, but they rebel. They send me backwards, gradually walking, unable to stop or change direction.
The man gets closer, and I can’t see his face, but his hair is visible: short, dark, slightly wiry, and very unkempt. Then the bag lowers, and I see his eyes. Red and fiery, there is madness lying within them.
My heart begins to race as I realize he is speeding up. I am powerless over my direction, but I still control my speed. I begin to jog backwards, on the grey sidewalk, praying the man will turn a corner. The cloud of dust kicked up by my scuffling feet make my eyes tear.
Truly frightened, I begin to sprint faster and nearly trip on one of the many cracks the charcoal sidewalk. I do everything in my power to put some distance between the two of us, but to no avail. Suddenly, my body freezes. I feel my muscles tighten as I crumbled to the ground, my knee falls into a large pothole in the sidewalk. I am paralyzed.
The man draws closer and all space between us instantly evaporates. He drops the package and its contents scatter onto the sidewalk, kicking up dust, leaves, and debris. It lies there, on that black pathway… That blacker than black pathway. The man grabs my arm. I feel nothing. I can not move away from him. Motionless, staring at that infernal sidewalk, as a sheep does before it is slaughtered, I glance up. Even though the man’s face is inches from my own, I still cannot make out his features. Except, those eyes… Those insanely evil eyes… They peer into my soul, and instantly I grow numb. Everything on my body goes limp; I have absolutely no control over myself.
A knife appears from his back power. A flash of light, reflected from the plunging knife, follows as his hand goes to the exposed flesh on my neck. I flinch.
My eyes shoot open as I sit up panting. Trying to catch my breath I look around. I am back in the safety of my room. “Only a dream,” I tell myself, “It was only a dream.” My hand instinctively shoots to my neck, and I remember. Those eyes… Those hideously evil eyes…For years they have haunted me. I fear they will never truly vanish.
