A long time has passed since then but I still remember that night…
At that time I lived in a fairly large neighborhood on the outskirts of the city. It was Autumn, the rainy season and I was invited to a party with some friends on the other side of the neighborhood. It got dark and cold quickly so, in addition to dampness after the rain, I was one of the only people walking that night.
I’ve been to my friend’s house many times so I knew the road well, but this time something felt off. Maybe it was the depressing weather or the effect of autumn, but I felt more sluggish than ever. Despite that, I contained on my way.
After crossing from streets I entered a long stretch of a straight road. At a distance, I spotted a figure, when I got closer I saw him. It was a man dressed in a white coat, white shoes, and white pants. I couldn’t see his face because his hood was tightly covering his head. We walked passed each other without much thought, when I passed him I felt weird shivers go down my spine. At that time a thought nothing of it, maybe just some colder wind had blown at that moment.
Thinking back it was very weird. When I walked past that man the air felt really cold, really really cold, like when you open up a freezer in the middle of summer. It was as if that man was emanating that cold air…
After the encounter, I got even more sluggish and started walking forward without paying much attention to what was in front of me. I got entranced by the sound of my footsteps until I heard another pair. I looked up just a bit and saw… another man dressed in white. He looked eerily similar to the first man. I thought ‘it must be a coincidence there is no way it’s the same person ‘. Without overthinking but with a bit of suspicion I just walked past him again. And once more a felt cold wind and shivers.
I kept walking until I spotted another figure, or rather until another figure appeared in front of me. I believe a was just dazed because I was getting sick from the weather, but now I know that for sure that person just appeared out of thin air. I simply glanced at the person, and to my surprise, it was another man in white. I started to get angry, ‘ Somebody must be playing pranks on me’ I thought. But the moment I wanted to call out to that person, I froze in place. I got a closer look, it was the same person I already saw twice. I got cold sweats as that man walked past me, and once again I felt a shiver from the cold wind.
When I regained my composure back I started thinking that there must be a logical explanation. I knew there were some old dirt side roads between houses so I believed that was why I saw that man many times. However, I didn’t bother with an explanation of why he was doing that.
After I got off from the main road in a series of crossing roads, I started to feel heavy. The night was cold and quiet, much colder and quieter than any other night. The only sound that night other than my footsteps was the sound of that man walking. I came across him a few more times. Every time I told myself that he just had a run around houses to the same place. I never thought why he would do that. Each time I passed him, my heart was beating faster, my breathing got heavier, and my muscles tensed up and were freezing as if large blocks of ice were forming on my back.
Then I got a while to breathe, everything seemed to get warmer. I didn’t see him for a while. I felt free until he came across me again. This time surprisingly he walked across from me, diagonally not as he used to horizontally. I saw him walk off into the distance to make sure I will not get caught off guard. I turned and my heart sunk.
He was there, yet again across from me, as he walked past me. This time I was terrified. This time I could not explain his appearance there. The road I just saw him walk in was a muddy dirt road with no connection to the opposite side of the neighborhood. He had no logical way of getting from where I saw him last to where I saw him now. But even ignoring that the scariest thing, was that his whole body was clean. That dirt road was very muddy from constant rains, so it was impossible to go through it without getting dirty. I was looking at his impossibly white shoes and pants without any trace of mud. For a moment there I couldn’t even breathe.
He walked past me again with that cold wind. After a moment I finally caught my breath and at a very quick pace continued on my way. I was only broth out of my focus when some of my other friends called out to me. I don’t remember what they said, it’s all foggy…
I stood there seeing them happily walk up to me but then that man walked for the first time from behind me. I felt my soul leave my body as I knew something bad would happen. My friends didn’t seem to care much about that man until they bumped into him. At that moment my legs gave up on me, I fell to the ground, and upon hearing that echoy, ear-deafening screech, I cover my face with my arms and waited. All of a sudden I hear horrid screams of my friends in agony. I didn’t dare to look. After what felt like an eternity, as I could feel the darkness enveloping me, the screams subsided. But He was still there, now in front of me. I could feel his cold freezing breath on my hands as if they were to freeze completely and shatter. I was so scared, too scared to look, but my morbid curiosity made me peak. I will not forget that side for the rest of my life. It was his face, his pale white face. Pale ness, unlike any other paleness. His shiny white teeth, and pure white eyes with no sign of life in them. In the end, he just giggled and wiped within the echo of wind ‘so… so cold’.
Then… he just disappeared. When I stood up and opened my eyes, everything seemed normal, but I was so exhausted. I didn’t even notice that my friends disappeared without a trace. The rest of my walk was peaceful until I arrived at my friend’s house. They saw my rugged state and start to worry. I assured them I was just tired. Before we entered the house I spotted a tree on the far side of the road. A lone tree with what thought was that man underneath it, by I was too tired to care
The party went smoothly until we got a call from, the rest of our friends, the same friends I saw bump into the man. They sounded disheveled and weak, and it seems like they were going to a hospital. But all I could hear was them whispering ‘I’m so cold’.
After the party ended I walked out into the cold night once again. I walked toward the tree, I was drawn to it. When I got close I saw the tree in all its glory. Pure white bark, snow-white leafs. I touched it and once again I heard that screech. Afterward, I just run home, empty inside.
It’s been some time since that night. I moved to a different place to escape the trauma. Days are now longer and nights are warmer. And me, besides writing this warning, I aimlessly wander the city at night…
Always dressed in my white coat and white shoes…
I know it’s warm, but why am I so… so damn cold
I’m so cold…