I am a night owl through and through, never caused too many problems except in my childhood and teenage years, parents not wanting me to stay up all night and such. But, now I am adult working graveyards at a convenience store just down the road from my apartment, it’s an easy job if not a bit tedious.
Usually I breeze through the night with no problems, but this all started about two weeks ago. An older man in the store, skin a bit pale, limbs a bit long, he was wearing a tan trench coat, like a real life old detective show style trench coat with the shoes, pants and hat to match. He didn’t cause any trouble though, went through the pleasantries as he was buying a magazine and a cup of coffee.
The thing is, as he was leaving his body already halfway out the door he turns to me, this mile-long stare in his eyes, I realized how tired he looked. “You’re a nice girl, a good kid even…So I am sorry about what’s coming” he promptly exited while sipping his coffee The rest of the night went fine, but I had this feeling of dread, customers have stolen and shouted, even went through a robbery once. But nothing and I mean nothing has given me a chill quite like this. I kept trying to shake it off, it was just some weird guy. Hell it was 3am
I was wrong though. I think he was something more, a demon? A person who found a way to give these things to me? Just…anything but normal. I don’t know and frankly I don’t know if I even want to know. I just…keep seeing things.
It started small, shadows in the corner of my eyes, thinking my cat ran by me when she hadn’t. What really made me realize was the face..This face was, haunting. I was finishing up brushing my teeth, leaning down to spit expecting to see my reflection back at me. But what I saw was this grey sickly looking skin, two holes where the nose should be, pure and alarmingly white eyes looking almost strained they were so wide, and a large large smile full of too many teeth and thin lips as if the teeth were tearing them apart. It was only for a split second, but I saw it.
My shift was difficult with me being on edge, jumping at every bump and getting goosebumps at every noise. Finally as the sun started to rise and I got off and made it home. I was almost scared to go inside, the hairs rising on my body. The shadows dancing in the corner of my eyes as I unlock my door, there it was again the face, the grey face of my sanity.
It’s been days now, I see the grey face almost everywhere, always coming and going. Occasionally its all too long arm will pop out, place it’s all too long fingers to it’s lips almost like it’s shushing me If I gasp or make noise. The shadows still dance in my eyes often, the should be cat comes and goes. They follow me now, they all do. The slight reflection in anything, the dark corners of anywhere. I’ve begun to hear breathing too, just a slight gasping sound from above me, I haven’t looked up. I won’t look up. I will avoid another horror for my eyes too see, I’ll place the burden on my ears for as long as I can. Hearing that gasping, seeing these creatures. It makes me wonder when it will become too much.
It’s been so long since I’ve felt peace.
I’ve called out of work for the last six nights now, I think they might fire me. I haven’t answered any calls or texts from my friends and family either, I think they are getting worried.
It’s too much, the gasping is getting louder. The grey face comes more and more often. I stay curled up in the far corner of my bed and it just stays at the bottom of my bed frame…just staring. It isn’t always there, the gasping is though. I haven’t slept well. I think it’s waiting, I don’t think it will leave me alone for those brief moments the others do till I look up. I almost did. I only saw a tan color, almost like fabric before I ripped my eyes away.
I need to shower, I need to eat, and pee, I am too scared to move. This darkness I feel…It’s beginning to take a physical toll on me. It’s strange considering that I was normal not too long ago. But that man. That godforsaken man, I didn’t get his name since there was no need to at that time. I wish I did. I wish that maybe somehow there was a way to talk to him? Whenever I think of him my thoughts get fuzzy, I can’t remember what he looked like. What he was wearing, anything at all. All I know is he was the man with the mile-long stare and words coated in ice that I won’t ever be able to forget “It’s your turn” he said all those days ago. Was it? I can’t think with the gasping, with these black shadows dancing. The should be cat thumping and thumping away underneath the bed. The grey face shushing me even though I haven’t made a sound in ages. Something isn’t right, maybe it’s time to look up.