I’ve recently discovered a world that most don’t know exists. It all started a few years ago. I work in the 9:00-5:00 world in Boston, MA in a stressful sales role. Needless to say, that can lead to insomnia from frantic work thoughts constantly floating around your head. I remember once hearing about someone who went on walks at night to calm themselves and it helped them get to sleep and that stuck with me. That first night I tossed and turned. I couldn’t get to sleep and the blue light from late night reruns on my TV flashed on the walls of my apartment. After giving up on falling asleep, I decided to give the night walk a try.
I took my first walk in late April 2021. It was a nice spring night, but the chill from winter was still crisp in the air. I lived in an apartment located in an affluent section of the city. My place was right off a main road, up a side street where brownstone apartment building gradually transformed into towering McMansions lining each side.
I began walking, with no real destination in place. As I made my way up the winding hills the homes got progressively larger and started to block out the overhanging trees. The streetlights became less frequent until a lonely few cast the shadows of large trees hanging over the street. As a slight sweat began to build up from the uphill walk mixed with the chilly breeze, I felt a sense of peace come over me after realizing there was no one else around. I had the streets to myself and felt free.
As I approached the top of the hill, the road split. In one direction it went into a more wooded side road, and the other looped back down towards Beacon Street. I looked down towards the right and could see the distant glow of streetlights and a couple people in scrubs walking quickly down the street, most likely running late to their shift at the local medical center nearby. An area I have seen many times, maybe I should try something new.
I stood at the top of the hill contemplating which direction to take. As someone who grew up in rural New Hampshire, the trees and seclusion of the winding street to the left made me feel at home. As I began to cross the street and continue my walk, I heard a deep voice exclaim, “You sure that is the right choice?” I jumped upon hearing the voice and began scanning the tree line. In a past life, I was in Special Operations of the Air Force and done multiple tours to Iraq. Though this situation would startle anyone, I believe I was more confident in defending myself than most would be. Going back to my service, I wouldn’t have gone on a walk without a flashlight. Always be prepared, right?
I took out my flashlight and scanned the tree line. I heard the man laugh to himself as I slowly panned left to right with the flashlight. He spoke again, “I’m up here”, and I spun around to see him sitting on an elevated rock wall behind me. He wore dirty brown pants, with a stained white button up. His shoes were sharp toed boots that have obviously seen some milage. His hair was straggly donning a Huckleberry Finn like hat that sat crookedly perched on his head. The brim of the hat created a shadow from the streetlight that covered his face. I asked, “who are you?” He smiled and said “that doesn’t matter. Why did you choose to go left?” I thought for a second and realized there’s no reason to talk to this man. I shook my head and brushed him off, continuing towards the street to the left.
As I walked down the street, still a little rattled from the encounter, I let the breeze hit my face and closed my eyes as I walked down the middle of the secluded street.
It was then I heard the bell of a bicycle. Bicyclists were very common in this area, so didn’t think much of it. Then I heard the cackling of an old woman. There was a gritty sound to the laugh, like someone who has smoked for their whole life. I glanced behind me to see an older woman, hair everywhere, maniacal smile on her face flying right at me. I dove out of the way and hit the sidewalk hard, as pain rushed through the right side of my body. She flew by, still cackling, and disappeared around the corner into the dark of the Spring night.
At this point, I had enough and decided to walk home. As I stood up, dusting myself off, I felt the feeling of being watched. This triggered a reaction in me, and I started looking around everywhere. As I glanced quickly to the right, I saw a woman standing in a second-floor window of a large home. She had a black dress, draped with a pearl necklace and earrings, obviously coming from wealth. She had a tight bun and the rigid sharp features of a mean Catholic school teacher that would hit your knuckles with a ruler.
At this point I was getting pretty sick of this walk and just wanted to be in my bed (maybe this is why walks work) and jogged back to my place.
As I approached my walkway, I picked up the pace. I ran inside, sprinted down the hall and slammed my door shut.
I tossed off my clothes and faceplanted into my bed. As I started to drift off, I heard a knock on the window in my kitchen. A girl’s voice said, “Hey, come back outside. I want to show you something.”
And this is where it all started. The night I met Sutton, the night I realized my life was never going to be the same, the night I realized there really are things that go bump in the night, and the night I realized that one night walk can change your whole life…The next couple years of my life were filled with adventures and fear that I never thought existed. They were also filled with temptation and excitement I never knew I needed. There was a community that existed out my door, outside all of our doors, that isn’t seen unless you venture out into the night. There are sinister members of this community, and fascinating beautiful characters. The community of night walkers.
I laid in my bed eyes open, trembling in fear for about 2 of the longest minutes of my life. Finally, I stood up got dressed and left my apartment. I took a left slowly walked down the stairs towards the laundry room. The walls were painted with the flickering light from a swinging lightbulb, and I quickly scuffled through and out the backdoor that exited to the garden area behind my building.
I slowly opened the door and saw a beautiful, blond girl sitting on the bench in the garden.
“Hi Zack. I’m Sutton”
Let me know if you want to hear more…