10 years ago, tonight I first saw him. The day of my 13th birthday I was awoken at 3.33am by my dog growling at my bedroom window. I got out of bed and looked out and there he was. The man on the lawn.
Stood in a pair of white briefs, his throat cut, face ghastly white, starting intently at me from the garden below. At first, I rubbed my eyes sleepily, I moved my head to the side, as did the man, copying my movement. His bright blue eyes gleamed in the nightlight. Panic set in I screamed and ran to my parents’ room. “Mum!!!” “Dad!!!” I shouted. “There’s a man outside!!!”
My father jumped out of bed bat in hand and ran to my window. “Where?” he asked. I told him what I saw, and I saw his face look confused. He went down to check. He came back and said there was nobody there.
The gate was locked and the fence far to high for him to have scaled it so quickly.
“You were just dreaming,” said my mother. Too much “cake and ice cream,” laughed my Dad.
Go back to sleep. I got back into bed and stayed awake for the rest of the night. At 5.30am I got up and snuck a peak outside. There was nobody there. Perhaps I really had been dreaming.
Over the next few months, I learned to believe what I had seen was in fact just a dream, a bit of teasing from my parents but life stayed the same until it was time for my 14th birthday.
3.33am I awoke with a start, my dog clearly agitated and staring at my bedroom window. I had forgotten all about the man, but as I pulled back the curtains. There he was. Even paler than before, his stare fixated on me, he looked the exact same only now wearing suit pants. I looked at his neck, blood gushed from the hole, and he seemed to have moved 5 yards closer than the previous year. Blood fell to the perfect lawn and splattered. I watched shaking from head to toe. He copied my exact movements then pointed a long finger at me.
“MUUUUUMMMM”!! “DAAAAADDDD!!” I screamed with tears in my eyes. They burst in and I turned away from him. “HE’S BACK!!!” “THERE!” “LOOK!”
I turned back to face the window and he’d gone. “But but but he was there! I saw the blood gush onto the grass” “Wait there,” said my father. I watched him check the garden and stand where he stood.
“No blood here babe, nice joke, one year on you got us with the same joke, ha ha very funny” said Dad sarcastically.
A year later I turned 15. I set my alarm for 3.30am. I was determined to get to see where he came from if he did show up. My heart thumped out of my chest. I waited and waited and waited. 3 minutes seemed like hours, I watched as a murmuration of birds took off and my gaze left the garden for a second to admire their beauty. I looked back and there he was. 10 yards further forward wearing a new item of clothing, this time black socks and blood-stained shoes. Once again I screamed to my parents. They came running and my father got cross with me.
“Look babe, this is getting ridiculous now.” A joke is a joke but this has gone to far he scolded me.
This would happen again on my 16th birthday 3.33am. A new item of clothing, this time a crisp white shirt. Blood all over the shirt. Moved further forward to the patio
When I turned 18. At 3.33am I pulled back the curtains and he wasn’t there. I let out a sigh of relief and went back to bed. Maybe I had imagined it after all these years. As I got back into bed I heard a creak on the stairs. I made my way out of the room and peered down the stairs.
There he was. I screamed. He was fully dressed covered in blood pointing his finger at me, my screams woke my parents and I turned to see my Dad running from his room. I looked back at the man on the lawn and he’d gone.
I sobbed uncontrollably as my Dad berated me for making things up and watching to much T.V
That fall I started collage and the following spring I met my future husband. He was so handsome, he was an investment banker, an intern at the time, with dark blue eyes, and he dressed to impress. As my birthday approached I stayed in his home. I didn’t tell him about the man but at 3.33am I woke and turned all the lights on. My boyfriend didn’t wake. He stayed fast asleep. I checked the garden from his window above and checked the stairs. Nothing. He hadn’t come. I felt so much relief. It was finally over.
I write this now happy and content with my life. My husband and I married two years ago and I’ve not seen the man on the lawn since my 18th birthday. We live in a beautiful home, my husband’s suit is ready for the morning pressed and smart, his shoes are buffed and they’re like mirrors.
Excuse me for a moment, that was odd, my husband’s phone just rang three times. It’s his secretary. Strange she’d be calling so late. It’s 3.33am. No worries. I’ll ask him about it in the morning