The sun was shining throughout the town. I was sitting on a bench near some shops. On the opposite side of me over the road was another set of benches. There was a woman talking loudly on the phone while holding her baby stroller with one foot. I felt scared for her kid because god forbid the stroller went into the road and got hit by a car.
I continued caring for my own baby girl in my arms. She was wrapped up in a pink cloth as she slept. I was concerned when I heard screams and people running. Men and women held their children close and ran. Women who had babies shielded them, and pregnant women were hiding as well.
He was back. This man was an urban legend in our town. He was walking right towards me. I didn’t take any chances and I placed my baby between my back and the bench carefully. I put my right leg on my left and outstretched my arms along the bench.
I stared at him as he also stared at me in return. He shuffled and limped horrifyingly. He extended one point of his shoulder out as he walked. His fists clenching and unclenching over and over as she scans the area. He was slightly bigger than the average adult male. He had red cloves with a fancy suit on. He wore a black cape that had a triangular cut at the bottom. His mask was white with spikes and four eye holes.
He wore dress shoes and had chains draping down his waist. His hair was blond and went past his shoulders. He stopped when he finally got up to me. He looked down at me quietly. He then leaned to the right and saw that I was attempting to hide my baby. He simply nodded with a slight bow and kept walking.
He heard the obnoxious woman and quickly turned his head to the left. He started to walk slowly across the street’s crosswalk. I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted to get her attention.
“Hey! Hey! Your kid is in danger! Get away!”
But she didn’t listen to me. She stuck her hand up so as to not look at me. I looked at the man and he was nearly getting to her stroller. I put my baby on my lap and continued to wave and yell.
“Listen to me! Get off the phone and run now!”
The woman finally listened and put down her phone angrily shooting me a glare. She rolled her eyes and yelled.
“What do you want?! Can’t you see I’m on the phone?!”
I didn’t have time to explain as it was already too late. The man towered over the stroller and clenched his fists. He raised his right hand and punched down. The baby started crying which got the mothers attention. She screamed as the man repeatedly punched over and over with blood and viscera splattering all over himself.
It was only a few seconds and the baby wasn’t crying anymore. The woman couldn’t speak and tears streamed down her face. She tried to call 911 but the man quickly ran towards her punching her in the jaw. He grabbed her phone and smashed it on the ground before calmly brisk walking away.
She sat there crying until the police eventually arrived after being called previously by one of the bystanders. According to recent sightings it isn’t always this bad. Most theorize it’s based on the mothers neglect of their kid. But I’m not sure of it myself.
I get up off the bench with my baby in one hand and my bag in the other. I put my head down and walk away quickly as her screams and cries of agony are echoing from behind me. The memories still haunt me to this day.