Shadow man

When I realised it had grown dark, it was already too late for me to leave office for home. It was already 11:51 pm, and I had been very busy even to call home that I would be sleeping at the office that night.
Well, it wasn’t too late to call. At least to let my husband know I was safe and I wouldn’t be coming home that night because of the dangers of rapists and robbers.

Finally, I picked up my cell-phone and punched in my husband’s phone digit.

“grr grr”, the phone rang, but he wasn’t picking up. He must’ve been fast asleep, I thought.
“grr, grr”, I rang again, still no one picked up.
I decided to call the land-line. Perhaps, someone apart from him might pick it, I thought.
I went through my phone-book, and after sweeping through the entire names, I found what I was looking for.
Quickly, I dialled the number. It rang. I waited patiently for someone to accept the call at the other end. It had barely rang the second time when a strong wind blew my office window open.
“Woah,It might soon rain”, I thought. Then I stood up and went to shut my window. Outside, the wind was swaying the trees, strewn leaves flew everywhere, and the moon was already seeking a place to hide in the dark clouds.
Suddenly the light in my office blinked. Thinking it was a call, I quickly rushed over to pick it, but to my surprise, it was just the way I had left it — home mode.

As a last resolution, I decided to switch off the light and sleep on the sofa which served as the visitors’ seat during working hours. There was no use trying to call home anymore. Though it was my home, and no one would be upset even if I rang the phone a million times, still there was the need for people to sleep, and I may be seen as impolite disturbing their sleep.

Having taken that decision, I proceeded to bolt the windows and switch off the flourescent light which was shining lazily on the ceiling. As my hand touched the switch, I felt fear. For some reasons, I thought I saw a dark figure floating behind the window. Then the lights which I had switched off came on. At first, I thought it was my brain misinforming my eyes. Yes, it could be since I had been working all day, but what happened next convinced me otherwise….I heard a gruff voice behind me. I turned around sharply to see who it was, and there staring at me were the pale-white face of a man with dark eyes, reaching out his hand to grab me.

“yeeeeeeaaaahhhhh,”I shouted and without instinct dashed for the door and ran out like an antelope chased by wolves.
“My car keys!” I shreiked. I had left them on my desk and going back to pick them with that shadow-man(that was what I called him since I didn’t know his name. Besides that was what he looked like) inside. Hell no! I won’t risk it! After all, what were my legs made for? I was the fastest sprinter in college, and I don’t think that gift(If I would call it that) had left me even after 3 kids.

As I ran, I could sense the shadow man inching closer, there was this stench when I first felt his presence in my office, and that smell was beginning to ooze out from ‘God knows where’ again.
My stilletos weren’t helping matters. They made me trip too often, and it would be unwise to take them off. I hadn’t such time. I wished help would come from nowhere.
“Pls God help me,” I cried.
Help did come because when I glanced back, the shadow man was nowhere to be seen.
Quickly, I took off my shoes and tore off in lightning speed towards home.

When I got to street was when it began to rain. As I got closer to my house, I began to think: “who would open the gate for me? If I called, who would hear me?” The raging storm pattering on roof created a sound of its own. It was a noise. One which drowned all possible sounds.
Without thinking, I reached into my hand-bag for my phone. Not that I was hoping that someone would hear the phone this time. I was merely wishing someone would.
“grr, grr,” it rang.

“hello,” someone spoke at the other end.
“Holy Christ!!!” I exclaimed. This was too good to be true. God really had a hand in this, I thought.
“Hello,” I spoke frantically into the mouthpiece. Already the rain had drenched me making me shiver slightly. Thunder rumbled, Lightning flashed, but I tried to make my voice as dinstintive as possible.
“Honey, pls I’m outside at the gate. Come and open the gate, pls”
“Are you okay?” the voice at the other end which I sensed to be my husband asked.
“This is no time for questions, honey. Just come and open the gate”
“Okay, okay, I’m coming,” he said and the line went dead.

As I waited outside for my husband to come and open the gate, I prayed earnestly,”God pls don’t let that shadow man come back”

Then I saw the beam of a torch approaching the gate. “yes! That was my husband!” I screamed in delight.
“Quick! Quick!” I urged.
Then I heard the slight thud of the lock unbolt and the gate open slowly. Without thinking, I rushed in and quickly bolted the gate and even put a lock on it.
Suddenly, I heard a spontaneous laughter. I turned around sharply to see who was laughing and to my surprise, who did I see standing before me with blood streaming down from it souless eyes? — shadow man!