'Screech' I twisted around, panic clear on my face, only to not see a thing. I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face. I looked around confused because it was only one in the afternoon on a cloudless day. Everything was shrouded in pure black so thick I could almost reach out and pull it from the air it resided in. I turned, perfectly ready to leave as fast as I could, but the sharp crack of a stick came from behind me. I jerked around to the sound just barely catching sight of the shadow of an extremely tall humanoid figure. Eyes widened in fear, I turned the opposite way and took off in a frantic run. I jumped up over tree trunks seconds before tripping on them and ducked under branches without hitting them, adrenaline running through my veins and driving me forward. I finally got out of the trees but it was still pitch black. I turned to see if I could see the figure but didn't see a thing. I heard a slight shuffle from the left and turned towards it just in time to see a figure, much shorter than the other one but still taller than my five foot stature by at least six inches, charge at me and tackle me to the ground. I struggled but the figure was much stronger than me and I realized that it was a guy and freaked even more. I kicked his right leg and he jerked off with a hiss of pain. I took the chance and immediately took off in a run only to get tackled again and pinned on my stomach.

"Get off me!" I screamed as I tried to hit him but he had pinned my arms to the ground and his head was near mine as I could hear him breathing, his breath was ragged and deep. My face lit up and I struggled even more kicking and screaming. His grip loosened the tiniest bit and I immediately felt him fall off me in a spasm of pain. I panicked and tried to help but he was already up and gone. I made to stand up but was hit in the face with a wave of dizziness and toppled backwards, blacking out before I even hit the ground.

I groaned as I slowly woke up and tried to remember where I was. My head hurt and a coughing fit over took my tired body. My legs were sore from… something. I couldn't remember a single thing that happened earlier. I knew something did but it was just a fuzzy blur of fear and adrenaline. It was dark, about eleven if the position of the moon was anything to go by. It was freezing and I looked around to find I was in the deserted parking lot of my favorite of the city's parks. I pulled my tattered denim jacket closer to my body as I picked myself up of the rocky asphalt and dragged myself to my bike. I unlocked it, thanking whoever listened that my keys were still in my pocket, and started down the street to the building I called home. As I turned out of the parking lot I looked at the trees and I thought I saw a tall shadow blending in but I blinked and nothing was there. I calmed my raging nerves telling me to get away before something bad happened and continued slowly home. I parked my bike on the porch and headed into my apartment. My parents were already asleep so I was able to get to my room without the fear of being hounded on where I was this late at night. I pushed my door open and fell on my bed after kicking my shoes off and shutting my door again. Lying on my bed I realized I wasn't getting to sleep any time soon and submitted to another insomniac night of boredom. About four o' clock I was starting to drift off and I glanced out my window and looked at the little woods that lay beyond the fence of the complex. The shadow that's been following me for a month now was standing in the trees with its head turned slightly to the side. I felt a small pang of fear and anxiety as I drifted to sleep.

I jolted awake to the screeching of my obnoxious radio, piping out metal music like it was going out of style. I wiped my face off, feeling tears still rolling down from the nightmare of slinking shadows and deep breathing, and got up to get ready for school. I ate a quick breakfast before heading out the door and down to my friend's house to grab her and walk the rest of the way to the crowds of preps and jocks that swarm the school looking to socialize instead of learn. My friend was just locking her door when I got there and we headed up the street, though I was starting to get a little jumpy as we passed the park and I felt the familiar wrench of terror and the scratching of an oncoming coughing fit. I doubled over as it hit me and I managed to glance at the trees surrounding us. The shadow stood out yet again and, though I couldn't see its face, I knew it was mocking me. I glared at the thing and it disappeared once more. I knew it wasn't real and just my mind messing with me but that thing still annoyed me to no end. The coughing subsided and I stood up, brushing the dirt off my jeans. My friend started to ask how I was but I just brushed her off and continued walking, just barely ignoring the almost silent chuckle I heard in the back of my mind that I knew was from the thing. We had finally gotten to the school after another ten or so minutes of walking and headed for class. Nothing overly exiting happened and we headed back home. The thing didn't bother us as we past the park and I said bye to my friend as we past her house and she went in. I decided to go into the woods before going home and dropped my bag on the porch next to the door. I jumped over the fence and ran into the tree line, hoping to not see that thing right now. Just my luck I heard a snap behind me and turned, right into the pitch black nothing again. Fear grew as I rolled my eyes and the stunt though I was starting to freak out again. I turned trying to walk out of the trees but tripped on a root that was sticking out of the ground. I heard laughter from above me and felt something grab my neck, dragging me off the ground and high into the air. I cracked and started screaming my head off. A feeling in the back of my mind pushed back my screams and I felt a calmness spread through my body and I physically relaxed. I heard the laughter grow louder as I slowly blacked out.

I awoke to a shrieking as my alarm pulled me from my nightmare and into reality. I gasped for breath as tears rolled down my face and I thanked Jashin it was all just a dream and that thing wasn't real at all. I pulled myself out of bed and got dressed and grabbed breakfast. I ran out the door and grabbed my friend. We headed up the road to the school and passed the park, and I thought I heard a quiet laugh and thought I saw a tall dark humanoid shadow, but when I looked at the trees again I didn't see anything and all I heard was squawking birds and roaring cars. I turned my head back to the road in front of me and didn't give it another thought, completely missing the gigantic thin shadow staring at me with its shoulders shaking from laughter and its head leaning to the side menacingly.