“The Man”

Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!

Prompt: “You have permission to scream.”

I look over my shoulder to see the man standing there. The same man as before. Tall, dark. Exceedingly creepy. I don’t like it. I can feel his gaze following me, tracking my every move.

It’s been a few hours now since he’s started following me. Honestly, I guess I should have said something to someone. The thought just never really crossed my mind, because I’m just so entirely freaked out.

I mean, it’s not like I’m alone here. I’m with Taylor and Jordan. If the man was going to do anything, he would’ve done it already, right? He wouldn’t have followed a bunch of teenagers around for hours without a reason.

Right?

“Maybe we should go home,” Jordan suggests.

I shake my head. I’d rather not lead this man back to my house.

Taylor groans, “We’ve been here for hours though! Aren’t you bored yet?”

Again, I shake my head. They wouldn’t understand.

“We should wait until it’s dark,” I say. “Then, we can go.”

Okay, so maybe waiting until it’s dark isn’t exactly the best thing to do. There’s a greater chance of getting abducted and stuff then, isn’t there? Oh well, I’ve made up my mind already. The last bus for the next three hours just left, so now we’re stuck here until the next one comes.

“What should we do next, then?” Jordan asks, bouncing up and down on his heels.

I shrug, looking around at our options. A haunted house. A popcorn stand. A rickety roller coaster. Not much choice.

“What about that?” Taylor asks, pointing at the big tent.

I shrug. “I guess.”

We walk through the tall, dark grass until we reach the tent. I pull open the flap cautiously, almost expecting something to jump out at me.

Nothing does.

I breathe a sigh of relief. “Yeah, let’s go,” I tell my friends, motioning for them to head inside.

We walk in together and head towards the nearest stand. A show just started. A man is in the middle of the ring, displaying a man who’s pulling in horses on either side of him.

“That’s pretty cool,” Taylor whispers to me as we take our seats.

I nod, my heart pounding for some unknown reason. I feel like someone’s watching us.

The ringmaster performs a flourish and the horses stop. The man in the middle releases the animals and takes a bow. The audience erupts in applause, giving the act a standing ovation. Taylor, Jordan, and I join in. I guess it was a short show?

The applause dies down. But it’s not only the applause that disappears. One by one, the people in the crowd seem to evaporate into thin air, leaving only wisps of mist behind them.

“What’s going on?” I whisper, my voice shaking.

I turn to look around me. Taylor and Jordan are gone.

I hear a rustle from behind me. I spin around to see the tall man standing there, blocking the entrance.

He grins at me and takes a step closer.

“You have permission to scream,” he growls.

I do.

Final Comments: When I started writing this one, I had an idea of how I wanted it to end. But when I actually got around to writing it, it completely went off track and I ended up writing something totally different. Nonetheless, I’m not mad about how it turned out and I’m pretty excited that it was completely different than how I normally write!

Overall Rating: 😈