The Figure.

It was past midnight when Carl left his girlfriend’s house. It was a warm fall night. He closed the front door tight to make sure it was locked and walked to his car. It was quiet, the only sounds was the echo of his boots as he walk down the brick walkway. He reached into his pocket to dig out his keys. The sensor light on the side of the house lit the driveway. Every other house on the block was dark. A slight breeze picked up and some leaves flew across the driveway. Carl heard some noise come from the backyard. Something was back there, walking across the leaves. He quickly opened his door and got in the car. As he started the car, his headlights turned on. He noticed something standing in the neighbor’s backyard. It was silhouetted against the white shed. Not enough light from his headlights reached that far. Carl squinted into the dark to try and see. It was a small thin figure only about 3 feet tall. It was slightly hunched over and it’s long thin arms almost rested on the ground. It stood on two legs that seemed to bend unnaturally at the knees. He could make out two glowing yellow orbs which seemed to be its eyes. It was staring right at him. Carl put his car in reverse and backed up a bit, to shed more light in the area. The light hit the shed but the figure was gone. Carl sighed and laughed to himself. He was just seeing things.



         On the way home, Carl stopped at a red light. There weren't many people on the road at this hour. A large truck came across the intersection. When it passed by Carl noticed something. Standing underneath the street light was the figure again. Some more light was on it this time and Carl could make out thin matted hair on top of its head. Its skin was a pale gray. It stood there just staring at him. Carl shook his head and rubbed his eyes. No way could this thing be following him. He was just tired and seeing things. When he looked up again, the figure had moved. It now stood in the middle of the street, still staring in his direction. It was hunched over low to the ground. Its long arms now rested on the concrete. It looked ready to pounce on his car. Carl looked up and saw the light had turned to green. He stepped on the gas and drove off, not looking back.



         A few minutes later he pulled into his driveway. He relaxed against his seat and let out a large breath. He laughed to himself. He got out of his car and started to walk up his driveway. A gust of wind cut across the yard, rustling the leaves in the front yard. Carl looked over the yard and could not believe what he was seeing. The thing was standing at the far end of his yard, still staring at him with the giant yellow eyes. Carl stood frozen where he stood, to scared to make any move. The thing hunched over some more, its eyes never leaving him. Carl took a few steps toward his front door. The thing mimicked him, taking the same amount of steps and stopping. Carl took a few more steps then broke into a run towards the front door. The thing hissed and bolted after him. Carl bounded up the 3 steps onto his front porch and hit the front door. It was locked. He could hear the thing running through the leaves in the front yard. It was close. He got the key into the door and it swung open. Carl ran in and turned to shut the door. The creature jumped from the bottom of the steps, reaching out at him with the long arms. He slammed the door and fell to the floor as it hit the outside. He could hear scratching and the thing hissing on the other side. After a second it was silent. Carl got up and ran into the living room to the giant bay window looking over the front yard. He could see nothing. He ran to the back of the house and turned on the spotlight that lit the backyard. There was nothing. Whatever it was, it was gone now. Carl went to the kitchen and slumped into a chair. A sudden creaking at the front door made him sit upright. He didn’t lock the front door when he ran in. He stood up and walked out of the kitchen. He walked to the front hall way. The front door was open a crack. There was no way that thing could have gotten inside the house. Could it?