The Mask Man In The Woods

4.

CHAPTER | FOUR

I felt the bed shift beside and I quickly wrapped my arm around Javon's torso. I snuggled closer until I was basically pressed against his warm back.

"Honey, I need to get up." Javon whispered sleepily.

"Can't you call in sick today? I want to have a Disney movie marathon with you. Like when we used to cut classes to sneak into the movies in high school."

Javon rubbed his eye and looked over his shoulder. "You know how the last couple of months of the year are always the busiest."

My hold tightened and I stepped out of my comfort zone. Drastic times call for drastic measures. "What if I promised you a lap dance?"

Javon shifted until he was facing me and he propped himself on his elbow. "What's going on with you? Since I came home yesterday, you've been acting weirder than usual."

Ignoring the last part, I averted my eyes and unintendedly rubbed my upper arms.

After Tristian dropped me by my house, I watched him disappear back into the woods, reminding once again that no one was there, and I almost ran after him. I didn't want to be alone. Never before had this happened to me. I knew my house wasn't haunted. I should know—I lived here throughout my childhood and so did my mama.

When she got drunk, she always told me stories that usually were connected to the house in some way and never mentioned seeing six foot man with unrealistic eyes and huge teeth. I clearly would had remembered that. My mama always told me everything when she was in her drunken state.

Everything.

I finally sighed and felt something weighing heavily down on my chest. I swallowed the lump hard. "I came home when Drakon was all set up in school." I said, pausing for a moment.

"Did someone say something to you?" Javon asked when I didn't continue.

I shook my head. "N-No. I went to buy some food and put everything away. I was tired and I wanted to watch TV in the living room, but there-there was this...man."

"A man? Why didn't you call me or-or said something when I came yesterday? Did he do something to hurt you?" He asked, wide-awake now as he sat up and pulled me up with him, his eyes rooming over me to check if I was alright.

"B-But he was like a shadow. Like, I couldn't see anything: his face, his clothes was all dark. I couldn't see anything and first I thought it was shadow, but he was breathing! He was moving and there wasn't wind or anything. I ran and he followed me—"

"Wait, hold on. You couldn't see anything?" Javon asked, confused.

"Nothing! It was like an outline of a man!"

"It must've been just your imagination, sweetie." Javon suggested, looking a bit relieved.

I shook my head rapidly, feeling tears sting at the back of my eyes. "No, look!" I rolled the sleeves up to my shoulders and held out my arms.

Javon's eyes widen and he gently grabbed my elbow, his fingers tracing the handprint on my right upper arm—the handprint where that shadow man grabbed me. What scared me more was at the fingertips; it was pointed sharp, not flat like how a normal handprint would be.

I didn't notice the shadow man's hold was hurting me. I was too focused on his eyes and teeth. I didn't notice the pain that followed when he suddenly disappeared. I was too focused on Tristian. I didn't notice the handprints until I got out of the shower. I was too focused on trying to convince myself that it was all in my head.