Nightmare in Reality
Demons are among us.
I know this. I've seen one. Perhaps no one will believe me, but the supernatural has stared me in the eyes and terrified me.
It happened when I was just a kid. I was in my living room, chin on the couch, staring out into the street to people-watch. I lifted my head suddenly, squinting to get a closer look at a man who looked to be about in his twenties -- a good-looking, charming man, tipping his hat to everyone he passed. I thought perhaps his eyes looked up at my window, but I couldn't be sure, and he walked past.
The next day, I was even more eager to do my people-watching. My shoulders had just slumped in disappointment at the idea that the man wasn't coming when his face appeared at the sidewalk in front of my house. Then I saw the girl with him, and sighed a little. Still, though, he was very handsome, and pleasant to look at.
Suddenly, he turned his head and gazed right at me, smiling that charming smile. I shyly smiled back -- and then screamed. The man's face had changed: it was ghoulish, ugly, twisted and even scarred, with bloodshot eyes and wrinkles pockmarking his face. He put a finger to his lips, then pulled the girl to him.
When he pulled away, blood dripped from two punctures in her neck. Grinning at me with bloodstained teeth, he hefted the body over his shoulder and fled at an unnatural speed.
I sank back into the couch, shaking. It took me a few hours to even stir, and when I did, it was to stare in shock at the TV. The news was on, and a worried-looking anchorman was explaining that a girl was missing from the neighborhood. They flashed a picture; it was the girl the man had bitten.
I felt a presence behind me and turned around. It was the man again, looking normal except for the blood in the corners of his mouth. He drew his finger slowly across his neck, grinning.
I do wish it was just a dream, and though I have never seen the man again, the blood drips on the sidewalk tell me it was real.
