Behind You

Paranoia

I used to enjoy life. Outside has so many wonders to see. The world is much larger than most people give it credit for. Sure, the Internet has drastically made things smaller by connecting people around the globe. The Earth itself, however, is astronomical in size. Anyways, exploring outside is something all of us do as a kid. I know I did. Not so much now. My mom and dad wouldn't let me go too far. They always said the streets were dangerous. I didn't understand why. It looked like a pretty safe neighbourhood from what I saw inside of my home. Perhaps I wasn't visible from the window, being a small child, peeking out into the dangers.

Now, I understand why my mom would get mad at me if I stared outside for too long. Or if I wandered too far away from them without supervision. Mom said there were ugly people in the world. She said there were horrors out there. I believe her now. There's a certain level of bliss that you have when being a kid. The innocence of a child overlooks all of the terrible things that are in the shadows, in the cracks, or those that are peeking around the corner. What was that cliché again? Oh yes, the devil is in the details.

Over the years, mom and dad were growing tired. Maybe they let their guard down, or perhaps they decided that there is no point in fighting the inevitable. The impending doom. They are always watching. You might not know exactly where 'they' are, but I guarantee they aren't far behind. You know that feeling of someone watching you? It's them. Whether you're home alone, or on the sidewalk, or the grocery store, it doesn't matter – they are there. They always are. It's the reason for that tingling feeling on the back. Your hearing amplifies. It picks up the most subtle of details. Then, when you turn to look, you see nothing. I've dubbed them the Lightless Ones. We'll get to that definition.

Most of us just write these experiences off as if there is nothing there. Easy to do. Just say it's just our own paranoid delusions that are confusing us. We're all a little crazy, some more than others. I sometimes wonder if I am the craziest of them all. The Lightless Ones started watching me from a young age. I know that much. I don't exactly know what they want, even to this day, after a couple decades on. I'm not the only one aware of them. Conspiracy theorists, crack monkeys, delusional fools, pick your title, they know about the Lightless Ones. They all are willing to admit there is something more to that feeling. The sensation of something being near. The Lightless Ones are behind you. I know it. You know it now.