Creepypastas

The Masked Man

The cat approached a fence on the left side of the street. It leapt towards a delusion of safety. The beast proceeded to effortlessly jump from the sidewalk, over the lawn, and snatch the animal from the top of the fence with its talon-like claws, as a falcon might. The cat didn't stand a chance, nor did it even manage to voice a squeal. The thing disappeared into the shadows with its, erm, meal. An unforgettable two-and-a-half seconds.

Then I thought of my son. He could have very well been in the place of that plaintive animal. No, I should never say such things. Regardless, what am I to do? Forgo what little time I have throughout the year with my boy because a scary monster is on the loose? Tell my ex-wife that my neighborhood in the middle of nowhere has become too dangerous for our son to stay with me? Buy a rifle and hunt the thing myself? No matter. With only two days until Halloween I doubt there will be any more trouble.

 Saturday, October 29

I've thought about calling the police, but for what, exactly? I definitely couldn't call in and report a burglar- or even anything human for that matter, because they wouldn't be looking for what needed to be caught. No one can know.

Earlier tonight, my neighbors threw a street-wide costume party at their place down at the entrance of the street. I didn't go because I had to work late, and after I picked up James from his friend's house, we anticipated having a game night with just the two of us.

Sometime during the night, James took a bathroom break. He was gone for over fifteen minutes. When he returned, he seemed excited to inform me that he looked out the living room window, in between the blinds, and saw what he described as a "Really tall weird-looking person with a bag" running patiently to the house where the party was being held, empty bag in hand. According to James, it would disappear into the back yard of the house, and seconds later, bolt out of the yard with a full bag and tear off towards my neighbor's house, wearing a costume. It repeated this process several times, each time, wearing a different costume than before.

He said that on its last round, it stopped in the middle of the street, cocked its head to the right slightly, and its right eye slid to the side of its head and stared right at him as if there weren't blinds between them. He said that it then turned its head 180 degrees and locked eye contact with him, and then its colossal mouth sluggishly transformed from a probing expression to the widest smile he thought he'd ever seen. "Millions of teeth" were his exact words.

He said that its smile had then hastily collapsed, dropping the chin into a visible freefall which ended with a swinging slap on its chest. It then darted off into my reclusive neighbor's yard and that was when James decided to come alert me of his findings.

I thought of that horrid monster smiling at my beautiful boy. I despised the idea. I tried to envision what that particular smile might look like, though I really couldn't. I didn't think a flapping maw that gargantuan had the muscle to maneuver that flailing chin in the first place. Then again, it has to eat sometime.

Sunday, October 30

More decorations were, stealthfully as always, erected by my mysterious neighbor. A couple-dozen or so skeletons, all different sizes, all dressed in cliché Halloween attire. There was a Marilyn Monroe skeleton, a Darth Vader skeleton, an Abraham Lincoln skeleton, so-on; so-forth. Every one of them was strung up by the back of its neck, feet swinging, head looking down. I really wanted to ask this guy how he comes up with all this. Where he gets it all. Perhaps if he knows that last night's rain washed the color off of most of his little knick-knacks. Gotta hand it to 'im, though. That slew of morbid décor in combination with his filthy, run-down, cobweb covered home emits a true horror movie feel.

Late that night I had nearly fallen asleep while finishing up some of my work when my doorbell rang. Again .And again. And again. I reluctantly rose up walked toward my front door. It was past midnight.

I opened the door. It was my neighbor. No, not whatever lived next door, but the fellow who lived behind me- on the other side of the canal. He was disgruntled. He was out of breath and threatening me about something but none of it sank in because one of the skeletons hanging from my neighbor's tree- a newcomer- was staring right at me. Its jaw unhinged, unlike the others. It was smaller than the other skeletons. It was dripping with something. I shuddered when moonlight revealed its had eyes. Big, blue eyes.

I then tuned to face the man yelling at me.

Him: "You listenin' over there?"

Me: "Oh... Yeah."

Him: "'The hell y'tryin' to pull. Y'almost gave my wife a heart attack with that mask".

Apparently my son and I aren't the only ones who have spotted the neighborhood missing link. How could he possibly confuse that thing with me?

Him: "And don't try and smooth-talk yer way outta this one pal. I saw ya jump clean over that fence a' yours- 'the hell you managed to do that I's a-still wonderin'- and crawl right back inte yer basement. It's dark n' all but no doubt it was you, pal."

Me: "....I'm terribly sorry..." I improvised. "I don't know what came over me..." "If there's anything I can do-"

My heart sank. I thought about what he said.

Me: "Wait here."

I sped off into my home. I bolted down the hall. I began to spasm as I neared the guest room door. my trembling hands applied convulsing energy to the doorknob, then turned, and flung the door wide open to reveal my son, sleeping, facing the wall, just as I had left him. He never sleeps with his head all the way under the blankets but I was too flustered to care. Reassured that a mass was at rest under those covers I jogged back out to my bewildered guest. I didn't know what to think anymore.

Me "Sorry... I just-"

He interrupted.

Him: "Aww, save it. I ain't give no shits at all about yer problems. Y'just stay the hell away from me and mah family. Y'hear?"

Me: "Yeah... Sure..."

A calming chuckle dug its way into his angry tone as I recognized those freshly familiar bottomless blue eyes stuffed inside the head of that skeleton.

Him: "I gotta hand it to y'though. I nearly busted out laughing when I saw y'runnin' around wearin' that little kid's Buzz Lightyear Costume."