I observed my surroundings as my eyes adjusted to the darkness further. Turning about-face, I began to walk back to my house. I didn't know what lurked beyond my vision, and following what I heard, I didn't care to learn. My legs took long strides on the seemingly endless path that would return me from the trenches of the dark to my house. I could see the rays of light seeping through the windows, welcoming me with open arms.

My heart slowed along with my breathing as I approached the house, so close to where I belonged. I walked into the driveway, gravel crunching beneath my feet. Ascending the front patio steps, the wood underneath creaked ever so softly. I reached my hand out and grasped the cold doorknob.

That's when I heard a loud thump from far behind me. Hustling inside, I slammed the door shut with haste. I locked the door and peered outside of my window towards the woods, which appeared far more menacing than they had before. My eyes fixated on the forest line where I had heard the thump originate.

With a soft click, the flashlight gripped firmly in my hand shone its bright fluorescent light, illuminating the darkness. That's when I saw it. A figure, tall and dark, stood next to a tree. It wrapped its arm around the oak, resting its hand on a branch. Half of its body stayed hidden behind the tree, and the other half stood exposed.

We stared at each other for the longest time, never breaking each other's gaze. The creature then shifted its body, coming out of the tree line. It was then, by the light of the flashlight and the moon, that it was revealed.

I squinted at the creature, my heart pounding in my chest, beating and screaming in fright. I had expected many things to emerge from behind the tree. Perhaps a monster, a ghost, maybe a demon from Hell that came to collect my soul. Anything but this.

There before me stood a man, and a man was all he was. I rubbed my eyes in disbelief, and when they refocused on the man I knew my vision did not deceive me. There was nothing special about him. He sported a large grey beard that swayed in the breeze. Lanky arms drooped by his sides, sitting parallel to his narrow legs. He was tall but slender, with only a few pieces of tattered clothes to shield him from the weather.

I watched as the man sat on the ground in a crisscross fashion and rocked slowly with the wind.