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.

"I'm taking you to work with me today, Varia." Javon stated, letting go of my arm, but his eyes still lingered on the haunting handprints.

"What about Drakon?" I asked, wiping my nose with the back of my hand. "He already missed too much and I don't know anyone who can pick him up."

Javon ran his hand through his hair, nibbling on his bottom lip. He puffed out his cheeks and slowly exhaled through his mouth. "I really don't want to leave you alone..." He stated, dropping his hand to his lap in defeat.

I rubbed my upper arm and did a one shoulder-shrug. "And I don't want to take Drakon out of school-even if it's only for today. He needs to adjust to the school after all."

Javon gently grabbed my arm and pulled into his arms, his hand rubbing my back. "I'll call you every chance I get. I'll text you when I can't call. You know, like how did back in high school when we weren't in the same class."

I nodded, lifting my head and kissing under his chin. "I'll try to be out of the house."

Javon nodded, tightening his hold. "Sounds good."

-------

"Bye, mom!" Drakon kissed me on the cheek and hurried off as the bell rang. I smiled and watched him disappear as the teachers waved for the children to hurry up before closing the doors.

I stood up from my kneeling position and put my ear buds on. Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi started playing and I slowly walked away, my hands clenched around my phone and keys.

I walked aimlessly until my feet started to ache. My phone beeped and I checked the message, typing a respond quickly as I crossed the street.

As soon as I put the phone back in my pocket, it beeped and I sighed. I continued walking and decided to walk next to the road where the woods surrounded it from left to right.

I kept my eyes glued to my phone and kept a safe distance from the road, but hardly any care drove by. I replied to Javon's messages as soon as they appeared and browsed through my gallery when he didn't reply as quick.

"Hey! H-Hey, miss!"

I stopped and turned around, spotting two men in a white pickup truck. One of them had half of his body out the window; I was almost expecting him to fall any minute. The other had his head against his crossed arms that rested on the window sill.

"A-Are you lost, miss?" The half-body one asked, tipping his cap back.

I shook my head. "No, I'm fine." I said confusingly.

"Why are you walking out here? There ain't no sidewalk here. It could be dangerous for you, miss."

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm fine." I repeated, getting ready to continue walking.

"C'mon, miss. I'll take you home. Where do you, uh, live?"

I shifted uncomfortably and shook my head. "I'm fine. I was heading into the woods anyway." I lied, taking a few steps back.

"Are you sure? It won't be no trouble." He insisted, getting ready to get out of his car.

I nodded. "I'm sure. Thank you for the offer, though." And with that said, I backed out and started walking into the woods, now noticing how steep the hill was. I didn't turn around until I rounded a thick and tall tree. I hid myself behind there and took a peak.

They were gone.

I sighed in relief and sat on the ground, my legs out stretched in front of me. I quickly replied to Javon's third concerned message and pushed myself up. I slowly walked down the hill and headed back.

It was almost time to pick up Drakon anyway.

I sighed when I finally spotted the school and stood under the shade of the tree. It wasn't as sunny as yesterday, but the shade the tree provided me felt relieving.

I slightly rocked back and forth on my heels, trying to peer above the heads of parents that surrounded the open door. I waited patiently behind and finally stepped forward when I recognized Drakon's red headed teacher. I waved to grab Drakon's attention and he smiled, fist bumping his teacher to signify that he saw me.

The teacher peered up for a split second, nodded, and turned her attention to another student.

"Hey, kiddo. How was your day?" I asked, ruffling his hair.

"It was amazing! I went to dance class and they said my class is going to do a performance in front of the whole school in December!" Drakon exclaimed.

I chuckled. "Aren't you nervous? Your school seems to be big, so you can bet there's going to be a lot of people there." I commented.

Drakon shook his head. "Nah, I'm not scared to perform."

I smiled and warped my arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer. "Is it open for parents?"

"I think so. I don't know. I wasn't really listening." He admitted.

I nodded and turned left, the opposite way of where home was. Drakon frowned, looking over his shoulder.

"Um, where are we going, mom?"

"I feel like we should treat ourselves to another slice of pizza." I said.

Drakon grinned and ran ahead of me. "Pizza!"

I laughed and hurried to catch up to him. I was going to avoid that house for as long as I could. Maybe I was overreacting a little bit and maybe it wouldn't happen again, but something told me the shadow man would visit me again.

Soon.

I shook my thoughts away and thanked Drakon for holding the door open for me. The smell of the fresh pizza and bread hit me and I sighed.

We walked over the counter and ordered our food. Drakon ran to a random table and sat with his back towards the entrance. I sat across from him and exhaled deeply at the relief of having my feet off the ground. Drakon dug through his bag and took out his folder, sliding a trip permission slip in front of me.

I raised an eyebrow. "This is your second day of school and already you're going to a trip? Wow, I wish my school treated me like that."

Drakon smiled. "The trip isn't until October, though. We're going pumpkin picking at a spooky farm, ooooh!" Drakon said, wiggling his fingers, lips forming an O shape.

I chuckled and grabbed his pencil box. "Well, let's hope the ghosts don't try to take over your soul or something."

Drakon waved his hand as if saying that was nothing. "Ghosts aren't scary! There's something even scarier."

"You mean zombies?" I guessed, signing the slip and putting it back in his folder.

Drakon shook his head. "Nope! In my table, there's this boy who told everyone the story of the mask man!"

The smiled slipped off my lips and I froze. "I'm sorry, who?" I asked to make sure I heard correctly.

Drakon frowned. "You never heard of the mask man? Didn't you grow up here?"

I falsely shook my head. "I did grow up here, but I never heard the story. H-How does it go?"

Drakon leaned back as the waiter stopped by our table, handing our order. I smiled and we thanked the waiter as he rushed back to the counter. Drakon took a sip of his soda and sat up on his knees.

"Well, supposedly the mask man lived here with his wife and children," He started, making me instantly frown. "Before he had his family, he was a subject to this crazy science experiment overseas. His wife was a scientist who helped him escape. They moved to the woods where they had two kids. One day, the man completely lost it and killed his family. They slashed at his face in self-defense, so that's why he wears the mask. He doesn't want anyone to see.

"Now rumor has it that if you see him, he'll go crazy again and kill you. It's scary to think that we live right next to the woods, isn't it?"

My chin was resting on my palms, elbows on the table. I felt confused. Wasn't his face deformed from a war? And didn't he eat his victims? Since when did he had a family?

Maybe as the story got retold over and over, it changed. It was almost like the Bloody Mary or the La Llorona (The Weeping Woman). So many times had those stories been retold and so many times had those stories changed.

I guessed that applied to the story of the Mask Man. I suddenly felt the urged to go to the woods and ask him. Every single time I went to the woods, we crossed paths. But every single time, he'd disappear and our conversation was no more than twenty sentences long. I inwardly sighed.

"Yeah," I finally answered, taking my pizza. "It's kinda scary."