The Angry Ghost

I felt it as soon as I came home from school today. That feeling--presence--that I wasn't alone. Last week I thought maybe someone had come home early, but I knew that wasn't the case today. The house felt angry, and at the time I might even have said evil. I'm not so sure, hours later, that I'm willing to back off that thought. I'll say it again. It felt evil.

I closed the front door and found myself in a cold spot. Goosebumps exploded all over my body, and my hair stood on end. I dropped my backpack and scanned the front room, expecting the man's figure to appear. He didn't. Not at first.

I grabbed my backpack and hurried to the kitchen. Before I made it, a cloud of smoke or gas or something popped up in front of me. I contemplated charging through it, but decided that probably wasn't the brightest of ideas. I changed course and sprinted towards the steps. Something blew past me; it felt like a person, but since I couldn't see anything, I'd say it was a breeze. As soon as I started my ascent of the stairs, I saw him at the top, staring down at me with a blank expression on his face. He looked exactly like I remembered, down to the trickle of blood on his neck. The anger--the evil--radiated down from him.

I didn't know what to do. The cloud by the kitchen had likely been him, and if I retreated back that way, what's to say he wouldn't charge past me again? Plus he'd likely be within arms-length. I glanced to the front door, which was closer than the kitchen, and wondered if I could make it out before he caught me. I decided that was the best option, but before I had to go through with it, the knocking sounded from my room. The ghost noticed, too. He turned towards my room, a scowl etched on his face. A few more knocks sounded forth, and he vanished. With him the angry, evil feeling left as well.

I almost told my family about it, but by the time everyone got home, it felt unreal, too much like a lucid dream. Everyone came home so grouchy with their own problems that I didn't bother. A few minutes ago, the knocking came back, but this time, instead of feeling anxious or indifferent, I actually felt a bit comforted. Funny how things work.