Man In A Suit

You woke with a snake of dread churning in your gut. Goose flesh covered any exposed skin and shivers raked your body. Something was wrong, that much you knew.

What exactly was wrong was the answer that evaded you.

Slowly, you pushed yourself into sitting position. The creaking of your mattress seemed too loud, causing you to wince. Your instincts whispered to stay silent, but your curiosity was powerful and it threw caution to the wind.

Your bare feet gently touched the floor, sending another shiver up your spine. The chill in the air set your teeth on edge. The chill that almost seemed unnatural to you. Then you heard a sound - softer then the sound of an eye blinking, lighter then the brush of a butterflies wing - and it echoed through your mind.

“Whose there?” you called, cursing the tremor in you voice.

The only answer was the noise again, this time louder, more identifiable. You recognized it as the sound of your mother’s antique tea set - being used.

Your sprang from you bed and rushed down the hall; the sound of your feet on the carpet whispering beneath you.

As you neared your kitchen, the air seemed to thick to move through. You felt sluggish, as if you were trying to run under water. Your heart beat thumped inside your throat as you pushed the kitchen door open.

And sitting at your table, was a man.

He was dressed in a simple black suit, his fedora dipping down just enough to cover his face. He lifted a pale yellow tea-cup to his lips and took a inaudible sip. Carefully, he set the cup down and turned his head slightly toward you.

You could feel his eyes looking you over, and you wanted nothing more then to curl up in a ball and scream. His hidden eyes seemed to pull you apart, and you hated it, but your body would not answer your pleas to turn and run.

“Good,” his raspy voice filled your head, bouncing around inside your skull, “you’re awake.”

Then he pushed up his hat and you saw his face.

And you screamed.