The night sky is pitch black, the trees sway in the wind. The rain pounds heavily, like rocks, falling from the sky. I'm sprinting, gasping for every breath as if it’s my last. I look over my shoulder, and there he is. There’s nothing I can do, there’s nowhere I can go. This was the day that changed everything; the day my life changed forever.

The day I had been dreading for two months had finally arrived. Mom wanted to move ever since Dad passed away. I had just started tenth grade, it was the worst possible timing. Not to mention my sister Stacey was in her final year. Although moving away was hard, Mom wanted a fresh start and all we wanted was for her to be happy again. We hopped in the car, and got comfortable for the long ride ahead of us.

Our new house looked like a cabin, standing alone engulfed in a forest. I peered out the window; not another house in sight.
“Well this is just great,” I thought to myself sarcastically. It was in that moment when I saw him. A man was standing in the distance, watching us. He had brown scruffy hair; wearing all black clothing, and a blue baseball cap. Ignoring him, I helped Stacey carry the couch inside. Once we came back, I peered around the corner, and he had disappeared. I didn’t think of it as much at the time, just a curious neighbour really.

The next morning I was already losing my mind; there was nothing to do in this place. I decided I’d go for a walk. I opened the door and walked down our long, cracked, stretch of a drive way. After a while I realized, this place wasn’t so bad after all. The colourful leaves, the bright blue sky, the smell of nature, it all put a smile on my face. I walked until I found a bridge overlying a river that ran through the forest. I sat down, until I saw him. There he was again.
“Did he follow me here? Or am I just being paranoid?” I asked myself. He began walking closer to me. He was wearing the same outfit I had seen him in yesterday. He gave me the shivers. I sat there as if I didn’t even notice him.
“Hey there,” he said with a grin on his face. “My name’s Adam, you must be Jenny. You and your family just moved in here right? Welcome to the neighbourhood!”
“Yeah… thank you…” I paused, “I… told my mom I’d be home by now… so I’ve gotta go” I said trembling. I got up and walked away quickly. How did he know my name? I wondered. At this point, I didn’t know what to think.

I had finally gotten home. Stacey was in the living room, sitting on the couch. I ran in and told her what had happened,
“You’re just being dramatic Jenny,” she said. She always took everything I said as a joke.

The day progressed with an ongoing argument between Stacey and I. She wouldn’t stop making fun of me for “being worried about our friendly neighbour.” Frustrated, I opened the door to a thunderstorm. Mom was just getting home as I was leaving;
“Where are you going?” she asked.
Ignoring her, I stepped outside, and ran.

I had never ran away before, I just couldn’t handle my sister any longer. I slowed down, and walked through the forest. I got to the same bridge I had found earlier that day. As I sat down, I heard something behind me; his voice.
“Jenny… don’t be alarmed I just need to tell you something. You look exactly like her, and you act like her too. I’d really like to get to know you better…” His voice got closer. Who was he talking about? I asked myself. I shot up from the bridge, and began running as fast as I could.

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” I shouted. A house appeared, but the front door was locked with a deadbolt as thick as my arm. Racing to the back I smashed a window, and jumped into the basement. For the first time today, I felt safe. Opening the door to the next room, I was petrified.

I began to cry, as I looked at all the pictures starring back at me. He had pictures of me from the first time I saw him, pictures from the bridge, and even pictures of me in my house. I saw a box in the distance and made my way over to it, but it was locked. I took a bobby pin out of my hair, and opened it with shaky hands. An old doll, a necklace, and a tribute from a funeral lay at the bottom. I continued rummaging through it. I was shocked at what I found; pictures of some girl that looked just like me. She had the same long blonde hair, same blue eyes, same everything. I quickly put all the pieces together; he was talking about his daughter. I was in Adam’s house.

Hearing footsteps above me I raced back to the window. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Adam. He grabbed me, but then all of a sudden I heard a loud noise...

Adam fell to the ground and there stood Stacey wrapped around a baseball bat. I ran over and gave her a big hug.
“Jenny, I’m so sorry. I should’ve listened to you. Don’t ever leave the house again, okay?”

We sat down for a while and began to cry. I was shaking uncontrollably, unable to keep myself together. The police arrived and took Adam away, finally putting an end to this day. Although it’s been one year, nothing’s been erased from my memory. Adam haunts me to this day, and he always will. This was the day that changed everything; the day my life changed forever.