I was staring at the door with my eyes half closed. I was alone that night. Moonlight spilled into my room through the window. I knew what I was looking for.
I saw my door knob turn slowly. I gasped and lifted my head up from the pillow. It’d been going on for weeks now.
Mum peeked stealthily from behind the half open door.
“Mum?” I called out. “I thought you both were gone,”
“You’re still awake?” She said in a hoarse whisper.
“Well, yeah!” I sprang up on my bed.
“Listen, we’re leaving now. Are you two going to be okay?” She asked.
“That depends on the level of stupidity I’m exposed to!” I snapped and crossed my arms over my chest.
My mum sighed wearily, “Good night, Jenna.” She said and closed the door behind her.

I crept down to the living room as soon as I heard their car roar away. It’d been snowing all afternoon. I sat on the couch, tucked up under a warm blanket, and turned the TV on.
By midnight, my parents were still not home.

I was beginning to fall asleep when my eyes got stuck to the window, that was right behind the TV. I quickly leaned forward and squinted to have a better look. I noticed something moving outside the window. I shifted uncomfortably. And my heart pounded in my chest.

Through the darkness, I could make out the figure of a giant man. He was abnormally big in size. As my eyes got adjusted, my heart filled with horror. His face was hideously scarred, his eyes wild and crazy, and a malicious grin played on his mouth. Slowly, I pulled the blanket over my head and tried to stay as still as I could, so he would think I was just a pile of blanket sitting on the couch.

A couple of minutes passed. I tried to peer out through a hole with one eye. He was still there. Staring directly at me with his piercing gaze. A chill ran down my spine. The man reached into his coat and pulled something out. A long knife.

I was terrified. I managed to move my hand slowly over to the pocket and pulled out my phone. Pressing the buttons in panic, I dialed 911 and held my breath as I waited for an answer.
“What’s your emergency?” A voice asked.
“Th—There’s a man. A big man outside my window. And…and he’s got a knife..p-please come quickly.” I whispered.

I sat motionless under the blanket. Minutes ticked by. Eventually, I heard sirens outside and police started banging on my door.
I pulled off the blanket and rushed to the front door, letting the two officers inside. They said they had seen no trace of anyone outside my house.

“But he was right there!” I insisted, pointing out the window.
The female officer shook her head, “That’s not possible. If there was someone out there, they would have left footprints.”

“You know, your eyes can play tricks on you. Have you been watching scary movies?” Said the male police officer.
The officers turned to leave when, all of a sudden, the female officer stopped dead in her tracks. She pulled back the couch I was had been sitting on. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened.
I followed her gaze and gasped in horror.
On the carpet, behind the couch, there was a trail of wet footprints and a discarded knife.

“You weren’t looking at the man outside the window,” The female officer said. “You were looking at his reflection. He was standing right behind you all along.”