Is This Reality

Step, by step I slowly made my way home from a long day of school. I always took the short way home from school, I had to go through the small woods located behind my house. I took a turn into the woods, and halfway through them I could hear the sound of crunching leaves. I figured it was my own footsteps making the noise, but when I stopped walking the sound continued. My heart rate sped up along with my feet.

I held onto the straps of my book bag and started running as fast as I could. I looked behind my shoulder, and a man dressed in all black from head to toe was rushing towards me. With eagerness I sped up my pace into a full on run, and tried not to look behind me. I could see the back door of my house a few feet away, and started yelling for my parents. I grabbed onto the doorknob and twisted hard.

My parents were at the door with their eyebrows creased together in confusion. I slammed the door behind me, and started panting from all the running.

“Is everything alright, we heard you scream?” My mom asked wiping her hands on a towel.

“There was a man chasing me through the woods I barely got away!” My mom brought her hand to her mouth and tears started welling in her eyes. My dad brought his arms around my mom's waist, and whispered in her ear.

“Whats wrong? Why aren’t you saying anything?” I asked in a rush. My mom opened her arms, and ushered for me to come to her. I wrapped my arms around her skinny torso, and hugged her. Later that day, I was in my room studying for my science quiz when I could see something outside my window. I pushed my blankets out of the way and stood on my feet. I walked to my window, and saw the same man from earlier. Even though I couldn’t see his face I could tell it was expressionless. I quickly ran down the stairs screaming for my parents. I grabbed my dad's’ arm, and pulled him up the stairs with me.

“What’s wrong?” My dad asked.

“He’s there dad, he's outside my window!” I frantically yelled. I pulled him in front of the window, and noticed my mom had joined the room sometime during my rant.

“There's no one out there Kelly,” My dad said bringing me into another hug. I didn’t understand why he was hugging me until I put it all together.

“Wait, you don’t think,” I paused momentarily, and backed out of my dad's hug.

“You don’t think it’s my Schizophrenia do you?” My parents didn’t say a word I knew I was right.

“We don’t know, but we just want the best for you,” my mom said.

“Just get out!” When they didn’t make a move I yelled once more.

“Get out!” This time they left my room, and shut the door behind them. The next day I was walking back home from school, and was very cautious of my surroundings thinking that the  man might be in the woods. Luckily, I made it safely home without seeing him, but when I opened the door my parents were standing inside with worried faces.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

“Have you been taking your medication?” My mom bluntly asked.

“Yes I have,” I marched up the stairs without another word, and closed my door with a hard slam. I was lying on my bed when I heard someone whispering. I looked around my room, and didn’t see anyone. Suddenly in front of me was the masked man I gasped, and tried scurrying to my feet. Without saying a word he pointed outside my window, and towards the road. I got on my feet, and hurried outside to the road.

The man wasn’t behind me anymore, and I was alone the sun was going down, and I was alone. I didn’t know why I was outside, but for some reason I was. I sat criss cross on the ground, and picked up a sharp object. Suddenly, I could feel a burning sensation in my wrist, and faint sounds of screaming behind me. I seen my mom in front of me with tears streaking down her face, after that I don’t remember what happened.

Then, I woke up in my bed, in my room everything seemed normal besides one thing, my wrists. They were covered in bandages halfway up my arm. I could see a light outline of blood under the white bandages, and didn’t remember what happened. I walked down to the kitchen, and found my parents.

“You need to tell us everything,” my dad said with his coffee in his hand.

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“About the man you say stalks you,” said my mom.

“What man? What are you talking about?” I say nervously.

“We are done with the lies. We want the truth,” my mom demanded.

“What happened? What are you talking about? What man?” My mom sighed and left the room. Today was Monday, a normal day, so I got dressed ready for school. On my walk to school I heard a shuffling noise in the bushes next to me. A man dressed in all black, that I have had recently dreamt of, was in front of me. I started running away, after noticing the knife in his hand. I ran back towards my house, and opened the door I looked at my parents, who were standing inside.

“He’s out there!” I screamed. My dad opened the door, and I prepared myself for the man to come charging in, but nothing happened, he wasn’t there.

“There's no one out there.” My dad said.

“No I’m not he was just there!” My parents gathered me into a hug I didn’t understand why they didn’t believe me he was there. I will prove it to them somehow, someway, and they will know I ‘am right.