THE OLD MAN IN THE PARK SAID MY DAUGHTER HAD HIS EYES
I pulled Lily’s hand away, but the old man’s grip tightened, his eyes fixed on hers.
His fingers were cold and bony, a persistent chill creeping up my arm, raising goosebumps. That faint, cloying smell of mothballs and stale cigarettes clung to him. “Excuse me,” I tugged harder at Lily’s hand, my voice sharper than intended, laced with an unnamed fear.
He didn’t let go. His grip remained firm, possessive, as he smiled, a thin, knowing smile that clenched my stomach with icy dread. Lily, usually so shy, stared back, wide-eyed and calm. Then he leaned in, his voice a gravelly whisper meant only for me, “Just like her mother, aren’t you? Stubborn. And just as oblivious.”
My breath caught, lodged painfully. Every alarm bell screamed. My mind raced, frantically trying to place him, to understand the bizarre familiarity in his dark, assessing eyes. It was like looking into a twisted mirror. Who was this man? How could he know *anything* about me, let alone Lily? What was he implying? The air felt thick, charged with an unspoken history I needed to unravel.
Just as I opened my mouth to demand answers, my phone buzzed violently, the vibration making me jump. It was a text from my brother: “Dad’s looking for you. He knows about the park.”
👇 Full story continued in the comments…I fumbled for the phone, my fingers clumsy with a sudden, inexplicable terror. The old man’s grip finally loosened, his eyes never leaving mine. He released Lily, but his gaze remained locked on me, a predator savoring the moment before the chase.
I glanced at the screen, my heart hammering against my ribs. “Dad’s looking for you. He knows about the park.” My blood ran cold. My father? What did this have to do with him? With the park? I shot a desperate look back at the old man, but he was already turning away, melting into the shadows beneath the ancient oak trees, his form blurring in the late afternoon light.
I grabbed Lily’s hand, my grip tight, almost frantic. “Come on,” I urged, pulling her towards the park exit. “We need to go.” Lily, surprisingly compliant, followed without question. I didn’t dare look back. The cloying scent of mothballs seemed to linger in the air, a phantom presence clinging to the back of my throat.
As we walked, I wrestled with the implications of the text, the old man’s words, his disturbing resemblance, and the terrifying sense of familiarity. I didn’t know what my father knew, but his involvement sent a shiver down my spine. Had this man been sent? Were they connected? And if so, how?
We reached the car, and I practically threw Lily into her car seat, buckling her in with shaking hands. I started the engine, my hands still trembling as I pulled out of the parking lot.
I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. I had to call my brother, find out what was going on. I reached for my phone, but before I could dial, Lily spoke, her voice small, yet clear.
“Mommy,” she said, pointing towards the rearview mirror. “He’s still watching us.”
I slammed on the brakes, my heart leaping into my throat. I twisted around to look. There, reflected in the glass, was the old man. He wasn’t standing at the edge of the park. He was closer. Much closer. He was in the backseat.
His smile was a terrifying parody of warmth, his eyes locked on mine. “You can’t escape your past,” he rasped, his voice a dry, brittle whisper that seemed to permeate the car.
I scrambled for the door, but he was faster. His bony hand shot out, his grip, surprisingly strong, clamped around my wrist. He yanked me back, pulling me into the car, and I saw Lily’s face, contorted with fear, the echo of my own fear.
He leaned towards me, his breath sour with stale tobacco, “Your father knew. And now, so do I. The secret’s out.”
He then looked at Lily and said, “You look a lot like your grandmother”.
And then, he turned to me with his horrifying gaze and said, “Let’s go home, darling”.
I screamed, the sound swallowed by the growing darkness as he steered the car away from the park and towards a destiny I couldn’t begin to comprehend.