THE GHOST BESIDE ME

This happened to me last year. I can't explain it and it still bothers me. It's not really much of a story, but when I came across this website I decided to send it in. It was July, and I was living in Clovis, California. On this particular day, I was doing some repair work on a house outside of town in the country. My older brother had dropped me off earlier and said he'd return later on to pick me up after he took care of some business in town. The day was hot, the temperature was 98 degrees.

Well I finished around 12 o'clock and waited for my brother. Two hours passed and I was still waiting. I was thinking he forgot about me; it's happened before. I couldn't wait any longer, so I started walking the long way back to town. Clovis was about four miles away. When I finally reached my neighborhood, I was mad and tired. My house was several blocks away.

I walked past a friend's house that was across the street. He and his wife turned and waved to me smiling. I waved back. But their smiles were replaced with a confused look on their faces. I kept walking. Another acquaintance was driving down the street toward me and he waved. As he went past me he slowed down and he, too, had a weird expression on his face. I waved back, but wondered what's with the look?

My house was just around the corner. There were some kids playing outside the neighbor's home and they stopped what they were doing when they saw me. I know these kids and they know me, but they had a scared look on their faces. I came to the front gate of my house and my own dog, Ceasar, was barking at me! I called him and reached out to him. He growled, showed his teeth, backed away and ran! I was confused and scared. I actually thought, am I in the Twilight Zone or what?

I looked toward the house and there was my brother looking out the living room window at me with that same strange surprise look on his face! What's going on here? My brother slowly opened the front door, walked out, and before I could ask him what was wrong, he looked at me then behind me. He looked toward the street. I was mad and upset! I asked him what he was doing. He asked me, "Where'd that weird person go to?" I said, "What person?"

What he told me next I didn't know what to think. He said there was a strange-looking man walking beside me! He was dressed in a dark suit wearing a black hat. He had blond hair, pale skin and was scary looking. According to my brother, the unsettling part of his appearance was his smile that was full of teeth and two enormous lifeless eyes! I was more scared now. That explains the reactions from my friends, neighbors and my dog. I didn't see anyone beside me at all.

My brother explained why he didn't return to pick me up: the car broke down. He thought this strange person gave me a ride. I don't know who this person was or why I couldn't see him when everybody else could. I tell you, it still bothers me. Especially when I'm alone