I’m not sure if she knows I can see her, but we are staring right at each other. As awkward as it feels now, I’m sure it would be much more awkward if there was not a wall, window, and window shade between us. Even though it is daytime, her house seems quite dark. I’m standing on the sidewalk looking at the center window on the first floor, and I can clearly see two fingers holding the blinds open for two wide eyes peering out from the darkness. The fingers and the eyes have been motionless for the last five minutes, and I’ve been staring at them for just as long, so I guess I’ve been motionless, too. I stare at her; she stares at me. I’m creeped out by her; she’s creeped out by me. I don’t even remember who looked first. Was she already watching me as I walked by, causing me to take notice and return the stare? Or was I already staring at the window, causing her to part the blinds for her motionless investigation?
Okay, so I’ve determined that a creepy old lady lives here, and that’s just fine with me. I think I’ll be on my way now. I lift my foot to take a step as I’ve done –what, a million times or more? However, this step is different than all the rest. For the first time in my life, my foot went in a different direction than I had told it, no, COMMANDED it to go. I’m in charge here, right? My foot should go where I send it, no questions asked. I fully intended to walk away and leave the crazy old lady alone, but my foot took a step TOWARDS the house with the pairs of motionless fingers and eyes. Except now the eyes weren't motionless- as I took the first involuntary step of my life, I could see them growing wider with more fear. That was enough for me, and I turned to walk away. That was my intention, anyway- instead I took another step towards the house, and another, and another. With each step I was being forced to take despite my complete unwillingness, I could see more and more fear in the woman’s eyes, to the point that they were visibly trembling. Something was compelling me, FORCING me to walk towards the house… it had to be her, right? How was she doing this, and WHY was she doing it if I scared her so much? Did I scare her? Was I misreading her eyes? After all they, along with the two fingers which still hadn't moved, were the only features I had seen; could I possibly have mistook any other emotion for the sheer horror I thought I saw in her eyes?
My teeth were chattering as I walked- completely unwillingly- to the front door, and lifted the door knocker once, letting it drop loudly against the brass fixture beneath it, bouncing twice. My eyes never left that window, which was at least fifteen feet from the door. The two fingers never left the blinds, and the eyes were now straining to look sideways along the wall of the house at me, with more fear than I had ever seen in a pair of eyes. With the fingers and eyes still in place, the door began to open slowly with a loud creak. No deadbolt was unbolted, no chain was unchained, and no doorknob was turned… the door just swung open, revealing the dark nothingness of the inside of the house. My mind screamed at my legs to turn and run as fast as I could, but instead I slowly walked, one foot after the other, one step, then another, slowly into the dark abyss; already deathly afraid of whoever I would soon be watching from the window shade.
