As we all know there are certain things in every day life that simply cannot be explained using the logic that we've been taught. Up until four years ago I never really believed in these things. Oft times you hear stories of ghosts and wayward spirits that try to contact the living. Other times you hear tales of creatures and entities that no matter how closely they're observed simply cannot be explained. Four years ago I had an encounter that would forever change the way I viewed the world and the people around me. The year was 2011. I was enjoying life to the fullest. Everything seemed to be going my way. I had just gotten with the girl of my dreams and gotten promoted at work. Nothing I thought could ruin my life at this point. Then it happened. I was walking home from my girlfriends house, for the sake of the story lets say her name was Amy. Amy lived in a decent part of town. not a lot of crime, nice houses, the works. I was less than a mile from my house and feeling on top of the world. As I walked down the sidewalk the streetlights overhead shone brightly and lit my path clearly. As I walked the light in front of me suddenly flickered and died. At the time I thought nothing of it. "The bulb probably just died" I thought to myself. It wasn't until the next light and the next one died as well plunging the sidewalk into a weird inky darkness that seemed to close in around me as if it were trying to suffocate me. Now slightly nervous I increased my pace not wanting to be here any longer than I had to. As I continued to walk more and more lights began to shut off, as if someone or something were toying with me, As I walked my heart began to hammer in my chest drowning out all other sounds with it's rhythmic thumping. As I rounded the corner onto my street I froze immediately as I looked down the stretch of sidewalk before me. As I looked down the street I saw that on the opposite side of the street about a hundred feet away from me there was a single street light still on and underneath it stood a being so unsettling that I still get chills up my spine just writing about it now. From where I stood the figure appeared to be bent over at an odd angle, as if the weight of the air around it were crushing it. I couldn't make out what it was wearing and I'm honestly glad that I couldn't. As I stared the figure turned slowly towards me revealing it's almost iridescent white face. It's facial features looked human but seemed twisted as if it's face were made from modeling clay that had been squeezed and reshaped over and over again until the original shape had been lost. It stared directly at me with eyes that seemed to pierce right through me. Though I couldn't hear it I knew the figure was speaking, and in that moment I knew that what it was saying wasn't something I wanted to stick around and hear about. After a moments hesitation I finally pulled myself back to my senses and began to run towards my house that was about a block away. As I ran I thought that I was losing the creature that I'd seen. I began to feel confident as I ran across my lawn and bounded up the stairs of my front porch to my front door. As I looked out over my lawn to the sidewalk in front of my house I saw it. Across the street standing under another street light staring directly at me. As I watched in horror the figure began to cross the street in a slow shambling gait that looked as if it walked on broken legs. As it reached my lawn I could only stare in horror as I looked upon it's face to see a grin that sent icy tendrils through my chest. Without thinking I took an involuntary step backwards and collided with my front door. The shock of striking my front door brought me back to my senses as I quickly turned around and bolted inside, slamming the door shut and locking it as fast as I could. As i stood there with my back to the door, heart slamming in my chest I heard faint footsteps coming up the steps of my porch. knowing it couldn't be anyone but the creature that had pursued me I waited in fear as I heard the footsteps stop in front of my door. Seconds passed as I listened for any sound on the other side of the door. After a few seconds of silence I thought the creature had given up and left. Just when I thought it was over I heard the most god awful scraping sound imaginable. Like nails on a chalk board played through a loud speaker. The sound seemed to go on for hours even though I later realized it was only seconds. As silence once more reigned over the inside of my house I continued to listen as my heart climbed into my throat. Eventually I heard the footsteps gradually leave my porch and disappear. That entire night I sat in my bed room with my shotgun on my lap watching my bedroom door, waiting for that.......that thing to come to get me. Eventually I fell asleep and woke in the morning. As I woke I yawned and pulled the blanket off of myself as I sat up in my bed and froze. I had no memory of falling asleep in my bed. As I sat and thought about it the only conclusion I could reach was that it had all been a dream, a very vivid dream. With that thought in mind I began to get ready for the day. After I ate breakfast I left for work. As I exited the front door I happened to look at the spot that the creature in my dream had scratched and froze. Scratched into the door was two words engraved deeply into the wood. NEXT TIME. After seeing this I freaked out and called the cops. They came to my house about thirty minutes later and saw the message. After an extensive investigation they ruled that it was just standard vandalism and that it wasn't anything to be worried about. After that day I didn't see the creature for a long time. Long enough that I thought it had decided to leave me alone once and for all. About three months after the incident I got a call while I was at work from my girlfriends mother. As I talked to her on the phone she told me that my girlfriend had been found dead in her house that morning. Police were saying that the cause of death was deep lacerations on her neck and chest. Scratched into the front door of her house were three words. IT IS DONE. Since then I've kept to myself and beefed up the security in my house as well as purchased several new guns. To this day on clear nights I'll notice the street lights flicker in front of my house. When I look out I see that creature staring intently at my house as if waiting for me to come out. I've yet to confront the creature. I don't know whats stopped me. But one day. I'll confront it and kill it. Either that or it will kill me.