It was in the middle of winter and I was staying after school to rehearse for a dance production I was in. When it had ended, I asked for my mum to come and pick me up but she was at her Bridge Club. My friends offered me lifts home but I said I would walk, being in the active mood. I walked outside and it was already really dark. I looked at my watch and the time was 7:30.
I walked for about 20 minutes until I came to the alleyway that lead to my house. This alleyway is known to be quite dangerous. Many people have been mugged down in broad daylight, including me. Anyway, I started walking down the alleyway, and luckily the street lamps were still on. As I was about a quarter of the way down it, I had a sudden urge to look behind me, being kinda paranoid about things. When I looked behind, I thought I saw the figure of a man. He looked strangely familiar. His silhouette1 showed a top hat, a coat which fanned out at the top and bottom and he appeared rather tall. I looked closer and fear swept over me as I saw what looked like a long knife in his hand. I turned around and started walking faster, being careful not to run as he might chase after. It wasn't long before I had another urge to turn around, and when I did, he wasn't there.
Breathed a sigh of relief and caught my breath a bit. Feeling like I must have imagined it through paranoia2, I turned back
