The Mystery Man

• Sheree Turner, Grade 6, Stella Maris Catholic Primary School
• Short Story
• 2015

Excellence Award in the 'The Write Track 2015' competition

I don’t know who he is or why he’s following me. His face looks old and weak though he still follows. I sit at my desk when I saw him first, his face was pressed up against the window looking straight at me. He did nothing just stood back and watched, like I was in some kind of movie. The days past and but he still followed. From when I went to sleep to when I woke up, he watched sometimes in a chair, sometimes pressed on the window. I tried not to notice and forget but I would always see him out of the corner of my eye, so one day I decided something…?I went to my room at 9:00 the usual time and turned off the light. I knew he would walk away, so at that moment I climbed out the window onto an old oak tree. I slid down its withered trunk onto the ice-cold grass. I laughed madly at myself thinking it’s just like being a kid again. I wandered down the streets following the mystery man! When he turned I would try not to blow my cover. At last he stopped, at a rusty rubbish bin and he climbed inside. I felt horribly sorry for him but I had to know. I knocked calmly on the bin and waited for a response.?The old man popped his head up and said “what do you want?” in a harsh voice. “I want to know why you are following me?” I demanded. His eyes widened “Brook? Err um may I see your necklace?” His words were soft and calm, so I handed it to him. “Oh sweetheart” he said with a cry. I had no idea how to feel, was he my dad? No he can’t be, my dad died when I was 3. I was so confused. “Let me explain…” he said and he told me the story of how he became like this. The story was so emotional, I can’t believe, my dad, James Jackson, went to live on the streets so my mum could feed me! Tears filled my eyes, blurring my sight. I stepped forward and hugged him tight…?We walked home in silence, not knowing what to say. I was so glad, that every minute I saw him I cried tears of joy!