Reflection on Oneself

The white painted door opened inward while the screen door slammed outward. Daniel stepped out of the house into a crisp autumn night, feeling the chill of winter brush his face. He zipped up his thin jacket, which did little to combat the cold, then turned back to address his new friend.

“Thanks for having me over,” Daniel said, clasping his hand with his friend’s and then fist bumping.

“Anytime man,” Terry replied. “Come over tomorrow after school. My mom’s cooking pasta.”

Daniel exaggerated his surprise at the dinner choice. “You’ve convinced me. See ya.”

Daniel waved goodbye as he quickly traversed the steps to the sidewalk. The door slammed shut behind him. Daniel moved to the street, looked both ways, and jogged across to the other sidewalk. Home wasn’t too far from Terry’s house, maybe a ten-minute walk. However, since there was nothing waiting at home for him to do tonight, Daniel opted to take a scenic route home, stopping by the park first.

Night walks were enjoyable for Daniel. He liked the near quietness, the only sounds being nature. The bright stars beaming down on him like little flashlights surrounding Earth. Despite the chill, Daniel enjoyed the gentle breeze tonight. It didn’t hinder him from wanting to relax on a park bench, listening to nature and the fountain built there. The only man-made object he enjoyed listening to.

Leaving the city led to more nights like this. The constant sound of cars, horns, and angry people was never something Daniel wanted to be around. Not to mention the bullies he faced at school. When his parents decided to move into the suburbs, Daniel jumped at the idea. Despite his current struggles, Daniel hoped he’d find his place as the new kid.

Daniel walked for a few minutes, then entered the park and laid on his favorite bench. He stared up at the stars while listening to the park noises. The serenity remained consistent during each visit.

Daniel felt nothing but pure peace. Nothing to worry about, no one to deal with. People didn’t exist at this moment. It was just Daniel and nature.

Something stirred Daniel’s focus away from the stars. That six sense one gets when they feel like something is off. Daniel glanced left and spotted a silhouette in the distance. They stood across the street but seemed to face Daniel’s direction.

It wasn’t like other people didn’t actually exist. Houses enclosed the park and, as far as Daniel knew, one of them might belong to that man. He looked back at the stars again, trying to find his inner peace. Instead, Daniel looked back at the silhouette to see the person had moved across the street and now was in the park with Daniel.

Daniel shot up, now feeling uneasy at the sight. He watched the man, frozen to the bench, waiting for him to move. When he did, Daniel stood up and walked in the opposite direction. Reaching the street on the other side of the park, Daniel crossed and headed toward home.

After a couple minutes, Daniel risked a glance behind him to see the silhouette there, now more visible, and wore a trench coat and western-styled hat. Daniel’s pulse shot up as he faced forward and walked faster, turning right at the intersection instead of left. Unsure of the next move, Daniel hesitated to lead the man back to his home.

Reaching into his pant’s pockets, Daniel tried to find his phone, but couldn’t. He figured he had forgotten it at Terry’s, but didn’t want to head back because of his pursuer. Instead, Daniel changed course for downtown, which wasn’t too far from his current location.

Daniel would occasionally glance back to check if his pursuer still followed. No matter which road Daniel took, the man stayed about the same distance away, always following but never gaining ground.

In the downtown area, Daniel rushed to the closest supermarket, the only one possibly open at this time of night. The man continued his pursuit as Daniel walked up to the automatic doors and slipped inside. Now feeling safe with others around, Daniel searched for an employee in the aisles who could help him.

The automatic doors opened again and Daniel looked at the other end of the store to see the man appear and move straight for him. Any feeling of safety was gone, and somehow, the people he saw roaming the store had vanished. It was just Daniel and the man.

Daniel sprinted down an aisle, glancing back to see the man chasing him. He instinctively screamed as he ran as fast as he could. The man screamed too, keeping the same distance from Daniel as before. This in itself would confuse Daniel, why the man screamed back, but the fear kept any rational thought from forming.

Slamming into the store’s back doors, Daniel searched for a place to hide. The backroom stored all the additional products the store didn’t have space for on the shelves, including some rather repulsive smelling strawberries near him. The man’s screams drew near and Daniel instead opted for the back door. The man burst into the back room as Daniel slipped outside once more.

On his right, Daniel noticed a ladder leading to the rooftop. Without a second thought, he climbed the ladder. Bursting out of the door, the man caused Daniel to scream again. The man mimicked as he stared up at Daniel. He too started climbing the ladder, which brought upon more screaming from the two of them.

At the top, Daniel sprinted to the other side of the building, only to discover that the ladder was the sole option to get down safely.

Daniel was trapped.

The wind picked up to a more harsh breeze. The cold made Daniel shiver as he starred at his fate. The man no longer stayed distant. He drew closer.

“Please leave me alone!” Daniel shouted at the man. “I did nothing to you!”

The man drew closer still.

“What do you want from me?” Daniel asked.

The man closed the distance and grabbed Daniel, who shrieked at the sudden aggressive act. The man didn’t scream back. With him now so close to Daniel, recognition spread across his face. The man was him.

Daniel in the trench coat getup gazed at the other Daniel and declared, “Not good enough.” He swiftly pushed him off the building. Daniel screamed on his way down, his doppelgänger laughing manically back. Daniel hit the ground.

And he awoke with a scream. Sweat dripped down his face. His heart raced and felt like it would beat right out of his chest. Lights flipped on in the hallway as Daniel’s parents approached his door.

It was a dream. Just a dream. A dream that resulted in the stress Daniel had felt over the last few weeks. A dream that spoke volumes about Daniel’s character, and how he truly felt about himself.