The room has golden little mailboxes covering three out of the four walls about mid section to nearly the ceiling. I locate the proper key on my ring of keys and start to make my way toward the box with the number and letter 12B. However, my eye catches another box just as I do. 14C. If I could get into that mailbox would I find vials of blood and the November issue of Gothic Weekly? Probably not but ever since Joanna spoke of the new tenant I’ve been extra curious. It could be because how long it’s been since we had a new resident but in the past I had never been this interested. It may be because he’s some kind of mystery and I do love a good mystery.

I shake my head and unlock our mailbox. I find a couple of bills, some soliciting mail, and a card from Granny. It’s probably for my birthday in a week. She probably sent a ten-dollar bill and some leaflet with a passage from the bible on it. She does it every year. I actually haven’t seen her since the Christmas when I was fourteen going on fifteen. Since then she’s retired and apparently living in some gated elderly condo place in South Florida but I don’t think she really likes us that much.

Suddenly a chill runs down my spine and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

I barely swallow a thick lump of saliva as I cautiously glance over my shoulder when I hear footsteps. I see a very tall figure barefoot in slightly frayed black fitted jeans and a black sweatshirt with the hood up. The skin on his hands and feet are remarkably pale, in fact they look snow white. As I note the nails on his fingers are slightly longer than my bitten back ones, I realize he has just put his key and unlocked the 14C mailbox. I swallow again.

As if he could sense that I was staring at him, he turns his head quickly in my direction. I freak of course because I was being rude and it looks like, at least from behind, the kind of guy to gut you in your sleep or something. My heartbeat speeds up as I stare into the dark emptiness of my mailbox. A second later I am overwhelmed with sharp chills traveling up and down my spine continuously. It’s a feeling I’ve never had before. They spread out like spider webs from my spine and along my sides to my stomach where it feels like butterflies or maybe bats is a better metaphor in this situation flying around crazy as if tripping on acid. It’s frightening but for whatever reason feels kind of amazing. Dangerously euphoric is probably a good description.

I take in a sharp breath and finally whip around and press myself against the metal on the wall ready to face the weird man and figure out what the hell is going on. Unfortunately, I find myself alone again. He’s disappeared and I feel rather silly.

Was that a fluke or did that guy do something to me without even touching me? What the hell is he?