It started at around noon on a surprisingly cool summer day. I was sitting outside on the bottom step of my house, just looking up and down the street. Yeah, at the time I could have been doing something more productive but it was just one of those days where you don't really want to do anything. I continued this for who knows how long before my eyes caught something strange. Behind one of the houses I caught a glimpse of someone walking out from behind, passing briefly by the small opening between the houses; disappearing into the backyard to another. I didn't know what to think, so I took it as just my imagination or just one of the neighbors since everyone on the street knew each other.

I sat there for an hour or so more before my dad called me to come inside. My mom made lunch, and while I was eating; for some reason the image of the person I saw earlier started to flood my mind. Something about it just didn't seem right. They wore dark clothing but at the same time I couldn't really make out who they were or what they looked like. It was like a blur, or something was making me 'not see them'. Thinking about it as much as I was, was making me more and more afraid. I guess I was showing since my dad asked what was wrong. 

I told him everything, and he said he was going to talk with the neighbors who lived in the houses where I saw the strange person. My mom agreed with my dad's idea and said that we would both go with him. We left getting ready to go speak to the neighbors, but they were already out there talking to each other. 

We met up with them, and that's when my dad started talking to them. They were two men, one being Mr. Gilbert who was a elderly man married to Mrs. Gilbert who stood on the porch of their house. The other was Mr. Cunningham's son Kyle, who was watching over the house while his dad was at the doctors. He was a little older than my dad but he has always been nice to me and my friends and everyone in the neighborhood.

My dad asked them what was going on. They both were telling them about someone walking behind the houses. My dad looked a bit shocked and mentioned that we came over to ask about that since I also saw it. Mr. Gilbert asked me nicely what I saw. I tried to describe what they looked like but I couldn't really see any details besides the dark clothing. 

Mr. Gilbert nodded and said that he and Kyle both saw the same thing. He also mentioned that whoever it was, was standing at the windows and before anything could be done they were gone. My mom asked if they tried to call the police. Kyle responded by telling her that they were long gone before he could even dial the number. They continued talking but at one point Mr. Gilbert gave my dad a look hinting at what I know now was to send me away because of something he didn't want me to hear. 

My dad asked me to go over and say hi to Mrs. Gilbert and to keep her company. I did as he asked, walking over to her. She waved, and I waved back. I was only a few feet away when I overheard what Mr. Gilbert said to my parents.

"Something's going on here, and I don't think it's safe for anyone. Whoever it is is still out there and who knows what they are thinking of doing."

That was all I could hear before I reached Mrs. Gilbert. I sat with her for a while as my parents were talking. After a while my mom called me over since we were going home. Mrs. Gilbert said goodbye and then I got to my parents. Kyle said that he was going to pick up his dad and should be back soon. He asked if we could keep an eye on the house while he was gone. My parents and Mr. Gilbert said they would. 

We all went back home and the hours passed. It was dark now, and outside you could barely see anything through the darkness. We had dinner, cleaned up, and I remember getting ready for bed that night. Thinking back on it, I can't help but have chills from what happened that night.

Everything went as it would like any other night. Got into bed, laid there looking up at the ceiling, dozing off as usual. Before I could actually fall asleep, I sat up and walked over to my window. I moved the curtain slightly to look outside. I could see the outlines of the houses, not much more. I looked down the street where we were earlier. Out of the darkness, I could make out the silhouette of a person. 

They were standing on the bottom step of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert's house. They were just standing there. At the time I tried to play it off as my imagination, but that idea didn't last long. The figure walked off the step and went over to Mr. Cunningham's home, walking up to the door, standing there. 

I didn't know what to do except scream for my mom and dad. Luckily my window was closed so it didn't give the person any chance to make an escape before anything was done. My dad was the first to run into my room, and then my mom. I told them that the person was at Mr. Cunningham's house. My dad peeked out the window seeing the man now standing at Mr Gilbert's.

"Hun, call the police." My dad said to my mom.

She did as he asked without question, knowing that something was happening. She tried to get through to them but the phone kept dying, disconnecting the call each time. My dad ran out of the room after my mom told him this. I saw him not too long after walking outside holding a baseball bat in hand heading towards Mr. Gilbert's house. 

I opened my window, now being able to hear my dad shouting to the person, telling them to get away from the house, and basically trying to find out why they were there. Looking back, I think he was trying to scare them off. During this, Kyle and Mr. Gilbert stepped out from Mr. Cunningham's, trying to find out what the commotion was all about. 

When they realised what was going on they too joined my dad in scaring the intruder off. Before they got close to them however, the stranger walked down to the street, standing perfectly still; their silhouette facing the three of them. My dad, Mr. Gilbert, and Kyle stood frozen in place. That didn't last long before I saw them run away going back inside. I heard my dad slam the door and run upstairs to me and my mom.

My mom tried to find out what happened but my dad just went over and looked out the window. My mom and I looked out with him. I could see Kyle, Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert peeking out through the window on the second floor. They, like my dad, had their attention on the strange figure standing in the middle of the street. 

I looked to see only the silhouette. That was until another walked out from behind one of the houses. Then another, and another. More kept coming out. Where were they coming from? They slowly walked and stood in the street with the original man. I still feel that fear I felt that night when this happened.

 I wish I could say this was all that happened, and everything was ok, but it wasn't the end. We could hear whispers, then laughter coming from the group. This all stopped though when the man who was originally confronted by my dad and the others tilted their head down. 

He slowly raised his head letting out a blood-curdling screech that echoed and got louder with each moment that passed before it faded into the silent night along with him and the others with it. We were afraid. 

We stayed up all night, even myself being a younger child at the time. Morning came, and we heard a knocking on our door. My mom opened it, and standing there was Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert and Kyle. My mom invited them in. We sat around talking about what happened. I recall them saying that something felt off as though there was something wrong with the person beyond the normal sense. I remember that my dad said it felt dreadful and basically he was terrified like he was going against a monster or something. However, that was the case. 

When they mentioned when they ran away; it wasn't due to the other "things" that showed up. When they stood there, they could see that the person they were confronting was not actually a person. They were just a silhouette, complete darkness. What scared them off was when the shade gave them an unnatural contorted smile. At that point, they knew this was beyond what they could deal with. The more I think about it, I'm glad they didn't stay out there because who knows what could have happened if they stayed out there. 

Since that day, more and more of our neighbors would encounter this being. Seeing him walking around behind houses, being out of sight but enough for us to see him out of the corner of our eyes. We grew wiser and knew to leave whatever he is well alone. Police have encountered and documented sightings of this shade throughout our small town standing at doorways, along with other things, some leading to...deaths of people that try to "deal" with the figure.

 With keeping the peace with what we call now the Wandering Shadow, everything remains peaceful. No one knows how it arrived, or why it is here; or what it is. To you, whoever is reading this, may see this as a tale like in some folklore but its not. The Wandering Shadow is real, and you can see it for yourself but remember; it is not afraid to be seen….