Locksmith

Hi readers, my name is Harry and I'm a 19 year old student living at home in the UK

I'm not really sure how to begin this as I have never been in a situation like this or have felt as shaken up about something. I'm not sure why I'm writing about this either, I guess it’s just as a sort of warning to others or to see if there is anyone else out there who has experienced this or seen this guy around. I may be overreacting, but this really freaked me out!

This happened to me on the 10th of August 2014 around 2am on Sunday, though I’m pretty sure I saw this man around the area earlier, so I’ll start from the beginning.

I’m a bit of a night owl, so I’m usually up late, browsing the internet and watching TV. I had just finished watching an episode of something (Scrubs, I think) and felt like having a cigarette. I was about to go out front when I noticed, from my hallway window, a guy wearing blue overalls and cap across the street hanging around someone’s front door. It looked like he was looking for something around the doorway, but I didn't know what. I would've assumed he lived there, but after he finished whatever he was doing, he went on to the next house, then the next, every now and then it seemed like he was reaching into his pocket. Eventually, he reached the end of the street and crossed over to my side and out of sight of the hallway window.

I remember thinking it was a bit weird, but thought nothing more of it and decided I’d have my smoke a bit later.

About 15 minutes later, I hear these noises coming from my front door. I assume it’s the guy I’d seen earlier and quietly crept to the door and look through the peep hole. Sure enough, I saw it was him by his clothes, but didn't see his face as he was hunched over most the time, below eye level and when he did straighten up (sort of), he was walking away from the house. I also remember thinking it was a bit weird as he was a fairly short man, but he seemed to take really long strides.

Anyway, he left and went on to the next house so I got back to what I was doing.

A few days later, (10th of August), I’m doing my usual thing, watching TV with a beer at like 2 in the morning and, again, decided to go for a smoke. I go out front like I usually do, as I had completely forgotten about the guy at this point and light up my cigarette. I’m smoking for a little while when the wind picks up and blows my front door shut (it’s happened lots of times, but I never learn). I carry on smoking, while looking for my key in my pocket, I find it and put it in the door and open it slightly.

I was about to have my last pull and head inside when I swear I hear something, so I stay still and try to listen harder. It was footsteps and it was coming from the alley down the side of my house. The footsteps sounded irregular and with every step there seemed to be a faint jingle. I don’t know why, but I just stood there still, looking towards the alleyway entrance, listening.

Eventually, I see this guy, the same guy from a few nights ago! In his blue overalls and cap, however, I still couldn't see his face as he was just standing there, slightly hunched, looking straight forward. It seemed like we were both just standing there for ages, just more than a car length apart.

Suddenly, his neck crookedly snaps round and he looks straight at me. I have never felt blood drain from my face before, but I’m not even ashamed to admit, I was fucking terrified. My face felt ice cold but sweaty and my chest felt tight where my heart was racing. It was his face! Even though it was dark, his face was so pale white that it stood out from the dark. His eyes looked like there were deep inside the sockets, but they were so wide, wider than I've ever seen before, but they weren't blinking! But it was his smile, which slowly twisted into this perverted grin. Why the fuck was he smiling like that?! He didn't even look human.

All of a sudden, he shrieks “LET ME IN!” and starts striding towards me, I dive in the house and slam the door behind me and collapse against the door. I feel myself shaking uncontrollably, however, feeling slightly relieved to be safe inside the house.

That’s when I realised and this wave of horror washed over me. My key.

I slowly pulled myself up and looked through the peep hole to see that twisted, inhuman face grinning at me, holding up my key. I felt sick. He then slowly backed away from the door, and pulled something out of his pocket. It was a key ring with dozens of keys on in. He put my key on it, jingled it mockingly at the door and then went.

I stayed up all night by the front door after making sure all the windows and doors were locked, with my bat. When it was daytime, I immediately called a locksmith and got the locks changed.

I haven’t seen or heard from the man since and after having my locks replaced, I feel safer. But what concerned me was all the other keys he had. Found or stolen from people who thought they had just lost them and the houses he could get in to.