short story-21

The Smiling Man

It was late at night and the small town was completely still. The only sound was the wind rustling through the trees and the occasional car passing by.

I was out for a walk, trying to clear my head after a long day. I hadn't been out for a walk in a while, and I was enjoying the quiet and the fresh air.

As I rounded the corner, I noticed a man standing in the shadows. He was tall and thin, with a long coat and a hat pulled down low over his face. He was just standing there, perfectly still, looking out into the darkness.

I stopped and stared at him for a moment, unsure of what to do. He still hadn't noticed me, so I decided to cautiously approach him. As I got closer, I realized that he was smiling.

He was smiling, but it wasn't a happy smile. It was a sad, almost eerie smile. I couldn't help but feel a chill run down my spine.

I cleared my throat and the man slowly turned his head towards me. His eyes were dark, and he seemed to be looking right through me. I felt a wave of fear wash over me, Completely against my better judgement, I asked him what he was doing out here so late at night.

He just smiled at me and said, "I'm just enjoying the night. Nothing more, nothing less."

I nodded and backed away slowly, not wanting to disturb him any further. I hurried home, feeling a strange sense of relief that I had made it away from the smiling man alive.

The next morning, I woke up feeling more refreshed than I had in days. I couldn't help but wonder if the smiling man had something to do with it.