You be the judge...

VEEERRRRY creepy or not.....you be the judge:

Last night, despite having spent her day running around with other puppies, Sasha was in quite a mood. Generally speaking, after a day like that, she's exhausted and spends most of the evening either napping next to me on the couch or lounging in the lazyboy. Not last night.

Perhaps it was the downward change in temperature. Perhaps it was the wind whistling outside. Perhaps it was the rose bush branches knocking on the picture window. Whatever it was, she was restless and insisted that she wanted to go for a walk.

Most of the time I try to make sure our walk is over before it gets dark, but since the days are getting shorter that is seemingly becoming more difficult to accomplish. So I slipped on some shoes, bundled myself in a sweatshirt and grabbed her leash. We were off. She probably would have been happy with a stroll up and down my street, but since I had steps to get in anyway, I opted for a longer route. We usually cover my street and the one just east of mine. Occasionally we go into the next neighborhood over. We very rarely walk the street just west of mine. Perhaps after last night I know why. I was in the mood for a change of scenery and since it was getting dark quickly and the western street is not lit as well as the eastern street, we went west.

As we strolled, the smells of falls surrounded us. The winds whipped around us and the leaves crunched under my feet. I thought about the fact that it was eerily quiet and that October and Halloween were quickly approaching. We had just made it to the southern portion of the street, which is void of nearly all street lights and house lights when I noticed a flickering light up ahead on the porch of the house we were approaching. I thought to myself how homey that seemed that someone was getting into the autumn spirit. We passed a big hedge and crossed into the sidewalk in front of the house. It was then that I noticed, through a small opening in the porch, a man sitting on the porched eerily lit by the flickering candle light. His hair was grey. The area where his eyes should have been were mere shadows. He was wearing what appeared to be a black cape. (The reasonable, rational part of me says it wasn't but still.....) He sat there in perfect silence slowing stroking his fingers across the head of an equally silent dog that sat beside him. It felt like a scene right of a scary movie.....or something set up by one of those haunted houses you can visit in October. I was freaked out!

I usually nod a greeting or say hello as I pass other people in my neighborhood. I couldn't make myself do that this time. I was frozen with fear.

I urged Sasha on and we (quickly!) proceeded down the street. About 3 minutes later we were headed back up the street (on the opposite side!). As we passed the house, now from a safe distance, I looked over to see if the man was still there. There was no sign of him! There was no candle. No dog. With one lone hall light on in the house, it didn't even appear that anyone was home. At that point, we nearly ran home. Now I know why I never go down that street!

So, you be the judge.....creepy occurance or just my crazy imagination?