One afternoon I was driving up the mountain to the place my grandparents used to live. It was a warm day for fall, but it was still overcast. It was the kind of day that you idolize when you dream of fall during those hot summer months. I was going to their house for no particular reason. Honestly expecting nothing other than to think about simpler times when they were still alive. As I finally pulled to the top of their driveway, I decided to do something I had never done before. I knew the house was empty. It had gone through a couple owners since their death, but the last owners had moved out years ago. With this in mind I decided to walk up to the house to look through the windows. I wanted to see if those rooms still stored the memories I had played over and over again in my mind. I got out of my car and looked around. There was nothing special around me. The view in front of me past the house was incredible but I was so focused on the house. I walked to the front door to look at the windows that went into the kitchen. I suddenly felt the urge to knock at the door. A chill instantly went through my body as I thought about it. Even the chance of anyone opening the door chilled me to the bones. Still I decided to do it. I gave it a simple three beat knock and left it at that. I thought I was so brave. I had all the confidence in the world that no one would open up. That is why I was so shook when the door began to open. I had heard no footsteps I had seen no figure yet there before me the door opened, beckoning me to enter a place that had once been so inviting. I stood frozen. I could swear it took the door a few seconds to open after my last knock. If it would have been open, it would have opened when my fist first touched the door. A quick thought went into my brain to go in. “Why would I do that?” I thought. How stupid would I have to be? But the thought stuck. After what felt like an hour of standing in front of the empty doorway, I thought it would not hurt to just stick my head in. Not too far but just enough to see down the steps that led to the swimming pool. As I took one step closer to the door, I became aware of just how stupid I was being. Would I really look into this creepy house? I wish I could say I listened to my conscience and went back to my car. As I stuck my head into the house, I saw an image that will never leave my mind. There in the hallway stood a man.

The man was
familiar yet alien. It appeared to be my uncle Blayne. Blayne had died a year
after my grandparents so I barely remembered what he looked like. I could not
move. I was caught in his gaze. There he stood to the left of the door just
staring at me. His eyes were like black holes but everything else on his face
was normal. I could not move. I finally uttered the word “Blayne?” which received
no verbal reply. His gaze lay fixed on me and he showed no signs of any
emotion. In a deep voice without moving his mouth he told me to come in. I
wanted to run away but I took the step into the house. He did not breathe, he
did not move, he just kept staring. I was shaking. The temperature must have
dropped 30 degrees as I stared at the figure. I did not want to believe it was
my uncle, but I was just so confused. I wish I could say I mustered the courage
to speak to him or get closer to him, but we just stood there for over five
minutes. What happened next is still a blur. I got out of the house and ran to
my car. He did not follow me. The door remained open. Nothing funny happened
with my car and I drove away as fast as I could. I had to use this roundabout
at the end of the street and when I passed by the house again, the door was
closed. I went back to my apartment really shook. Those black eyes were still
burned in the back of my skull. I cannot honestly say if that man was the ghost
of my uncle or some creep, but I do know that something was not right. I don’t
know what I want to believe about it. I hope it was just a vivid nightmare.