For 25 Christmases, The Same Silent Stranger Appeared Outside Our House At Exactly The Same Time. He Never Spoke, Never Left A Note, And Every Year My Parents Called The Police In Panic. When I Turned 15, I Finally Stepped Outside And Asked, “Why Do You Keep Coming Back?” He Looked Straight At Me… And Burst Into Tears.

counting the boxes with my name on them, when I saw movement through the window. A man was standing across the street. He was tall, wearing a dark coat, his breath forming clouds in the frozen air. He was not moving, not walking anywhere, not waiting for someone. He was just standing there, perfectly still, staring at our house, staring at me. I did continue reading …