From Beyond by Littlewing1957
Ennis sat at his small table and poured over the bills. He made a pile of bills to get in the mail right away, and a pile for those that could be paid later. His heat was turned off for lack of payment, and Ennis sat huddled in blankets to keep warm. Late October, and while not exactly freezing, it was cold outside. It was cold inside, as well. The bills all sorted, Ennis pulled the blankets tightly across his shoulders. He was almost accustomed to the loneliness, but this night he experienced an almost unknown feeling: one of fear.
Ennis didn’t know why he was so afraid. He listened to the night. All quiet; too quiet. Except for the wind. To Ennis the wind didn’t count – it was always raging, rattling his trailer. The wind was so familiar that he often ignored it, took the hissing for granted. But not this night. KNOCK! There, he heard it! Ennis jumped at the sound of a knock at his door. He wasn’t expecting anyone. Ennis moved to his front door on wary feet. KNOCK KNOCK! Again, Ennis heard it.
“Who is it?” Ennis bellowed against the sound of the wind, hoping that whomever, whatever was outside could hear him. No answer. No knocking sound, either. He shrugged and turned away from his door. KNOCK! Again, a rap at his door - disembodied -chilling! Ennis couldn’t hear the footsteps of a visitor for the volume of the wind. He rushed to the door and flung it open. No one there. Nothing but the dust, the inky dark, the wind. The road was a vacant strip. Ennis closed the door. Turning to prepare for bed, he felt it. A gossamer breath on his neck, a tiny tap on his shoulder. He turned on a dime, terrified now. No one in back of him. His door was shut tight and locked. No one could have come in; no one walked past him. Ennis stood very still, hoped he wouldn’t be sick. He knew he wasn’t alone, sensed an entity standing right in front of him. The “thing” stood between Ennis and his front door. No other way out of the trailer. A familiar smell, that of sweat and aftershave, a manly scent that Ennis recognized. He knew who had come to call.
“I don’t want you here, Jack fucking Twist!” Ennis shouted at the empty space right in front of him. In his heart he knew that Jack had come to him, but his mind couldn’t fully grasp what he felt in his heart. Ennis was not prepared to see Jack. Hell, he couldn’t see him. But Jack could be felt: a coldness that chilled him to the bone.
“Please Jack!” Ennis, almost hysterical now. “Not now! Not like this!” Ennis fell to his knees. And what happened next Ennis preferred to classify as a dream. He thought he heard a gasp, a heartbroken sigh. Just as quickly, the entity was gone. Ennis eased his way toward his window and glanced outside. He thought he saw a vague, shadowy hearse floating down the narrow strip of road….