The Gas Station Stranger-1

After finishing a late shift, I stopped at a remote gas station. The parking lot was empty except for a blue sedan that pulled up while I was pumping gas.

A tall man in a greasy jacket walked toward me. "Want to see a funny trick?" he asked, grinning strangely as he bent his thumb backward like a bad magic act.

I fake-laughed and turned away, but he didn’t leave. The gas pump finally clicked, and I rushed inside to get my change. When I came back... he was gone, but his car was still there, its fuel pump running.

Trying not to panic, I sped home, locked the front door, and sat down in the dark kitchen to eat my late dinner. Suddenly... the front door unlocked.

I froze. “Mom? Dad?” No answer.

My hands trembled as I grabbed a knife from the kitchen counter and crept toward the front hall. The door was wide open, and the spare key was missing.

Breathing heavily, I turned back toward the dining room—when I saw his face under the table, grinning.

I lunged at him with the knife, but there was nothing there.

Was I imagining it? Or was he still here... watching?