Mystery Man

Jude’s life was very ordinary. His daily routine, home life, and grades were all average. He even looked average. He was quite tall, with short brown hair, and olive skin. The only feature that stood out in any way were his eyes. One eye was blue and the other a shiny grayish color almost like silver. Jude was adopted as a young child. And no matter how hard they tried, he or his parents could not find out who his biological parents were. Now Jude was 18 years old and was over the whole adopted thing. He was happy that he grew up under the great parents he had. All he wanted to do was get through his senior year at Ventura High School, and move on with his life.

One morning Jude was walking to school like he did every day, when he noticed a man walking about 20 feet behind him. This man was very rough looking. He had blonde curly hair, a leather jacket, and was wearing black combat boots. Jude had never seen this man before, and thought it was odd he was walking the same route. After silently thinking it through Jude decided that this was just a coincidence and to think nothing of it.

The very next day, the man did the exact same thing. He stayed about 20 feet behind Jude at all times, and followed him all the way to school. Except this time the man did the same thing at the end of the day when Jude walked home. Not only did his routine continue to happen almost every day for a week. But every day the man would walk closer behind him. Jude was starting to get a little freaked out.

By the beginning of the next week the man was walking a consistent three feet behind Jude. Jude decided that he was going to confront him. Without thinking it through Jude quickly turned around and was ready to do whatever he needed to do. But when he turned Jude got a glimpse of a 9mm handgun under the man’s leather jacket. Jude instinctively punched the man in the gut and ran. The man chased him. Yelling three words over and over. Jude couldn’t make them out though, he was to focused on running as fast as his legs could carry take him.

Jude knew that he couldn’t go home. The man knew where he lived. He decided that after he lost this psycho he would go to Emma’s house. Emma was a little bit shorter than Jude, and opposite in almost every way. Emma, with her fierce red hair down past her shoulders, and pale skin, stood out above anyone else. She lived only three blocks from Jude, and she was his best friend since they were kids. So, as soon as Jude lost the crazy man pursuing him, he doubled back to Emma’s house.

Emma opened the door surprised to see Jude. But quickly recognized his expression of urgency and let him in. Jude immediately started rambling on about all that had happened. Mostly to try and clear it up in his own head. Jude couldn’t figure out who this man was and why he was so interested in him. Then Jude began to connect the pieces. When Jude had seen the man before he never paid to much attention to the man’s eyes. But now remembering back, Jude realized that the man had the same peculiar eye coloring as Jude. One normal blue eye, but the other a grayish, almost silver color. Could this man be related? Could he possibly know anything about Jude’s real parents? Oh, how Jude wished he had heard the words the man was yelling as he ran away. It almost made sense. The mystery man was never violent in any way. Just a little bit creepy, like a father desperately wanting to get a closer glimpse of his son.

When Jude told this theory to Emma, she thought it was insane.

“You can’t just assume this is some long lost family member because he has the same weird eye thing as you”, she said

“Think about it. Who would want to follow me around? Out of all the interesting and more attractive people in Ventura, why me? The only answer is that we are related” said Jude.

“How do you explain the gun under his shirt then?” Emma asked.

“A lot of people carry guns in this day in age. Or maybe he is a police officer!” Jude exclaimed.

“Now you’re just acting childish, and crazy! He could be a fugitive, or mass murderer or something!” Emma yelled

“All I know is that he had plenty of opportunities to hurt me and never did. I’m gonna find out who he is.” said Jude confidently as he proudly walked out the door.

Jude went home eager to see the man in the usual spot the next morning. But when morning came the man wasn’t there. Jude waited for a couple of minutes and then continued to school. Maybe the man slept in or something. Maybe he will be waiting again after school. The man never appeared. For weeks Jude waited for this mystery man to show up. To answer all Jude’s questions about his family and why he could never find his real parents. But the answers never came. Maybe this crazy man never existed. Maybe the whole thing was Jude’s imagination. I guess he will never know. Just like he will never know his real parents.