It’s 2:25 am. There’s a man standing in my backyard.

He isn’t moving. He’s just standing there, right outside the tree line. I have to take my dog out but I’m way too freaked out to step outside.
My dog wakes me up most nights around 2 AM or so to let him out. He sleeps in my bed with me (I know, probably gross, but I love him and I can’t help it). I don’t want him doing his business in my bed, so I always get up and take him outside. But whatever that thing is standing out there, I don’t want to come near it.

Here’s the thing about my dog: he’s 15, and this year his age has caught up to him. He’s gone partially deaf and has developed cataracts. He doesn’t bark or react to things like he used to. It’s just a sad truth of him getting older. I still love him the same and I’m lucky he’s lived this long, but I don’t trust his senses like I used to. I don’t know if he sensed what’s out there.

I headed to the back door, flicking on lights so my dog and I could watch our steps when I spotted it. It was facing my house, just standing like an obsidian statue at the edge of the treeline. My blood ran cold, and my body reacted faster than my brain. I bolted away from the door and shut off all the lights I had turned on. Primal instinct had kicked in. I crawled back to my bedroom, moving as quietly as I could and avoiding windows.
I’ve been hiding behind my bedroom curtains since then, trying to make sense of what’s going on. After giving myself a few minutes to breathe, I poked my head out from behind the curtain to see if it was still there. I half expected to see its face pressed against the window staring back at me but it’s still standing there in the middle of my yard. I can see it clearly from where I am.

My body is tense, every hair on its end, every nerve alive with fear. There’s this suffocating sense of dread. I can’t help but feel like I’m being watched, even though I can clearly see it still facing my back door. I can’t shake the feeling that it knows where I am. That it saw me turn on the lights. That it’s waiting.

I have decided that I am going to call the cops. Most likely case is that it’s just one of my neighbors. There’s a few elderly couples living on my street and I’ve heard stories of old people wandering from their homes, lost and confused. But.. I don’t know. I’ve never seen anyone stand that still. If it is one of my neighbors, they might need help.

I don’t know if I’m just trying to convince myself that it’s not supernatural. I’ve heard stories of skinwalkers, creatures, all sorts of things. I’ve seen videos of them on TikTok and Instagram reels that my friends send me trying to scare me. I try not to think about them too hard, because the more I think about it the more I freak myself out. Maybe that’s what I’m doing now. But there’s just something about the way it’s standing there— unnervingly still — like it’s something that SHOULDN’T be in my backyard. Something that might not even be human.

Whatever or whoever it is, the cops can deal with it. If this or something similar has happened to anyone before, I’d appreciate some advice on how to handle this situation and if I’m doing the right thing. Maybe I just want to feel less alone right now. I can’t ignore the feeling that whatever is outside is dangerous. For now, I’ll stay behind my bedroom curtains keeping watch. I’m calling the cops right after making this post. Whether it’s just my paranoia or something more, id rather deal with the mess of cleaning up after my dog than whatever is standing out there in the dark.

*******UPDATE, ITS GONE

The cops showed up at 2:57. Thank you to the commenter who suggested I talk to the cops through the door. I told them the situation and they went around back to check it out, but when I looked out the window again it was gone. The cops searched all around the premise but couldn’t find anything weird. No sign of a person, no footsteps, nothing. They must think that I am crazy. I don’t care. The only security I feel right now is in knowing that all of my doors and windows are locked, so there is no way that it got inside with me. I just pray to god it doesn’t come back. I don’t think I’ll be getting any sleep tonight.