𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝑯𝒆𝒊𝒓𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒎

I woke up from a nightmare, and again, about my father. It was still dark so I checked my alarm clock, it was midnight. I felt hungry, so I went out of my small apartment and had a round trip to the convenience store.

I bought a meal worth 3$, and as I checked out from the cashier, I walked straight to my apartment.

On the way, while crossing the road, I heard a faint clank of metal...

I peeked behind me, there was nothing but the lamp post in front of a closed building on the side of the road.

So I naturally strolled around the block to see if someone was following me.

I got a glimpse of a tall thin man, slowly, silently, and stealthily following me.

I don't think that person would be such a dingus to think of fighting with me, considering my muscular physic, so I ignored it and went straight to the building my apartment is in.

I hurriedly went inside my apartment and locked the door.

I opened the wrapper of my meal, and just as I was about to dig in - *tock....tock*

Someone knocked on the door.

I was thinking if the person knocking was the person that followed me, or if it was one of my friends, but then again, my friends are probably fast asleep this late, so my first assumption is more likely to be true.

I fetched a bat, then - *TOCK...TOCK* - the knock was louder this time.

I was hesitating to open the door, and having second thoughts about not opening it.

In the end, I decided to grab the doorknob and instantly opened the door, as I held my bat up high, I heard a faint gasp from the person, as I looked at him in the eye, he is certainly an old thin beggar, holding my bracelet.

I lowered my bat and said to the old beggar, "I'm sorry... were you trying to give back my bracelet?" the beggar nodded and he gave it to me.

"Thank you old man, this is a family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation, and before my father passed away last week, he gave me this.. It's very precious to me, so tysm"

The old man smiled and turned around, ready to leave.

"Hey, old man! would you like some coffee with me? I'll give it as thanks"

He smiled and kindly refused, and slowly walked away.

I don't know why but I feel nostalgic when that man smiled.

I closed the door and went back to eat my meal, as I sat down, I realized that that old man resembled my late father's smile, they looked so alike as if they were one.

I hastily went out to the hall and searched for him, he might haven't been out of the building because he was walking slowly, but after I looked left and right, and went down to ask the woman in the lobby if an old man passed by, she said she hasn't seen one, nor did the security guard, and the couple in the lobby.

So I went back to my room.

After finally going back to sleep, the moment I closed my eyes, the words "keep the heirloom safe" in my father's voice, whispered through my ears. I open my eyes and see no one, so I went back to sleep, and said in my consciousness, "I will keep it safe, father." a tear dropped in my eye.

Significant pov: after he slept and had a teary eye, the smile from the old man before was seen smiling again outside the boy's window, in the 3rd floor.