Early morning encounters

At six in the morning, it's still dark out.  There's a sliver of a moon and no stars in the cloudy sky.  The air is cool this early in the day.  The days are creeping closer and closer to that inevitable holiday, Halloween.

Ghost stories abound.  Any horror the mind can create has been thought up.  People maybe start to wonder "what if" when unsettling noises begin.

Or, the mundane becomes creepy.

This morning, on my way back from the gym, a man was strolling down the street.  Following the proper safety guidelines, he even sported a nifty reflective vest so cars would see him.  What he probably did not expect was for a car to slow down as it neared him, until it was almost a crawl to match his pace.

What's going on?  Murderer?  Thief?  Kidnapper?  Thoughts must have been running through his head. I tried to smile and look friendly, but, with no light, I doubt he saw.  He quickened his stride, shot me a sidelong look, and took off. 

In his defense, it's dark and there are strange people out in the world.  (There were also strange sounds emanating from the yard - I heard it on my way out the door.)  In my defense, he was walking in front of my house and I needed to turn into the driveway.