[ WP ] You have broken into someone 's house , and discover a shrine dedicated to you ...

It was almost midnight, and Barry's house was as dead as the night outside. Moonlight shined pale white through a window in the center of the corridor, casting long, dark shadows across the carpet. I heard footsteps padding up the stairs from behind me, and my heart skipped a beat. Quickly, I ducked into a side room near the end of the hall. 
 
 I looked around, and gasped. A hundred candles of different sizes and colors illuminated a giant picture of my face in flickering light. There was a giant poster board filled with pictures of me- my fifth birthday as a child, me smiling with my first girlfriend at the park, me graduating and going to college, and– I shuddered- one of myself asleep in my room. 
 
 There could only be one explanation for Barry's obsession with me. I thought back to my performance at the third grade talent show. I had performed a rousing rendition of Will Smith's “ Gettin Jiggy Wit It ” with my homeboys. We had brought the house down, the applause so loud that we would have come back on for an encore, had we prepared another song. Barry had been in the audience that day, watching silently, licking his lips every so often. Always watching. Always licking. I cursed fate for gifting me with me such talent, and delivering on that day. It would haunt me for the rest of my life. 
 
 “ Who's there? ” a voice asked, snapping me back to the present. The light flicked on, and Barry stood in front of me, smiling like a madman. 
 
 “ Well, if it is n't Mr. Big Willie Style himself, ” he said. He gestured at the shrine to my back. “ So, what do you think of the decorations? ” 
 
 “ You're crazy, ” I said frantically. “ I'm calling the cops. ” 
 
 “ *You're* calling the cops. ” His smile was widening. “ But *I'm* the one with the home intruder- not that you're unwelcome here. ” He licked his lips and took a step a closer. “ No, it would be in both of our best interests if we kept this encounter our little secret. Now, *it's just the two of us*-'' 
 
 * * * 
 “ STOP, STOP, STOP, ” Meghan yelled, interrupting. She put her hands on hips and glared at me. “ Dad, is this a real story? ” 
 
 “ Of course it is, ” I said. “ After that, I jumped out the window and escaped into the night, before Barry could catch me. Luckily, I was the most athletic kid in my college. ” 
 
 “ Are you sure you did n't just make this up because you do n't want me to perform in this year's talent show? ” she asked, clearly not convinced. 
 
 “ Nope, nothing like that at all. Although if you want to perform this year, go ahead. It's your funeral. ” 
 
 `` Jim!'' my wife called from kitchen. `` What are you telling our daughter now? Remember what we said about supporting her choices?'' 
 
 “ I'm gon na do it Dad. ” 
 
 “ What are you planning to do for your act, anyway? ” I asked. 
 
 “ We're gon na sing a song by Nicki Minaj! ” she said excitedly. 
 
 “ Oh, thank god, ” I said. “ Nobody is going to make a shrine dedicated to you if you sing them that garbage. ” 
 
 *** 
 
 /r/ghost_write_the_whip
