At first, you didn’t think much of it.

The strange figure had appeared around your neighborhood a few months ago. Nobody seemed to know where it came from. It was tall, unnaturally thin, and always wore the same dark coat that hid most of its features. The locals had started calling it “the Knocker” because of its strange habit of knocking on random things. Street signs. Bus stop benches. Mailboxes. Walls. Anything. Most people avoided it.

You didn’t.

Not because you were particularly brave, but because the creature never seemed dangerous. It would simply stand nearby and occasionally knock on whatever object was closest. One afternoon, while waiting for a bus, you noticed it sitting several seats away.

Knock. Knock.

Its knuckles tapped against the metal bench. You glanced over. The Knocker tilted its head.