Every evening in the cool breeze of twilight, I find myself taking the same stroll through the backstreets and alleyways to my apartment. Every evening the sun relieves my eyes from revealing the world around me and lets my mind take over. Every evening I see that same toothy frown.

In the dark second-story window of an apartment on my route, I've always been curious as to what exactly is making that terrible grimace. It could be some doll or perhaps a painting. As benign as I'm sure it is, I have to say it certainly sends shivers down my spine to look at it. Large human teeth stretched almost halfway across the window-pane. It's an absolutely massive mouth for any person or animal I've ever seen and so I'm sure it's just a toy, but... Who would make a toy that simply frowns all the time? I wonder if that's why the owner has left it facing outside. I can hardly bare to look at it from the street; I couldn't imagine what it must seem like up close. Why then, would he keep it? A family heirloom? Yes, that must be it. It's nothing more than some old doll passed down through the generations and the owner couldn't bare to part with it.

What is it, though? I've seen it dozens of times I know, but I could never figure out precisely what it's supposed to be. The street lamps will be lit soon and by that time, I'm sure it will be too dark to get a good look. I'd rather not bother the family inside, so perhaps I'll just take a few steps closer to inspect it and be on my way. The strangest thing is that as I get closer, the frown seems to get larger. Not just by reference but it seems to be stretching farther across the window... Could it be alive after all? No, that's silly. It sits so still in the window, surely my mind is just playing the same old tricks, but... there's something more. Under its frown is something shiny. No, two things... Eyes, maybe? That wouldn't make sense. I wish I had a better view. The deeper I stare, the more it seems those "eyes" stare back, and the frown seems to be slowly swaying back and forth as I get closer.

The lamps are being lit one-by-one now. The first illuminates the street just enough so I can still see the frown. I take a step closer but the lamplight seems to fade. Another is lit and I can see the glimmer off of those strange objects under the frown. I move closer but still, the street is so dark. Finally, one directly in front of the window and I see... nothing. Nothing but total darkness around me and that menacing frown still sitting in the window, swaying back and forth. It's almost hypnotizing. I'm getting terribly dizzy but I can't look away. Just as I feel as though I'm about to faint, it all stops. Thank goodness... the light seems to be returning but my vision is so blurry. There, it's correcting itself now and I can see the street lamps but they're... outside. Clearer still and I see a man who appears to be lying in the street but it's all upside down. The street, the lamps, the buildings are all upside down. The man picks himself up and walks away and I want to yell for help but I can't seem to move a single muscle in my body. Someone else is coming along. I need to get his attention. If I try, it seems I can just barely move my lips.

Perhaps if I smile at him...