Nam Paran was on the way to the bus stop after grabbing groceries for her mother. It was a cold winter afternoon, just as the sun was about to set, and there weren’t a lot of people on the streets. She shuffled along with her face towards the ground. To a lot of people, she looked like the shy type; in truth, it was just that she was as interested in the world as much as she was interested in memorizing the dates and names they made you learn in history class—in other words, not at all.

Speaking of class, she had to remind her mother about buying a set of uniforms for the school she was transferring to. She didn’t really mind that this was probably the tenth or eleventh time she had transferred schools; she was used to it and understood that it came with her father’s job. Still, every time they moved to a new place, she somehow wishes that it would be the last time. Of course she knew that it would probably never happen. But that’s what wishes are for, right? For things that you think are impossible but cannot stop dreaming about.

From the farther corner of her eye, she spotted a pair of feet approaching. Still deep in thought, she shifted to her right just in time to avoid bumping into the person; but she must have brushed against him (him because it looked to her like a guy’s pair of shoes) because she saw him turn and stop suddenly. Realizing this only a few moments later, she whipped around to see a boy staring at her, already several meters away. He looked younger than her, probably in middle school, but he was almost as tall as her. Almost. Like everyone outside in the cold winter afternoon, he was wearing thick clothes. That and a curious expression.

Thinking she had perhaps, brushed against him—and maybe roughly, though she hadn’t felt it—after all, she bowed slightly in apology, then turned to leave. As she walked away, she couldn’t help but feel something crawl up the back of her neck. It was not an unfamiliar sensation, being watched—she was used to getting looks in school, being the “new kid” all the time—but there was something else this time.

At first, she had the mind to ignore it; but eventually curiosity got the best of her and she turned around again. He was walking towards her.

Her first thought was to deny it. He probably realized he forgot something and was heading back to get it. She spun around, not too abruptly she hoped, and continued walking—just a bit faster this time.

She finally got to the stop, but she saw that the bus hadn’t arrived. Though there was no one else waiting and she could have sat down, she stood at the farthest corner of the shade—deciding that she could run for it, just in case.

For a moment, the world looked like it was shaking. Earthquake? She thought, at first. Then she realized that it was her knees that were shaking, and she noticed the cold sweat at the side of her head, and the clammy feeling in her hands. And then she saw it.

Edit: Have I told you that this story was inspired by a creepy experience I had almost a year ago? :D The whole bumped into a stranger and got followed thing happened to me. I got really scared. ㅠ__ㅠ