Written by former admins N and Holly and Admin Mae

“You see, 47 messages. Coming from him!” You show your telephone to your best friend. Lately you’ve been getting this weird feeling no matter where you are, no matter what time it is, something - or someone is watching you.

You’re afraid to leave the house alone and when you’re going out with your girlfiends, you can’t even enjoy the evening. They started to notice.

“Whoa! No wonder you’re so suspicious. Creepy” you friend exclaims, nodding in agreement.

It started the day you bumped into a stranger while you were shopping for some groceries.

“Flour, flour, flour,” you murmured as you scaled the aisle for that flour your friend liked. “Honestly, what’s the difference between all these packets of flour!” You ruffled your hair annoyed.

Someone chuckled behind you, “it looks like you’re having trouble.”

You twirled around to see someone decked out in winter clothes. But it was summer…weird.
He threw you a bright smile and your eyes narrowed. Something was off about him. You couldn’t quite pinpoint it, but he wasn’t smiling like a normal person. It was as if his eyes were staring into your soul, looking for your weak spot.

“I guess so,” your voice was stiff. Just like how you were feeling, stiff. And you turned around and walked off, forgetting about the flour. It wasn’t important.

What was important was that you needed to get out of this store right now. As soon as you walked out of the store, someone’s eyes had been following you.

Normally, people looking didn’t bother you. After all, everyone looked at anyone around them. But this was different, you could feel the gaze burning holes into the back of your neck. Not the type where that person hated you, but it felt like he wanted something from you. It was creepy and you didn’t like the feeling.

You hurried uncomfortably down the sidewalk, stopping only when you felt you had reached a safe distance from those piercing brown eyes. A shiver crawled chillingly down the back of your spine as you recalled his blank expression, his unyielding and unwavering stare. What had that been all about? You started to turn around again, stopping when movement shifted in your peripheral vision. Was he following?

Giving the situation no more than a thought, you began to run, sprinting as fast as you could back to the place from which you had come.

Your feelings of anxiety had begun to slowly ebb away as days passed without signs of the eerie stranger. He had almost vanished from your thoughts when you nearly stepped on a flower placed neatly in front of your door one morning. The red petals had darkened around the edges, curling over as they began to dry. A folded sheet of paper sat next to it, your name written carefully on its front. You opened the paper, confused to find the inside completely blank.

It was still dark outside, the early sun just beginning to rise above the horizon. Wind rustled the treetops with an unnerving shuffle, and you felt the familiar prickles rise on your skin. Why, despite every rational explanation in your brain, did you suspect the man from the grocery store?

You sighed at the table you had been sitting at with your friends. The staring, the note, and now he had managed to obtain your phone number. Every time he called you received no answer on the other line, but could hear the faint stream of breathing before he hung up on you.

“I really think you need to tell the police,” your friend urged. “Frankly, I have no idea why you haven’t told them yourself already! This is disturbing.” You nodded in silent agreement, finally standing up with resolute determination.

“I think I should just go to the station now.” They nodded, standing from their seats to follow you out of the restaurant. You shook your head, not wanting to interrupt the meal further. “It’s alright, I can go by myself. I’ll just take a cab.” Your friends agreed, giving you a reassuring back on the back as you climbed in the door of the first taxi you saw.

“Tell us as soon as you get to the station, okay? I’ll be waiting to get a call from you, in case something happens.” You nodded, giving her one last wave before turning to speak with the driver.

“I need to go to the downtown police station, please,” you asked him politely. He laughed, starting the car and stopping in front the red light at the end of the street.

“I don’t think that’s necessary.” The driver turned around, revealing familiar dark eyes, covered slightly by brown hair that fell lazily in front of them. If he wasn’t so terrifying, you’d almost find him handsome. You recognized him immediately. His face had haunted you for what felt like an eternity, and you had become convinced it was only a matter of days before you saw him in person again. The terror surged in your veins as you mentally cursed yourself for not going to the police sooner.

“B- but I need to,” you stutter trying to get yourself out of this. “I lost one of my creditcards the otherday” you mumble carefully.

“Ah, just block the card and everything will be fine!” he smiles.

“Ani, I just-.” Suddenly anger washes over you and takes control of your actions. It’s not like he’s going to drive you to the police station or leave this cab for that matter. You don’t really have a win situation here. “Ya! What are you doing anyway? We have you been stalking and creeping up on me? Stop this cab or I will roll down the window and start screaming. I can scream hard you know” you threaten him.

“Wait, what?”

“You heard me creep. You and your stalking is freaking me out and you need to let me get out off this cab or I will scream!” you still yell at him. You’re done with him and his obsessive way of getting to you and you just want to run and turn him in.

“No, no. It’s not like th-”

“I’m telling you, stop this cab or I will scream” you say while searching for a button to open the window.

Out of nowhere he pulls over and grabs your wrist. “Wait, let me exp-”

“Explain? What? You’re just a creep. There’s no explanation for that” you interrupt him and try to get out of his grip.

“Just wait” he pulls you closer to him from the front seat and covers your mouth with his other hand. “Will you just please listen to me for a minute? You can go and run and scream as much as you want” he sighs, sounding annoyed. He lets go off you and before you can open your mouth to start yelling at him he holds up his hand. “No talking!”

With your arms crossed you fall back to the backrest. “Fine” you growl. What are you even doing here? You have the opportunity to run away but you’re frozen, secretly anxious to hear his explanation. After all, eventhough he kind of stalked you, he’s still cute.

“I wasn’t.. I wasn’t stalking you” he sighs. “I just.. I didn’t.. I wanted to talk to you but were afraid.” Your eyes grow big.

“You’re wha-?”

“I mean.. if I look back, I can’t blame you for thinking I’m stalking you. I was, am indeed kind of a creep.” He gets out of the cab and opens your passenger door. Stretching out a hand for you to take so he can help you to get out of the car he apologizes sincerely. “I’m sorry. I won’t be a bother anymore” and turns away to open the front car door again.

Hearing those words and seeing his face like this you feel a little guilty. You can’t talk right about what he did, but you can talk right about why he did it. Seeing no harm in the kid you make up your mind.

You take his wrist and stop him. “Wait. I’m probably utterly stupid for doing this.. but I have so many questions right now. Shall we go for a coffee or something?”

His eyes grow big as he can’t believe you’ve just asked that. “Really?”

“Ya~ hurry before I change my mind. I can always run towards the police station can’t I?” you making his face turn crimson.