I left work Wednesday to go home and I was almost positive someone is following me. I would hear footsteps maybe twenty feet behind me but whenever I looked no one was there. I got nervous after about three blocks of this so I hurried home and tried to forget about it. That night I took the trash out and heard them a little closer this time, not close enough to make a distance call just slightly louder. I convinced myself maybe something was wrong with me and to make an appointment with my psychiatrist and went to bed.
Thursday, I called my psychiatrist and the earliest they could get me in wouldn’t be until late next week. I set a time and then left for work, the steps still sounded closer. I have an irrational fear of break ins or abductions so I was starting to become really alarmed. One day was a coincidence, two in a row was not. I decided to run to work this time and the footsteps followed, their distance always staying the exact same but every-time I looked nothing was there. I left work and it was the same thing, run, rush inside, lock the door.
That night I refused to leave the house and went to bed early and that’s when I saw it. A shadow just briefly out of the corner of my eye, maybe 6’0 tall. I quickly turned to look at it but it was gone as soon as I moved my head. I decided I was tired and went to bed early and then I saw it in my dream. This time it was different, the door to the hallway was open from my bedroom and I saw the shadow standing there, unmoving at the end of the hallway. I woke up to find my door closed and everything locked how I left it.
Friday, it was Veterans Day so I stayed home and decided to just not leave the house. That was until I noticed there were no groceries and I couldn’t starve. I decided to go to the corner store and get some bread and other bare essentials to make it through the weekend, I wanted to leave the house as little as possible. I didn’t want to know what happened when the foot steps finally reached me. As soon as I left the house the steps had grown exponentially closer, fifteen feet away now. I grabbed what I needed and hurried home. I told myself I wouldn’t leave the house anymore.
That weekend I continued to see the shadowy figure out of the corner of my eye, halfway across the room now…it’s closer, it’s closing in on me. In my dreams it was halfway down the hallway, no face, no features just a shadow. Could it even watch me without eyes? I don’t wanna know.
Monday I called my psychiatrist first thing and explained it was an emergency. They told me to go to the hospital or call 911. No good, I can’t leave the house anymore. I thought surely it’s in my imagination? There is no shadow figure, I must have a psychological disorder. Maybe a medication I need to start taking or some test to see what it is. I called out of work for a few days then, I couldn’t leave the house. My boss said I could have one more day as that’s the last of my PTO. I took it, anything to avoid leaving and hearing those steps.
Wednesday comes and well I dreaded leaving the house, but I had to pay my bills. As soon as I stepped out of the door I heard it. Ten feet away, the steps are ten feet away. At this point I had given up trying to look, it was always the same nothing. I only saw the shadows at home so I could at least focus on my work to forget about this during the day. When I left work I heard them…five feet. They only get closer once a day never twice. I would’ve ran home but what’s the point, they never get any closer.
That evening the shadow figure I would see could’ve basically been sitting on the couch with me. I decided that was it, my appointment was tomorrow and there had to be something mentally unwell with me. We would figure it out then. In my dreams that night the shadow figure was in my bedroom, unmoving, watching or not watching I didn’t care at this point. It wasn’t REAL. That’s what I told myself at the time at least.
Thursday at 9:00AM was my appointment, I stepped outside and the footsteps were about a foot away now, I ignored them and went to my appointment. The doctor seemed to think I was having some form of manifestation of my fears but wanted to test me for a list of disorders to be sure. They all came out fine and he told me he wanted to start seeing me weekly until this resolved. I didn’t think I had a week now, I was right.
I left the office and now the steps could’ve basically been stepping on my heels. I went home and was so tired so I took a nap. This time the dream was different. The shadow was next to my bed so nothing new, except it moved. It touched my arm and when I woke up I found scratches all along it. Almost like a rodent had been trying to crawl up. I decided I wouldn’t sleep or move anymore, I couldn’t take it.
That was three days ago, I haven’t moved or slept since. I know I have to, I don’t have a choice so I’ve decided to take one last walk. I keep seeing the shadow figure just out of the corner of my eye, standing right next to me. This post is a warning to anyone who might ever experience this. You have 9 days, 12 days if you decide to sit like me. There is no way out, there is no escape. I just hope I get to smell some flowers on my last walk.