Something happened. Not something. Someone. I don’t know his name but for continuity lets just pretend it is Philip. It all started when I went out to check the mail. I saw him. Philip. He was just walking up and down the street. I just assumed he was going on a walk as many people do in my neighborhood. I live on a cul-de-sac in a small suburban town in new jersey so you see the normal leisurely walkers and the occasional runner around the loop. I gave him the classic white person smile and went back inside. Harmless right? I went about my day. Doing the dishes. Binging my favorite TV shows. Hanging out with my boyfriend Noah. A normal day. I was sitting on the couch with Noah when his smile dropped. I ask him what’s wrong. He points out the window. And I swear every molecule in my body froze. A man standing there. Swaying back and forth. Looking. No not looking, Watching. There’s a difference. Looking is merely a curious glance. Watching is not curious but expecting,waiting for something, anything to happen. That man was watching, for what I don’t know. And that is the most terrifying. his intention unknown. Noah got up to go call the police and was urging me to get into my bedroom. But I was stuck there staring at the man, something was keeping me there in a… trance. I couldn’t move, his gaze was so captivating it froze my blood. I guess I hadn’t been responding to Noah because he was shaking my shoulders practically yelling my name. I shook out of my trance and ran to my bedroom and locked the door. I hear Noah curse and I ask him what happened. He wouldn’t tell me so I walked back out to see the man approaching the house. Noah yells at him from the window. Something about police and trespassing. He just turned around and walked away, hands in his pocket, head down like a child getting in trouble for stealing an extra cookie. The police show up and we give them our statements. They couldn’t do much because we didn’t see his face or hear his voice. So we just headed to bed but neither of us could sleep after.
After a tiring day at work I get back to my house and just slump down on the couch planning to take a nap. When I feel that feeling. Y’know the feeling that someone is staring at you. You can feel their eyeballs burning into the back of your neck. But this feeling was accompanied by a feeling of unease. I felt a shiver go down my back. I know he’s there again. I know I shouldn’t turn but I just have to. And there he is standing there like some psychopath. So Still that if I didn’t see him the night before I wouldn’t even know he was there. I called Noah and told him that he was back. Noah calls the police and tells me to lock my front door and windows and get to my bedroom. I do everything and wait for the police to arrive. Fear shaking my body and thoughts racing through my mind. Who was he? Why was he here? Why won’t he go away? I hear the door open and footsteps. I am shaking in fear at this point. Someone tries my door and I almost cry in relief when Noah calls out reassuring me that it’s him. I crack the door open just to be sure and I see him standing there. I walked out and he embraced me. We talked to the cops again and again and they couldn’t really do anything. Noah takes me back to his house and we sleep there.
I wake up and eat breakfast. I went to leave and I almost threw up my frittata. He was here in broad daylight at the door about to knock. He snaps his neck to look at me. I just stand there, fear coursing through my body. I just know if I move, something bad will happen. After about 5 long minutes Noah walks out of his room and is surprised to see me there as I had told him I was leaving. But that surprise is shortly turned to anger as he notices him standing there. He gently moves me aside and goes to unlock the door when the man runs away like full on sprinting. I have to beg Noah to not run out after him. in fear of the man having a weapon. He complies and we call the police. I had seen his face. Blonde,Greenish Hazel eyes and small petite face and the widest creepiest shit eating grin i have ever seen. The police get my statement and go around the block to look for him. It didn’t occur to me until after that it was the man that was walking around the block earlier. I knew in that dark twisted mind of his that smile gave him permission to do this. my smile told him that he could stalk and do whatever he wanted. I was so scared that I think I passed out. I don’t know what exactly happened but one minute I was upright, the next minute I was in Noah’s arms while the cops called for medical assistance.
After being cleared by the paramedics I was able to go back home with a police officer posted around the neighborhood.
I was able to sleep a little bit better knowing that that officer was put there but I kept hearing things but I chalked it up to paranoia. A day goes by and nothing happens but I keep hearing noises from underneath the floorboard like shuffling.
I know I shouldn’t have done this but I walked out and checked under the house where the little shed was and what I found still makes me gag now writing this. It was human feces piled up all over the shed. Strung up against the wall were pictures of me. Me on my couch, me walking down the street, grocery shopping, in a towel and pictures of me naked.
I freaked and ran out of there as fast as I humanly could. I run into the house,grab my keys and speed down my road. It’s almost too late before I slam down on the brakes. I had almost hit something. I sat there for a moment collecting myself. I turn around heading back to my house. In my mad dash I had forgotten about the officer that was on the block. I call Noah and tell him everything. I tell him to stay where he is because I don’t want him to see the shed. I pull up to my house and see the officer standing at the base off the hill in front of my house. I get out and jog over to him. I tell him about the shed and lead him to the backyard. He takes a look inside and the color drains from his face. He turns around and smiles at me. His smile. That smile. The same smile on the man’s face. My heart drops. I try to run.
Again my fear paralyzes me. How could this happen? Why is this happening to me? The officer advances on me and I come to my senses. I start to run when he sweeps my legs from out underneath me. As I fall to the ground I begin to accept my fate. This was it. I was going to die right here right now in my own backyard. I haven’t even achieved my dreams and all because of this sicoo I will never be able to .I feel the cold hands of the man sneak around my throat and cut my oxygen off. The pain in my lungs has become almost unbearable. It hurts so bad that I don’t even notice the knife tearing into my stomach. He mutters something about me and being ungrateful. But I don’t care enough to try to listen. My vision blurs and my breathing becomes shallow. my brain goes like tv static. I woke up a week later in the hospital. Noah beside me. Flowers decorate my room and the sun dances around the bleak off-white walls.
I have 7 stabs wounds to my abdomen. and my vocal cords are severely damaged. I am slowly recovering but i still lie awake every night. They never caught Philip, he ran off before they could. Every creak. Every sound. Every rustle sends me into a panic. So Philip if you’re reading this. Let’s never meet again