STORY 1: THE STALKER.

AMELIA.

“Thank you for coming.” I said politely as the last customer finally walked out of the restaurant. Another sudden chill ran down my spine and I shivered.

I didn’t know what it was or why I felt like that but I could feel the eyes on me. Monstrous, Predatory, cold, angry and so fierce that it felt as though a really sharp knife was cutting through my skin.

No matter what I did or how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake it off. Someone was watching me.

I stared far away at the other side of the restaurant but there was nothing there. Shaking the thoughts out of my head, I put my AirPods on and started cleaning up.

It was almost ten thirty and I felt like I was the only one left on the lonely street of Westbrook and also, it’s been a month since I’ve been feeling the presence of someone else.

I reported to the cops but after lurking around the restaurant and my apartment for a week, they thought I was crazy and had outrightly asked me to stop being so full of myself.

“Just because you’re pretty, you think everyone wants you?” They’d spat at me, “you’re probably just imagining it.” They said but I was sure I wasn’t imagining it.

Music had always been my only companion, it helped me calm down and forget about the real world but not tonight, a tingling sixth sense kept yelling at me to RUN.

“Fuck it! I can’t do this anymore.” I muttered to myself as I kept my eyes glued on the huge building opposite the restaurant.

There was someone there. I could feel the eyes on me, the aura was insanely dangerous and so terrifying that I had no other choice but to storm out of the restaurant as quickly as I could.

Looking over my shoulder with my fingers trembling and hands shaking, I closed up and tried to keep my mind distracted as I made my way home.

Everywhere was dark and awfully quiet except for the loud music seeping into my ears. Putting one foot in front of the other, I had no idea when I started running.

I felt a huge bile lodge in my throat, fear creeping in and everytime I looked over my shoulder, I got goosebumps.

The multiple beeping of my phone warning me that my battery was low pissed me off and I mentally cursed myself for not charging when I was supposed to.

Finally, the music in my ears stopped and my heart shot up to my throat as I slowly looked behind me and there he was, right behind me, staring into my eyes with his icy green eyes, he had stopped too.

Why? What is he going to do now? He was no longer hiding.

Slowly, I reached into my bag for my pepper spray and clutched it as I walked. My breathing was uneven and I have never felt so far away from my apartment.

The cold wind that blew was ferocious, blowing the back of my neck and ears like the touch of cold fingers, making my teeth clatter.

Sheer black fright swept through me as a quick and disturbing thought flashed through my mind, causing icy fear to twist around my heart.

I’ve been watching the news these past months and the rate of rape, abduction and murder has increased dramatically, just thinking that I could be the next victim shattered me.

No. I’m not going to let it happen. Not now. Not ever.

Panic like I’d never known before welled up in my throat and it was absolutely impossible to steady my erratic pulse as I kept walking until I was running.

He was behind me, he wasn’t even running after me, just walking as if he owned Westbrook and I wanted to confront him but I knew that’d be a very stupid thing to do right now.

I ran as fast as I could, quickening my pace but the ground was uneven and I stumbled, crashing to the ground but even faster than ever, I picked myself back up.

He’s not going to get me! I’m not going to let him.

“Oh thank god!” I rushed towards my apartment door and looked over my shoulder again and just like that, he was gone.

He had disappeared.

Hurriedly and shaking like a cat that’s been abandoned under the rain and left for dead, I searched through my bag frantically for my keys but I couldn’t find them and it wasn’t until then that it occurred to me.

I’d left them on the counter back at the restaurant.

I heard the shuffle of footsteps, the scrape of metal and then pure terrifying silence. A shadow loomed over me and the next few seconds unfolded in horrifying slow motion.

“Hel—” I didn’t get to scream out for help because he had placed his unusually large palm over my mouth, turning my words into meaningless muffled words.

“Got you.” His voice was rough as he drawled and just before I could make a final attempt to save myself, he was faster, overpowering me before I could move as he placed a hanky over my nose.

“Go to sleep, little doll.” I heard him say as I slowly lost the will to fight along with my consciousness. I could feel his cold fingers on my ass, making their way between my thighs.

I whimpered, a gush of desire rushing between my legs as I tried to jerk out of his hold in another vain attempt to get away from me but he overpowered me.

“You’ll make a really good plaything and I’m going to have so much fun with you.” He laughed into my ear, his fingers grazing my pussy through my panties.

No. No. I don’t want this. I don’t want to be the girl that gets off to her abductor fucking her.

“Close your eyes.” He ordered, the hanky still placed on my nose, my eyes struggled to stay open as I gave in to the sleep that rocked me and soon after, everywhere became pitch black.

He got me.