I made a routine of walking through the neighborhood every evening. Work hadn’t been treating me too well in the past week. All the built up stress was finally paying its toll. This was my only escape from reality. The silence of the empty streets was soothing to my overflowing brain.

One night, I felt especially stressed. I took my regular route through the neighborhood. I had a bad feeling. I felt like I was being watched. I continued walking and reached the park that marked the halfway point of my walks. That was when it happened.

I heard a crack from behind me. I stopped dead in my tracks. I sensed that there was something behind me. It was getting closer. I started walking at a faster pace than before. I heard footsteps in close pursuit of me. I sped up some more. So did the footsteps. At this point, I broke into a sprint. Adrenaline was gushing through my veins. The street I lived on was within view. I couldn’t stop now. I heard the footsteps closely behind me. I continued towards my house as fast as I could. The cold air forced tears out of my eyes. I didn’t dare stop running.

I could see my house in the distance. Whatever was chasing me seemed to have stopped. I ran up to the front door, unlocked it as fast as possible, and locked every door in my house. When I turned to look out the window, there was nothing to be seen.