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Silent Stalkers: The Midnight Gas Station Mysteries · Shallow Nights: Scary Bedtime Stories

0:08
It was one of those nights I'd been out late at a friend's
0:11
house, enjoying some laughs, a few drinks and a lot of
0:13
meaningless conversations. It wasn't anything wild, just a
0:17
quiet evening of catching up. But by the time I decided to
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leave, it was nearing midnight and the streets were almost
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completely deserted. I like driving at night, but
0:27
that night as I pulled onto the highway, I noticed my fuel gauge
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dipping alarmingly close to empty.
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I sighed. Of course I hadn't thought about
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it earlier. And out here in the middle of
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nowhere, there was only one option, a small 24 hour gas
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station I passed a few miles back.
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It was one of those places that looked like it hadn't been
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renovated since the 80's. The neon sign outside flickered
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weekly, half the letters missing or burnt out.
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I pulled in under the dull glow of the single overhead light,
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parked beside the pump and turned off the engine.
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The station was completely empty.
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No other cars, no sign of life inside the convenience store.
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Just me, the pump, and the eerie stillness of the night.
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The moment I stepped out of the car, I felt it.
1:17
That strange sensation that comes over you when you're
1:20
completely alone, but somehow you feel watched.
1:23
I shook off the feeling and grabbed my wallet, telling
1:25
myself I was being ridiculous. It was just late, I was tired.
1:29
I started pumping gas, leaning against the car while the fuel
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flowed. I stared off into the distance,
1:35
listening to the soft buzz of the overhead light, the rhythmic
1:38
click of the gas pump. It should have been calming, but
1:41
the silence felt oppressive. The more I stood there, the more
1:45
I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
1:48
I glanced around the lot again. Nothing.
1:50
Just the same empty lot, the same dimly lit station.
1:54
No movement, no cars passing on the highway.
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Then I saw it. Tucked under my windshield wiper
2:00
was a small piece of paper. I frowned, staring at the note
2:04
for a few seconds before curiosity got the better of me.
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I finished pumping the gas, put the nozzle back in its place,
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and cautiously walked around the car.
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The note was small, folded haphazardly, the edges worn as
2:18
if it had been crumpled in someone's hand.
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I pulled it out from under the wiper and unfolded it, my heart
2:23
inexplicably pounding in my chest.
2:25
Scrawled in messy, almost frantic handwriting were 3
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words. I'm here.
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My breath caught in my throat. I glanced around the lot again,
2:35
my eyes darting between the rows of darkened pumps and the empty
2:38
St. beyond. But there was no one.
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Just the same stillness, the same silence.
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I could feel my pulse quicken, a cold sweat breaking out on my
2:48
skin. It was probably a joke, I told
2:50
myself. Someone messing around.
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Maybe it was from earlier in the evening when I parked downtown.
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Well, and I just hadn't noticed it until now.
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That had to be it, right? Still, my mind raced with every
3:02
worst case scenario. What if someone had been
3:04
following me, watching me? The thought sent a shiver down
3:09
my spine. I stuffed the note into my
3:11
pocket and quickly climbed back into the car, locking the doors
3:14
as soon as I was inside. My hands were shaking as I
3:17
turned the key in the ignition. I pulled out of the lot faster
3:21
than I intended, the tires skidding slightly on the
3:23
pavement as I hit the road. My heart was still pounding, my
3:27
eyes flicking to the rearview mirror every few seconds.
3:30
Nothing. Just the empty Rd. behind me.
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But that didn't stop the feeling that I was being followed.
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Watched as I drove, I couldn't stop thinking about the note.
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The words were burned into my mind, repeating over and over
3:44
again. I'm here.
3:47
Who would do something like that, and why?
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The road stretched out before me, long and dark, the street
3:52
lights few and far between. Every time I pass through a
3:56
patch of light, I felt exposed, like I was stepping into
3:59
someone's line of sight. Each shadow seemed to shift,
4:03
morphing into something more menacing, more sinister.
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I kept glancing at the rearview mirror, but the road remained
4:09
dark. I wasn't that far from home. 15
4:12
minutes, maybe less, but it felt like every mile was dragging on
4:16
for hours. My hands were gripping the
4:18
steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles had turned white.
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I tried to rationalize it, to tell myself it was nothing.
4:26
Maybe some teenager thought it'd be funny to leave a creepy note
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on a random car. Maybe someone was trying to
4:32
spook people at the gas station for kicks.
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But no matter how much I tried to convince myself, I couldn't
4:39
shake the feeling that someone had been watching me.
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Really watching me. Then, as I approached the last
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stretch of Rd. before my house, I saw it.
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A car. It was pulled over on the side
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of the road, its headlights off, barely visible in the darkness.
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My heart lurched in my chest as I drove past, looking over at
4:58
the vehicle. For a split second, I thought I
5:01
saw someone sitting in the driver's seat, their figure
5:04
barely illuminated by the faint light from my car's headlights.
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I forced myself to keep driving, my hands trembling on the wheel.
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I pulled into my driveway, my heart still racing, and shut off
5:15
the engine. My house was dark, as expected,
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with only the porch light casting a small pool of light
5:22
over the front door. The neighborhood was quiet, too
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quiet. Even though I was home, the
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feeling of unease hadn't gone away.
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If anything, it had grown worse. I grabbed my things and stepped
5:34
out of the car, my eyes darting around the yard, the street, and
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the shadows that seemed to stretch unnaturally long under
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the faint streetlights. But then I saw it.
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Another note tucked under the same windshield wiper where the
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first had been. My blood ran cold as I slowly
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approached the car, my breath coming in shallow gasps.
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I hadn't been out of the car for more than a few minutes, and yet
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somehow, there it was. Another folded piece of paper,
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just like before. My hands were trembling as I
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pulled it out, my mind racing with questions.
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How? When I unfolded the note, my
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heart pounding in my chest, and read the words, I told you I'm
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here. I felt the ground shift beneath
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my feet, my vision blurred for a moment as a wave of nausea
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washed over me. This wasn't a prank.
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This wasn't some random note left on a whim.
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Someone had followed me. Someone had been watching me
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this whole time. I quickly unlocked the front
6:30
door, rushing inside and locking it behind me.
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I leaned against the door, trying to catch my breath, my
6:36
heart hammering in my chest. My mind raced, trying to piece
6:40
together what had happened. How had they followed me?
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How had they gotten that second note on my car so quickly, and
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where were they now? I paced the living room,
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watching out the window every few seconds, half expecting to
6:54
see someone standing in the shadows.
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But the street outside was empty, as silent and still as it
7:00
had been before. I pulled out my phone,
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hesitating for a moment before dialing 911.
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I didn't know what else to do. Someone had followed me home.
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Someone had left those notes and I wasn't taking any chances.
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The operator answered quickly, her voice calm and professional.
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911, what's your emergency? I, I think someone's been
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following me. I stammered, my voice shaking.
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They left notes on my car twice, one at a gas station and now
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here at my house. Are you in a safe place right
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now? She asked, her tone steady.
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Yeah, I'm inside my house. Stay inside, lock all the doors.
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We're sending someone out to your location.
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I thanked her before hanging up. My mind was racing.
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I tried to think of who could have done this.
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I didn't have enemies. I didn't know anyone who would
7:50
do something like this to mess with me.
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I moved to the window again, carefully pulling back the
7:55
curtain just enough to see outside.
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The car I had seen earlier, the one parked on the side of the
8:00
road, was now in front of my house.
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My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the car, its
8:06
headlights still off, its figure barely visible in the dark.
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The engine was off, but I could see the outline of someone
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sitting in the driver's seat. My stomach twisted into a tight
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knot. Whoever it was, they were
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waiting. I backed away from the window,
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my heart pounding so loudly that I could hear it in my ears.
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The silence in the house was deafening.
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I grabbed my phone again, my fingers shaking as I dialed 911
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for the second time that night. Please.
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I whispered when the operator answered.
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Someone's outside my house. My hands shook as I gripped the
8:42
phone tightly, waiting for the operator to pick up.
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I could barely breathe, my heart pounding so hard in my chest
8:48
that I thought it might burst. The car was still sitting there,
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motionless, but I could feel the presence of the person inside
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watching me. The whole situation felt like
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something out of a nightmare. I couldn't wake up from 911.
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What's your emergency? The operator's voice came
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through the phone, calm and professional, but I was too
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panicked to keep it together. There's someone outside my
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house. I whispered, my voice trembling.
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They've been following me. I think they're watching me
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right now. Are you inside your home with
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the doors locked? Yes.
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I replied, glancing around the dark living room.
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The windows felt too exposed. I moved to the hallway, trying
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to find somewhere safer, somewhere where I couldn't be
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seen. Stay calm.
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Officers are already on their way.
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Keep the doors and windows locked and stay away from any
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exposed areas. Do you have any weapons or
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anything you could use to protect yourself?
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I don't, I don't think so, just please hurry.
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I peeked out of the small window next to the door, just enough to
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see the car. It was still there, parked in
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front of the house, but now the driver's side door was open.
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My blood ran cold. He was out of the car.
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Do not engage with the individual, the operator warned,
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sensing my fear. Stay hidden, stay on the line
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and wait for the officers to arrive.
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I backed away from the window, my breath coming in short gasps.
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I felt like a trapped animal. My house, which usually felt
10:17
like a safe haven, now felt like a prison.
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Every Creek of the floorboards, every shift of the shadows
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outside made my skin crawl. I felt like I was being hunted.
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Then I heard it, a soft knock at the front door.
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It wasn't loud or forceful, but it sent a wave of terror
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coursing through my body, the kind of knock that said I know
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you're in there, come out. I hear him.
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I whispered into the phone, trying to keep my voice steady.
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He's knocking. The operator's voice remained
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calm. Stay where you are.
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Help is almost there. Do not answer the door.
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I clenched my teeth, backing further into the hallway, my
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hand gripping the phone like it was my lifeline.
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My thoughts raced. What if he tried to break in?
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What if the police didn't get here in time?
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The knocking continued, slow and rhythmic, as if the person
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outside was in no hurry. He knew I was scared.
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He wanted me to be. Then, through the eerie silence,
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I heard something else. It wasn't coming from the door.
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It was coming from the window near the living room, The
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faintest sound of scratching, like fingernails dragging across
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the glass. I whipped around, my heart
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hammering in my chest as I moved closer to the hallway.
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The knock on the door stopped, replaced by the soft, deliberate
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scraping at the window. My legs felt like they might
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give out beneath me, and I clutched my phone, whispering
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into it as if the operator could somehow save me.
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He's at the window now. I choked out, barely able to
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speak. The operator stayed calm, but I
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could hear the urgency in her voice now.
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Officers are right around the corner.
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Stay hidden, stay quiet. I moved to the back of the
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house, my back pressed against the wall as I listened.
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The scraping continued, soft and persistent, moving from one
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window to the next. I pictured him moving along the
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side of the house, checking each window, searching for a way in.
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The second stretched into what felt like hours, and I was
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certain that at any moment I'd hear the sound of glass
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breaking, the sound of him forcing his way inside.
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But just as my fear reached its peak, I heard something else,
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something that made my heart skip.
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The sound of sirens in the distance.
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For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I allowed
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myself to hope. The police were close.
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They'd be here any second. The scratching stopped.
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I waited, my breath caught in my throat, listening for any sign
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of movement, any indication that he was still out there.
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But the silence had returned, the only sound now the wail of
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the approaching sirens. Finally, the flashing red and
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blue lights illuminated the windows, casting long, distorted
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shadows across the room. I rushed to the front door,
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pulling it open just as the officers stepped out of their
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squad car. He was here?
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I blurted, my voice shaking. He was right outside.
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One of the officers nodded, motioning for me to stay back.
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We'll check the area. Stay inside and lock the door
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behind you. I did as I was told, retreating
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back into the house as they searched the yard, their
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flashlights sweeping over every inch of the property.
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I watched from the window, my heart still racing, but they
13:28
didn't find anything. After about half an hour, one of
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the officers returned to the door.
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We didn't find anyone. He said, his expression calm but
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concerned. Are you sure he was here?
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I'm sure I insisted. He left notes, two of them, one
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at the gas station and 1 here. The officer nodded.
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We'll file a report and keep an eye on the area.
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If you see anything else, don't hesitate to call.
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I nodded, trying to stay composed, but the reality of
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what had just happened was still sinking in.
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Someone had been watching me, following me, and now they were
14:01
gone without a trace. After the officers left, I
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locked every door and window, double checking each one, making
14:08
sure that nothing and no one could get in.
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I sat on the couch, my knees pulled to my chest, staring at
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the front door, but the house was silent.
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I couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't over, that
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whoever had been watching me wasn't finished.
14:23
They hadn't been caught, hadn't been stopped, and they knew
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where I lived. For the next few nights, I
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barely slept. Every Creek, every gust of wind,
14:33
every small noise sent my heart racing.
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I kept the blinds closed, the doors locked, and the lights on.
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But the worst part was the uncertainty.
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I didn't know who it was. I didn't know why they had
14:44
targeted me, why they had followed me home, why they left
14:47
those notes. Working the night shift at a gas
14:58
station was never something I imagined myself doing.
15:01
It wasn't the kind of job you bragged about, but the hours fit
15:04
my schedule and the money was decent.
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Plus, most nights were quiet, just me, the hum of the
15:10
refrigerators, and the occasional late night traveler
15:13
looking for coffee or cigarettes.
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The isolation didn't bother me at first.
15:19
In fact, I kind of liked it. There was something peaceful
15:22
about the stillness of the night, the way the world seemed
15:26
to slow down while everyone else was asleep.
15:29
But that changed when he started showing up.
15:31
It was a Tuesday night when I first noticed him.
15:34
I was behind the counter, going through the motions, restocking
15:38
the snack aisle, wiping down the counters.
15:40
When he walked in. I didn't think much of him at
15:43
the time. He was just another late night
15:45
customer, Tall, scruffy, dressed in a worn out jacket that looked
15:50
like it had seen better days. His hair was messy and he had
15:54
this wild look in his eyes. But hey, I've seen plenty of
15:57
weirdos working this shift. He didn't say anything as he
16:01
walked through the door, didn't even look in my direction.
16:05
He just headed straight to the back of the store, toward the
16:07
coolers where we kept the drinks.
16:11
I went back to what I was doing, thinking he'd grab something and
16:14
be on his way like everyone else, but he didn't.
16:18
Instead, he just stood there in front of the cooler, staring at
16:21
the rows of drinks, not moving, not making any attempt to pick
16:25
something up. Just staring.
16:28
I glanced up from the counter, feeling a little uneasy.
16:31
You need help finding something? I called out, trying to sound
16:35
casual. He didn't answer, didn't even
16:38
acknowledge I'd spoken. He just stood there, his back to
16:41
me, his head slightly tilted, like he was lost in thought.
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I shrugged it off. Maybe he was one of those guys
16:46
who took forever to make a decision.
16:48
It wasn't that unusual. After a few more minutes though,
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I started to get a little irritated.
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I mean, it wasn't like we had an endless selection.
16:57
Grab a soda or a bottle of water and move on, you know?
17:03
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he turned and walked
17:06
to the counter with a bottle of water in hand.
17:09
His eyes met mine as he placed it on the counter, and for the
17:12
first time I got a good look at his face.
17:14
There was something off about him, something I couldn't quite
17:17
put my finger on. His eyes were wide, too wide,
17:21
and they didn't blink. His skin looked pale, almost
17:24
sickly under the fluorescent lights, and there was this
17:27
faint, unsettling smile on his lips.
17:29
I forced a polite smile and rang him up.
17:32
That'll be $1.75. He didn't respond, just stared
17:36
at me for a second longer before reaching into his pocket and
17:39
pulling out a crumpled dollar bill and some loose change.
17:44
I handed him his receipt and he turned without a word, walking
17:47
out the door. I watched as he disappeared into
17:50
the night, the automatic doors sliding shut behind him.
17:54
The uneasy feeling lingered, but I shook it off.
17:57
Weird, sure, but nothing to lose sleep over.
18:00
The next night he came back. It was around the same time,
18:04
just after midnight. I was in the back restocking the
18:07
shelves when I heard the chime of the door opening.
18:10
I stepped out from behind the shelves, expecting to see a
18:12
trucker or maybe someone coming off the highway for gas, but it
18:16
was him. Same jacket, same messy hair,
18:19
same blank stare. He didn't look at me as he
18:22
walked in, didn't greet me or acknowledge me in any way.
18:26
He just headed straight to the back, to the coolers like he had
18:29
the night before. I watched him from behind the
18:31
counter, my stomach twisting with that same uneasy feeling
18:35
from the night before. This time he didn't even pretend
18:38
to browse, he just stood in front of the coolers, staring
18:41
through the glass at the drinks, not moving, not touching
18:46
anything, just standing there. My fingers drummed nervously on
18:50
the counter. Need any help?
18:52
I called out, hoping maybe that would snap him out of whatever
18:55
trance he was in. Nothing.
18:58
I looked at the security cameras.
19:00
We didn't have much of A set up, just a couple of cheap cameras
19:03
covering the front of the store and the gas pumps outside, but I
19:07
felt better knowing they were there just in case.
19:11
After a few more minutes of silence, he finally grabbed a
19:14
bottle of water, just like the night before, and walked up to
19:16
the counter. The same blank expression, the
19:19
same wide eyed stare. This time his hand shook
19:23
slightly as he handed me the money, and I noticed his
19:25
fingernails were dirty, like he'd been digging in the dirt.
19:29
I forced a smile and handed him his change.
19:32
Here you go. Again, no response.
19:35
He turned and left without a word.
19:38
I watched him walk out, my eyes following him as he disappeared
19:41
into the night. I waited for the familiar sound
19:44
of a car starting, but it never came.
19:47
That's when I realized I hadn't seen him drive up.
19:50
He had walked here. By the third night, I was on
19:53
edge. He came in just after midnight
19:55
again, and by this point I knew something was seriously wrong.
19:59
This wasn't just some random guy stopping by for a late night
20:02
drink. This was something else,
20:04
something much more unsettling. When he walked through the door
20:08
this time, I didn't even bother asking if he needed help.
20:12
I stayed behind the counter, my hands gripping the edges as I
20:15
watched him move through the store.
20:17
He didn't go to the cooler's this time.
20:19
Instead, he wandered around the aisles, his footsteps slow and
20:24
deliberate. Didn't touch anything, didn't
20:27
grab anything off the shelves. He just walked, moving in a
20:30
strange circular pattern around the store.
20:34
My heart pounded in my chest as I watched him.
20:37
What the hell was he doing? Every few minutes he would
20:40
glance over at me, his eyes wide and unblinking, that faint,
20:44
unsettling smile still on his lips.
20:47
I tried to act normal, tried to focus on the register and the
20:51
paperwork in front of me, but I couldn't shake the feeling that
20:54
he was watching me. When he finally walked up to the
20:57
counter, he didn't have anything in his hands.
20:59
He just stood there, staring at me.
21:01
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. Can I help you?
21:04
For the first time, he spoke. I've been watching you.
21:09
His voice was low, raspy. My stomach dropped and every
21:13
instinct in my body screamed at me to get away from him.
21:15
I forced a nervous laugh. That's, that's not something you
21:18
should say to someone. His smile widened, but it didn't
21:21
reach his eyes. I've been watching you every
21:24
night. I felt the blood drain from my
21:27
face. My mind raced, trying to figure
21:29
out how to get him out of the store, how to get him away from
21:32
me. I think you should leave.
21:35
I said, my voice shaking now. He didn't move, he just stood
21:39
there, staring at me with those wide, unblinking eyes.
21:43
The air felt thick, heavy with tension, and I could feel my
21:46
pulse pounding in my ears. I'm calling the police.
21:50
I said, reaching for the phone behind the counter.
21:53
That's when he turned and walked out, disappearing into the night
21:56
without another word. I didn't see him for a few
21:59
nights after that, but the fear lingered.
22:02
I found myself constantly looking over my shoulder,
22:06
checking the cameras every few minutes, waiting for him to show
22:08
up again. And then, on the fifth night, he
22:11
came back. I was behind the counter when I
22:14
saw him step out of the shadows in the parking lot.
22:17
He wasn't inside the store this time.
22:19
He was standing just outside, under the dim light of the gas
22:23
station canopy, staring through the glass doors.
22:26
My heart raced as I watched him, his figure still in motionless
22:30
like a statue. He didn't move, didn't make any
22:34
attempts to come inside, he just stood there watching.
22:38
I grabbed the phone and dialed 911, my hands shaking as I
22:42
explained the situation to the operator.
22:44
I kept my eyes on him the whole time, watching for any sign of
22:48
movement. The operator told me to stay on
22:50
the line and that they were sending someone out.
22:53
He didn't move. Minutes felt like hours as I
22:56
waited for the police to arrive. My eyes never left him, and he
22:59
never stopped staring. The fear in my chest grew with
23:03
each passing 2nd, a suffocating weight pressing down on me.
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Finally, I saw the flashing lights of a police car pulling
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into the parking lot. The officer stepped out, shining
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a flashlight toward the man, but when the light hit the spot
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where he'd been standing, he was gone.
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There was no trace of him, no footprints, no sign that he had
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ever been there. The officer searched the area,
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but it was like he had vanished into thin air.
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I quit the job the next day.