The Stranger Man

Write a Story about someone who keeps coming across a stranger

The Bus 294 was my regular route home from work since I had my Car Accident in October 2018.

I caught the bus from Romford and would get off few stops to my house to get some exercise daily.

I sat towards the front of the bus sat I felt safe, some days I would change my seat if someone else was already in my regular seat.    

I began to notice this gentleman ws always on the bus around the same time as me , I chose not to give him eye contact but then again I would notice he stared at me on few occasions.

I shared this with my daughter who took the same bus to college sometimes.

I started to change my bus timings and sometimes would use the other station Hainault which was further out of my way or sometimes I would ask my husband to pick me up from Fairlop station to avoid the stranger.

I began to think this was having an impact on my lifestyle as I was changing my routes trying to avoid someone I did not know.

This was painful as I had not driven to work for over two years and began to think I might have to start driving the car to work following my car accident.  

I lived around the end of Hainault which is a very green area of Romford in Essex, we have people who have stables and we occasionally see horses in the area. We also note there are a lot of foot paths and you can enjoy a lovely walk on a weekend. We also have a lot of people who enjoy cycling in the area. I have often gone to the park with my children on Lodge lane and often take walks with my husband.

I then realised that I had seen the gentleman at the local coop one Saturday morning I recognised him from the same hat he wore on the bus a forth night ago.

I also then realised I had seen him walking his dog on a Friday evening while we were on Lock down he had his orange coat on this time. I recalled seeing that bright orange colour on the bus 294 about a month ago.

I began to put together the mystery behind this gentleman that he perhaps lived in the local area, he was sighted next time on his bicycle one day while I was cycling with my daughter around the stables in the area.

He would stare at me each time  I saw him, or maybe I was the one staring at him, he was driving me mad or may be I was becoming paranoid

Why do I  think I reacted this way, was it because at the time  he would always want to sit next to me on the bus or perhaps that was the only seat available on the bus at the time

‘’Was he looking for company I thought’’?

‘’I would not speak to strangers because of stories untold’’ ?

‘’I may want to be friendly and this could be misconstrued’’?

‘’He might genuinely be a stalker I felt a times’’ ?

‘’There was something eerie around this stranger I felt most of the time’’?

‘’I thought about a way forward or out of the situation but my husband was quite a jealous man so I could not share this with him’’

‘’So I thought the best way forward was to avoid the bus at the time but then I began to come in contact him in my local community’

I saw him again one evening when I got off the bus at my regular bus stop and it was late and very dark at night – he was already standing at the bus stop when I got off, I was attempted I bbto get back on the bus but it was too late before I realised

Everything you watch on TV comes to play I looked around there was no one else in site   

 I thought perhaps I should run but I was not a good runner

I thought I should cross over the road to the other side and start to walk very fast

I thought I should ring my sons to meet me at the bus stop

I thought I should ask my husband to pick me up

All these thoughts were rampaging through my mind, I began to panic as I began to walk, he began to walk

As I crossed over, he crossed over too

I was trying to avoid eye contact with him all the time

He was making me scared but I must not let him notice I was scared

I noticed a cars light in the distance and I was hoping to wave them down but then the car turned off before they got to where I was

I thought of knocking on one of the doors in the houses

I thought of shouting

I thought I could ring 999 but was too scared to do so

I practically did not know what to do I froze

I carried on walking and thought of walking the opposite way but then again I did not

I began to get a description of what he was wearing even though it was very dark

He was white of Caucasian looks

He was about six foot two inches tall

He was wearing a red coat and black pair of trousers

He had short wavy hair but was wearing a hat

He had dark eyes I thought

He was wearing a pair of Nike trainers with a red tick

And finally he was carrying a black saddle on his shoulder

I decide to turn right at the top of the road and he turned as  well and I could feel my heart racing   this was when I sighted a young woman walking towards both of us on the same side of the road. She was walking a dog.

When she approached us I was a bit more relaxed and happy to see someone coming to help me or rescue me from the stranger

The lady was actually walking to meet the man from the bus stop

I felt a sigh of relieve that I was safe at last from the stranger

It was not what I thought it was

It was fear that had overtaken me all these months

I was relieved that I got off the bus stop this night to bring an end to this mystery

The stranger man