Crush

(Trigger Warnings: Explicit Language And Stalking)

"Hey Bryan"

I jumped as Nick called out to me before rolling over to my cuticle, “You good man?”

“Yeah, I’m good.”

We talked and did some work for a while until the elevator dinged and the swarm of employees came into the area and started getting ready for the day.

With those employees came the feeling of being watched.

I look around the room once but shook off the feeling. It may just be one of my managers about to get onto me about something.

As time passes the managers never said anything to me beside to give me more work but the feeling of being watched was still there and my heart starts racing.

Calm down Nick it’s probably just your imagination.

“Hey, Nick”, Sara's squeaky voice has me almost jumping out of my seat.

“Oh, it’s you, Sara”

She does that weird giggle of hers and the eyes I feel on me soon turn into something hateful. I clear my throat and loosen my tie as I feel daggers being thrown at me.

Sweat starts pooling around my armpits and the back of my neck.

Sara starts to become a blur as the almost murderous intent in the air gets stronger.

Is someone thinking of killing me? Why? What did I do?

The killing vibes didn’t come until Sara came over.

Is someone dating Sara and doesn’t want me around her?

They can have her. I have never liked Sara like that, she went around the office too much for anyone to consider her girlfriend material with her makeup having her look like a clown.

I shake my head and feel throw-up trying to come up my throat.

I shot out of my cuticle and run to the restroom. Making it there just in time to make it to the toilet.

Finally done giving my inside to the toilet gods, I wash my hands and face realizing how pale I had gotten in the past few hours.

Nick came into the restroom, “Man are you alright? Sara said one minute you were talking to her and the next you ran in here.”

Shaking my head I sigh, “Not really, feels like someone is watching me and I don’t know if I’m being paranoid, but it was like someone wanted to kill me with their eyes while she was talking to me.”

Nick looks at his watch, “Well it’s lunchtime now how about you go home early? You got time to cover for the rest of the day, right?”

He got a nod as I put some cold water on my neck.

“Then let’s go talk to the manager and get you home.”

I gave another nod and walked slowly out of the restroom. The buzz of the office never died down and it never would for one lone worker bee.

Finding the manager was easy and lucky for me, he was in a good mood, so he let me off the hook for the day.

Since I left the restroom, those eyes have been locked on me but this time the killing intent had died down a little I think but can’t be sure.

I wait for the elevator with the lunch crowd trying to get food or fresh air from the gray death trap of this floor.

The eyes burn into the back of my skull bringing the sweat drenching my back and the queasiness back to my stomach.

I run back to the restroom giving my insides to the toilet gods again, but this time Nick is with me and gives me a bottle of water.

I swish the water in my mouth and spat it out in the sink.

We tried the elevator again, this time I couldn’t sense any eyes on me but the sense of dread coursing through me wouldn’t leave.

Stepping outside the building I breathe in the city air listening to the traffic and bustling people around us, feeling a tinge of peace and feeling my hunger hit me full force.

The smell coming from the hotdog stands pulls me and Nick to it causing us to order.

“Are you going to be okay going home on your own? I would say bump it and leave with you, but someone has to do your work and mine.”

Sighing I give the hot dog man the money for me and him when he gave a sheepish look, “I know, and thanks. I’ll be alright.”

“Okay man well, I’ll talk to you later. Don’t forget we’re going out Saturday.”

The minute Nick was gone is the second the eyes came back. I look around me and only saw people minding their business.

No one cares about a nobody like me working a dead-end job so why the hell do I feel so fucking paranoid?!

The bus bench is a few feet away from me and the bus should be here at any moment. It's broad daylight there is no reason for me to be this freaked.

Yet I am.

My heart is painting my chest black and blue.

My clothes are drenched in sweat I probably look like I ran a marathon and smell like one as well.

I can’t breathe with the person behind me huffing and puffing in my ear.

Wait not my ear but my neck and it’s almost like they are trying to smell me?

I hold my breath, but I don’t turn around. What if it’s a psycho and they slice my neck open in front of everybody?

Sure, they’ll be caught but I would still be very dead.

The people around me grow along with this sense of isolation. There is no one here that would help me.

They must see the person behind me, but they don’t say or do anything about the weirdo that seems to be right behind me sniffing me as if their life depends on it.

Fear, isolation, and dread consume me and take over everything.

It’s just me and the psycho right now at this moment. No one will try to save me. The psycho could hold me at gunpoint, and no one will say a word.

Their breath is blowing on the collar of my shirt, so they may be shorter than me. I won’t be able to defend myself if they have a gun or knife. They can use their shortness against me in some way. They could be faster than me and stab or pull the trigger and then I am dead.

Never to feel like I belong anywhere. I would die before I can find a reason to live and finally be happy.

Psycho’s breath feels closer to my neck, I can almost feel their lips against it.

Am I really going to die in the middle of the street at the age of 24 as a nobody with nothing to show the life I lived?

A hand lands on my shoulder slowly pulling me to turn around.

I’m going to die

The horn from the city bus announces its arrival and before they could pull me any more towards them, I tore myself away from them and ran to the front of the bus before anyone could get on and took a seat farthest away from that side of the bus.

The rest of the passengers got on the bus, and I memorized each that came on the bus but the eyes and feeling of death vanished as the bus doors closes.

I lean back in the seat staring at the dirty roof of the bus as the air blows on me bringing chills across my body.

Why is this happening to me?

What the hell did I do?

Is this a serial killer? Did I get marked by a serial killer?

Running my hand through my hair, I see my stop up ahead and pull the cord above my head. The driver pulls the bus over and I get off in front of my old apartment building on its last leg but the only thing I can afford.

Getting into my apartment I ignore all the boxes I still haven’t unpacked and find some clothes for a shower.

The warm water warms my body back from the arctic iceberg surrounding it the entire day.

Afterward, my throat feels tight, and I start coughing and sneezing, a headache starting to form as well.

Maybe today was just my imagination.

When people get sick, they imagine things and see and feel things that aren’t there.

Yeah, it’s just my imagination.

Turning the tv on, I open a can of soup and threw it in the microwave as the TV Announced the news of 4 men being killed by a serial killer in the past 2 weeks around the Lexin area.

Whipping around my breathing stops, Lexin is where I am now

“If you live in this neighborhood, please be cautious as this person is extremely dangerous and seems to be very crafty. Back to you jeff.”

I turn off the TV and try to catch my breath. It’s just my imagination, nothing is going to happen.

I’m safe and just overreacting. That was a coincidence.

Forcing myself to take a few deep breaths and grabbing the bowl of soup, I head to my bedroom with only a window and dresser directly across from the bed.

I relax on the bed and eat the soup before falling asleep hoping to forget this entire day.

I jerk awake at the sound of knocking on my door.

Sighing I wrap the red quilt around me tighter and as my eyes start to focus, I see the window wide open letting in the cool spring air.

Was the window open before I went to sleep?

I get up and close it, seeing a light in the apartment directly across from me in the next building over. The person living there gave a wave and even though they probably couldn’t see it I gave a small smile and waved back.

I wonder when someone moved into that apartment, it’s been empty for a while.

I walk to the living room passing a mirror and finally see the exact blanket that I am holding to my body.

It’s a red quilted patch blanket with little designs decorated on it. I have never owned a blanket like this in my life so where did it come from?

A sneeze and cough interrupted my thoughts as I tighten the blanket around me making my way to the door remembering the knocking from earlier.

Grabbing a tissue, I blow my nose and turn the knob noting that the door is unlocked.

Did I not lock it when I got home?

There was no one there once the door was opened but that isn’t too surprising, considering how long it took.

I sneeze again into the tissue and see the small package on my doormat with a piece of paper attached to it.

I don’t remember ordering anything.

I close the door and make sure to lock the door then shuffled to the kitchen setting the package on the counter and opening the paper.

“I hope you are doing well. Make sure to keep warm with the blanket I gave you and keep this we will be needing it later. Also, stop leaving your door unlocked, anyone can take advantage of that and try to harm you. I’ll be seeing you soon. XXX”

The quilt falls to the floor as the malicious eyes make their presence known. It’s almost like they are playing games with me smiling at me with the intent to kill in their eyes.

Hands shaking, I open the package, and my heart freezes.

A knife 

A butcher knife at that.

A series of knocks shakes the door and the wall.

My grip on the knife tightened as I took a step to the door.

My heart beating a mile a minute breath was out of control and the constant banging on the door urging for it to be opened.

Everything around me blurs making only the front door clear and focused.

Holding my breath, grip insanely tight on the knife I place my other shaky hand on the doorknob.

Turning it, I release my breath and jerk the door open.

Thinking there would be a giant man with a knife in his hand, I was not prepared for the beautiful woman that greeted me with a tray and a crockpot with a smile on her face not at all bothered by the knife in my hand.

“You’re awake. That’s good”, her voice is sweet but there was something else in it.

I stare at her trying to put some type of words together, “um uh I’m sorry. Who are you?”

Her smile dropped for a split second before it came back, “That’s right I never got the chance to introduce myself, my name’s Elizabeth. I live in the apartment across from you in the other building.”

Realization dawned on me, “You’re the one I waved to”

She nods, “Yep and we also work at the same company. I tried to talk to you while you were waiting on the bus but when I touched your shoulder you ran to the bus.”

“Oh, that was you…I I I’m so sorry. I didn’t know it was you.”

I realize we are in the same spot, and she is still holding the crockpot and the smell coming from it smells delicious.

I grab the crockpot from her and move out the doorway, “I’m sorry let me get that for you and come in.”

I think Elizabeth blushed a little, but she walks past me with her head down a little, “Thanks”

I shut the door and set the crockpot on the counter and the tray beside it, “Um sorry I should have asked you earlier, but what can I do for you?”

“Oh, I just made too much food and wanted to share with someone and when I came earlier you were sick.”

I cut her off, “Here earlier?”

“Yeah, you had left your door ajar and heard someone in pain, so I came in and saw you freezing so I gave you the blanket that was around me. You need to start making sure your door is closed and locked.”

I can feel my face turning red from embarrassment, “I’m sorry for that”

She gives out a giggle, “It’s okay I just ask that you take care of yourself, and you can make it up to me later by taking me out on a date.”

I snap my head to her with my eyes bulging out of my head and she started to ramble and blushing, “I’ve seen you around the company since I got there two months ago and whenever you saw me you were also nice to me, and yeah.”

I blushed, “Yeah we can go out, but I would like to take you out when I don’t have a cold if that’s okay.”

She nods saying, “Yeah that’s fine well I have to go take care of my cat I’ll see you later” and left.

Two weeks later I take Elizabeth to a nice restaurant, and everything was going well until she sighs, “I feel like I need to tell you this now, but you can’t run once I do.”

“What is it?”

“I’m the serial killer that killed all those men in our area. And I was going to kill you, but you were so nice to me and cute that I may have developed a crush on you.”

My heart races out of control as I notice she was not joking and is completely serious, “Well shit.”