Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 35349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
I tried to ignore it even telling myself all these worries were nothing but paranoia, a result of traveling alone and being in new, strange places.
But no matter how much I tried to ignore it and push it to the back of my mind, it refused to leave.
A long exhale left me, but it wasn’t calming nor did it cleared my head.
As I continued along the trail, I kept glancing over my shoulder, this tickling on the back of my neck strong, as if warning bells were incessantly ringing throughout my body.
But there was nothing behind me, no one following me. The forest was quiet, and the only sounds were those of the rustling leaves from the small animals scurrying about and the trickle of a stream close by.
Yet… I felt like I was being watched.
I came to a spot where the view was so pretty that it made me stop for a moment, and I just absorbed everything around me. However, I still discreetly scanned my surroundings. Nothing stood out except my rising pulse, and I felt this tingling sensation encompass my arms and legs.
I rubbed my hands over my arms, chasing away the chill, and after a few moments, I felt that tension and nervousness fade. I smiled and giggled at my paranoia, and with one more look around, I started heading back down the trail and toward town.
But the too-close sound of a branch snapping had that anxiousness filling me once again.
And that’s when I saw him—or I thought I did, anyway. It was a dark, enormous shadow between the trees. Just a flash of movement and shape but it made me pause midstep.
The shape looked like a man, a tall, muscular figure. But just as quickly as I’d seen it—the sight out the corner of my eye, just at the edge of my vision and partially obscured by the trees—I blinked, and he was gone. He was too far away for me to make out any clear details, but there was definitely someone out here.
A chill raced down my spine.
I shook my head, trying to convince myself that it was just my imagination. It had to be, right? But even repeating that in my head didn’t make me feel calmer in the slightest. Because the image of that figure was seared into my mind.
I continued walking, picking up my pace. All I wanted to do was break through the tree line and go back to where the safety of the townspeople was.
But as much as I tried to focus on looking collected and not at all spooked, the worse I failed at it. I glanced back constantly, searching for that figure again, expecting him to be right behind me.
The opening of the trail loomed ahead, and I exhaled in relief, but one last glance behind me had a sharp shot of panic slamming into me.
Because I saw him. It was still just a glimpse, still at the edge of my vision, and not fully clear enough I could make out his features, but I knew I saw him. And I knew one more thing for certain.
I have to get out of the isolation of the forest.
What was painfully undeniable was I was being followed, tracked… stalked.
“Thank God,” I breathed out when I reached the clearing, seeing the village just across the way and the bustle of the morning rush of people moving back and forth over the cobblestone sidewalks and streets.
As I made my way out of the forest and across the street, I could feel the weight of his gaze heavy on me. It was an oppressive feeling that made it hard to breathe.
But no matter how hard I tried to act like I wasn’t scared, I knew I failed.
Sightseeing today was done. I’d worry about food later. I wanted to be in the safety of my rental with locked windows and doors. So I took a different way home, wanting to make it hard—impossible—for my stalker to follow me.
He probably already knows where you’re staying, a nasty little voice whispered in my head.
The image of that man in Paris suddenly appeared front and center in my mind, but I pushed it away as quickly as it came. There was no way it was the same man, no way he followed me across Europe.
But the unease that had been gnawing at me for days was now a full-blown fear because… what if?
7
DOLLY
SEVERAL DAYS LATER
Days had passed after my walk in the forest, and since then, nothing had felt off. And it was that sense of safety that allowed me to calm and settle my nerves.
Today, there was a small flea market style setup in the center of town. I wandered over the cobblestone streets lined with stalls that were selling everything from handmade crafts to fresh produce and pies.