The Shadow

It’s 10 PM. The streets are empty and the night is pitch black with no sight of the moon or any stars. The park Jennifer was walking through was completely silent and empty. Trees loomed ominously above her, their branches looking as if it was reaching to grab her.

“It’s okay, I’m almost home,” Jennifer whispered to herself as she scurried across the park. She didn’t mean to be here this late in the night. She had fallen asleep on a bench in the park while she was taking a stroll. But now, Jennifer was feeling something strange. Yes, it’s that feeling you get from being watched. She could almost hear someone breathing next to her. She could feel her every movement being watched

And come to think of it, Jennifer was hearing footsteps behind her. She stopped walking. The footsteps ceased. She started walking again and the footsteps continued. Jennifer was completely freaked out. She was sure she was being followed but her home was still a ten minute walk away. She had no car, no weapon to defend herself, and there was no one around her. Jennifer whipped around suddenly but there was no one behind her, just trees and rocks. But she knew somebody was following her. She could just feel it. So Jennifer reached in her purse and nervously pulled out her phone.

Just my luck, Jennifer thought. Her phone was out of battery. She had no other option but to run to her house. So Jennifer ran as fast as she could and sprinted all the way back to her house without looking behind her. Once she got there she quickly opened her door and locked it. She was sweaty and gasping for breath.

But just as Jennifer thought she was safe, someone knocked on her door. Jennifer peered through the peephole and saw a man in a black hoodie. His face was hidden and he held a knife in his hand. Jennifer was terrified. The man knocked again, more ferociously this time. Jennifer had an idea. She took out her phone and pretended to dial 911. She made sure to speak loudly so the man would hear. It must’ve worked because the man walked away suddenly.

“W-what was that?” Jennifer stammered to herself. She ran upstairs and plugged her phone into a charger, preparing to call 911. But before she could, her TV suddenly turned on. Weird, she thought. Just as she was about to turn it off, a message appeared: I’ll get you. It was in scratchy letters with blood splatters around it. Then, it disappeared as static filled the TV. Jennifer wanted to scream. She suddenly got a text message: Come to the park now! I found a stray kitty! It was from her best friend, Sophia.

Jennifer thought it was strange that she was at the park at almost 11 PM but she decided to come anyway. It’s better than being alone, Jennifer thought. So she went into her car and drove to the park. She texted Sophia that she was there. Jennifer saw no sign of Sophia or a cat anywhere.

“Sophia?” she called out nervously. Suddenly someone pounced on her and gave Jennifer a hard kick to the head. Before she fell unconscious, Jennifer turned around to see the same man with a knife in his hand.

“I got you,” he said with a smirk. “Can’t tell when you’re being hacked?”

Jennifer saw his face. She suddenly realized who it was. It was her childhood best friend who she abandoned in high school because he was often made fun of.

“Jason?” Jennifer asked, bewildered. The man looked at her straight in the eyes.

“So you do remember me. Then why’d you suddenly act like you forgot about me? My life became miserable. Now I can finally get my revenge,” Jason said.

Jennifer fell unconscious.