“Already had our hearts locked ‘fore ya even knew it…”
Ch. 1 Synopsis: On a gloomy afternoon with an incoming storm slowly approaching near a rundown city, a bored local finds themselves crossing the path of an eerie and intriguing stranger. After the encounter the local later realizes the stranger's quiet infatuation has followed them back home, making the simple snack errand into the start of something…unhealthy. And Obsessive.
TW: Light stalking, duh. gender neutral reader, brief dark humor too.
first collaborated fic, so we hope you like it ! (@juniiprxz)
Current chapters uploaded: chapter one
Please do not copy, translate or plagiarize any of our work. thank ya and enjoy at your own risk <3.
Being pretty bored, hungry, and having nothing better to do with life, you had set out to the nearby convenience store for a quick snack run. It usually had what you wanted and needed at any given moment when the time struck, and the clock was striking. But on approaching the usual stop, it was… closed. Just your luck really. And really odd, this one never closed in any circumstance.
But nevertheless, you shrugged it over and made way towards the other store just a few blocks away. Long walk, yeah. But hunger sometimes spoke more fiercely when it came to common sense. That and the reason you were out here in the first place was so you didn’t have to cook anything, not that you had much to cook with in the first place.
It was a pretty gloomy evening. A pretty bad storm was coming through tonight, which meant I had to make this trip quick – storms around here were both predictable in variety but not in timing. Coincidentally, and unfortunately, the road usually taken to get there had been blocked off for construction– something about a pot hole or rotting road, leaving me with having to take a slight but not so slight, 15-minute detour.
The shitty GPS in your grip that doesn't even know it's right turns from left had brought you to a more secluded area with an empty road and dark, soundless woods nearby. The walk there felt quiet and empty. It felt like I was walking through a room with no windows or furniture for that matter. In the distance there were light gusts of wind picking up throughout the walk. The slight detour wasn't actually so bad, although it felt empty it was more peaceful than walking on a chaotic city road with weirdos and randoms that stare at you like you've just been mutated into an uncanny creature with long legs and fingers, and an extremely short torso.
Only a couple minutes had passed and it felt like you’d been walking on this road for more than an hour. At least in the distance you could see a couple cars and street lights flicker on. As the pavement of the road started getting more narrow, less pavement and more dirt, you felt a pair of eyes on your head. You didn't want to think towards an unnecessary conclusion but a bitter chill came over you as you walked further towards the more populated area up ahead.
As they progressed, the surrounding area of trees grew quieter than before. Somewhat revealing the figure that was hiding behind them.
A minute early. They had arrived at the convenience store. As they walked towards the end of the store where the snack aisle that had looked like it’d been organized by a 5 year old, they noticed a particular man giving off a quiet and ghastly aura. He was tall. Dirty Blonde. Two jackets. A black leather one with scuffs and dirt all over, and then a yellow one that was fading out of its dye. Paired with some worn out jeans and black boots. He was..
He wasn't an eye catcher. In fact he definitely tried to stay in between shadows. He was standing near the fridges, most likely looking at the beer. It looked like he was looking for a certain brand. While watching him, you assumed he was undeniably trying not to draw any attention towards himself. But unfortunately wherever you go, someone's always there watching.
You grabbed the snacks you’ve been searching for, a couple chip bags and a meat stick to fill the slight hunger that was forming in your gut. Turning towards the cashier you noticed he was already up there paying for his case of beer and a pack of cigarettes. Walking a bit closer, his gaze abruptly focused on you for a mere second that lasted a heart beat. It felt thrilling. Alarming even.
He eventually left, and it became your turn to pay. The cashier was very quiet.
They were very off putting but you didn't mind it, just wanted to receive your item and dip. Rather not start small talk anyway, would’ve been pointless.
“$6.57” they said in a bitter tone, tone dry and clearly just wanting to get the shift over with.
Just as you were handing him a five and two dollar bill, you glanced out the window towards the left. Noticing some grey clouds rolling in, small flashes of light being seen, you could only sigh at what's to come.
You had no umbrella– thinking you’d be home much sooner than anticipated–, a 15 minute detour and an unknown figure probably watching you while walking on what was going to feel like the longest road in the city.
As soon as you exited the store, drizzling could already be felt from the sky. You walked a couple more feet before succumbing to your hunger and ultimately deciding to grab the meat stick you’d just bought and take it out of the barely intact plastic bag the cashier gave me – seriously, the thing only had one usable handle on it. You continued your walk back, really hoping the shower of rain wouldn't come down on you at this very moment.
You had walked a bit further when you began hearing this faint sound of shuffling from behind me . Like the grass being crushed under a foot, and leaves rustling under the weight of a person. You decided that today wouldn’t be your sundown, even if the drizzle wasn’t really a drizzle anymore. You quickly picked up the pace, only to hear the footsteps getting closer. You tried to get away further, turning onto the path that was taken earlier, only to be faced with a tight grip on your shoulder forcing you to turn around, causing you to lose all balance slightly, slipping and colliding with the moist dirt ground, hands first and my bag of snacks spilling out onto the damp grass nearby.
Looking up, it wasn’t the common fear that struck through you. In fact, you were enraged at the fact your shoulder had just been man-handled, sending you into a patch of grass consisting of moist dirt and damp grass. Just as you were about to cuss the person out, the glimpse you caught was oddly… familiar.
The tall, and very intriguing guy that was wearing the washed out yellow hoodie underneath the black leather jacket with a ghostly-like appearance. You’d thought he had already left the area a long while ago. It had been at least ten– maybe even fifteen – minutes since you’d last seen him walk out of the store. But no.
He was just staring at you. Not a word was spoken, not even a singular sound. The interaction was quickly becoming unsettling, leaving the blood in your face blooming slightly. He then fidgeted his hand towards his pocket, eventually pulling something out. You didn't know what it was or why he had the audacity to just throw you to the ground like trash, but you needed to think fast.
“This guy could most likely be trying to kill me, I really don’t want to be a new addition to the missing people posters next to the bathrooms at the local Walmart.” You moved your feet a bit so I could at least have a bit of leverage just in case I needed to make a run for it– even if it wouldn’t do much, he seemed fast.
After a short few seconds, he said something:
“Pull out yer hands.” he said with a stern voice.
As you pulled out your hands, he pulled something out of his pocket and dropped it in your dirty palm.
It was the change you threw into the bag with the snacks you’d bought earlier. It must've fallen when you took the meat stick out, or because of the hole on the bottom. It was a couple seconds before I managed to spit out some words:
He didn't respond. He just turned around and walked away. What a weirdo.
The urge to follow him was strong, but with the now very clear rain pour the risk couldn’t be taken.
The walk back wasn't any better, now covered in dirt and other earthly materials, you’d have to start up laundry far earlier than you’d usually would’ve. On top of that the shitty plastic bag holding your snacks has a hole in it and will probably give out in a couple minutes.
You managed to make it back home before the full storm had arrived.
The TV played as background noise, volume low but not too low to be completely silent, just a nice little buzz in the air. Snacks have been consumed and now you’re just in a complete utter mind fog. The apartment smelt faintly of laundry detergent and musk from clothes that have yet to be washed– you were putting it off after showering, maybe tomorrow you’ll do it. For now though, you’ll rot and ponder about that strange man from before. It was hard to see his face, even if you were ass first in the dirt just hours before. The only thing that you could get a glimpse of was possibly his mouth, you were staring at it after being shoved after all– were you? Was that considered weird?– he had a small stash, noticeable but not much. Had a scar on his chin too… or did he? Were you just imagining things to fill that little void of curiosity that kept nipping away at your brain?
The thunder had worsened overtime, possibly a hurricane than a thunderstorm if anything. Every other minute the sky would rumble like the pit of your stomach at this current moment, maybe you should’ve gotten groceries instead of those flimsy snacks. Nevertheless, your mind continues to wonder and your stomach continues to rumble, TV still rolling. In reality, you hadn’t been paying attention towards the screen, the show was on autoplay and has been played over and over again numerous times before during moments like this.
While listening to the clamorous sounds of thunder you had your head cocked back, ignoring the babbling of the television you fixed your attention to the bumping clambered ceiling, pretty sure those stains would never be removed, pretty sure most were already there before even moving it. The ridged look was definitely a popcorn ceiling, only time would tell if this damned complex would collapse from ongoing neglect. Keeping your focus on the raggedy ceiling, you hear another clash of thunder, mindlessly glancing over, another strike of lighting. Wondering when the storm’ll roll over, another rumble of the eye shook the apartment, another flash of lighting shows through the shut curtains. But no sound of lighting follows. You hadn’t thought much of it at first but you suddenly felt that same feeling you felt much earlier in the day. You felt seen. Watched. Like another pair of eyes was suddenly plastered on every inch of you, no matter where you glanced or turned, an unsettling feeling rested in the pit of your stomach. Yet, you didn’t move.
Your phone’s notification ultimately catches your attention.
You lazily shift your gaze towards your phone, picking it up with your left hand, you bring the phone towards your face to get a better view. With your eyes being adjusted to the dark you immediately get flashed banged by the brightness of your phone. Immediately squinting your eyes, the bright light coming from the screen eventually catches your gaze to an unexpected and chilling message:
After receiving that text you frantically look around for the nearest window, this is possibly one of the worst moments to have little on...
You notice that one particular window has its shutter opened. The fear of a potential weirdo looking through your window made your skin crawl. You quickly scurry towards the window barely missing the pole to twist the blinds shut, should’ve invested in some damn curtains. You slowly back up, not letting your sight off the window when the power suddenly cuts off, a sudden creak and thud coming from outside. The storm had fully developed, erupting into a hurricane, lightning must’ve struck one of the nearby power cords down. The entire complex was probably pitch black right about now.
After confirming the loud commotion from outside was just the horrible storm passing through, you let out a deep sigh that had been weighing down on you for a minute now. You thought you had finally come to a calm sense of mind when a sudden crash came from your room.
What in the fuck was that…
You turn your head towards the darkened hallways, moving slowly towards the door, footsteps creaking against the floorboards. Your heart is hammering in your chest so hard you can practically hear it. As you get closer to the door, the erotic weather from outside becomes louder and clearer. Hearing this you hesitantly twist the doorknob mentally preparing for anything to come at you while you calmly open the door.
While entering the room your gaze immediately focuses on the shattered window.
Trying not to step on glass you make your way towards the small patch of shattered glass, a cement brick laid in the dead center of it, whoever chucked the damn thing either had wicked luck or weird precision.
As you slowly approach the brick, trying to avoid any shard ready to puncture your feets, you notice there’s writing on the brick.
In a very detailed note it wrote: I can see you <3.
While reading the note you suddenly get cut off from the ringing of your cell phone. As you look down to see who it was, your heart had dropped momentarily before realizing what it actually was.
Just another weather warning..
