I secured my hat onto my head and pulled my coat closer to me as I stepped out into the cold winter air. I heard my feet crunch into the snow and turned around to lock the shop door. I had just spent a long 9 hour shift working at the candle shop and I was absolutely exhausted. I have to walk all the way back to my apartment since the amount of money I earned from the candle shop wasn’t enough for me to save up for a car AND pay the bills. I’ve always hated walking home this late at night. Don’t get me wrong, I love New York City, but the way to my house from the shop is pretty sketchy.
I turned around after I locked up. I took a deep breath and stared at my breath as I exhaled. You can do this. Normally I don’t get scheduled to work this late, but I had no choice. I took another deep breath and started on my trek home. I didn’t focus on anyone around me and instead focused on putting one foot in front of the other. I focused on knowing every step I took was one step closer to home. I can do this.
I usually go through the local park as a shortcut. Homeless people like to hang about there, but they must be asleep right now. I briskly enter through the park gates and keep my head down. There have been reports on the news lately about animal attacks in this part of town, which is odd because… why would an animal large enough to kill someone venture this far into the city? It didn’t sit well with me. I push that thought out of my mind and dig my hands into my coat pockets. There was the usual background noise of car honks and EDM music from the local clubs, but with every step I took, the noises around me seemed to fade away.
All of a sudden I heard another set of foot steps behind me. I turned my head and expected to find the person who owned the footsteps, but I found nothing. I tried to tell myself that it was just a hobo or maybe my imagination, but my heart ignored my mind and started speeding up. I turned my head back around and quickened my pace slightly. Once my pace picked up, the footsteps resumed. Grace… I heard a voice whisper in my mind. I gasped and walked even faster. That was my mind playing tricks on me. It had to be. You can’t avoid me forever… I whimpered and was practically almost running at this point. I saw the exit in the distance and knew if I got out of the park I would be safe. I sprinted toward the gates and heard laughing behind me. My heart was in my throat and my lungs were burning. It felt like I was breathing in ice as I reached the gates and ran through. I ignored the honks and yells of protest as I ran through the streets and pushed myself toward my apartment. You can run little Grace, but I will find you… My hands shot to my hair and pulled. ¨Get out of my head!¨ I shouted. The few people around me looked at me as if I was mentally insane. I was starting to think I was.
I saw my apartment building in the distance and used my last few bits of adrenaline to push me towards my safe haven. I reached the door and jumbled with my keys. I thrusted the right key into the door and threw the door open. I ran up the three flights of stairs to my room and counted four doors down on the right. I reached my door and finally decided I was safe. I felt like I was going to collapse on the floor. I put my hands on my knees and heaved over. My breathing was coming out in short pants and it sounded like I was wheezing. I realized I was still holding my keys so I stood up and unlocked my door. I entered and thought nothing of how dark and quiet it was. I turned around to lock my door. As soon as I turned around I was pushed against my door and a cloth was shoved onto my face. I gasped and an unfamiliar smell attacked my senses. I started to feel drowsy and tried to tug away the hand over my mouth. I heard a chuckle and my eyes looked toward the source. All I saw was a blurry dark figure. ¨I told you I would get you. And now you’re mine.¨ The last thing I saw before I was plunged into darkness was his smile, which had a set of sharp canines that gleamed in the moonlight.