A month later I started to get anonymous calls, but only heard breathing. At first, I thought they were just prank calls, but then I realized it was a man's breathing and not a teenager. The next day at school I told my friends about it and they both replied “Yeah... I got that too” We all started asking some classmates if they got any calls of a man breathing, but they all shook their heads and said “no” so we all just assumed it was one of Sabrina’s stupid little jokes. Sabrina’s dad was the mayor of the town so obviously they had more money than others, her dad gets her whatever she wants ever since her mother died. So, we just assumed it was one of her butlers that was breathing. With that thought to reassure me Kate, Evan and I went to our next class. 
When lunch finally rolled around Kate and I sat at our usual table next to the window. Evan was our friend but at lunch he preferred to sit with his other friends. I saw them joking and having fun and became a little jealous all Kate and I did was read but suddenly Sabrina walked up to Evan and flirted with him I watched as she played with her straight blonde hair acting all cute. I felt my cheeks got hot with anger and scoffed I saw Evan uncomfortable, so I walked up to him and interrupted Sabrina “Hey Evan!... Are we still on for our date tonight?” I said trying to save him. He looked confused but then got my idea. “Of course!” he said smiling Sabrina scoffed and walked away “Thanks Mila... you really saved me” I smiled and walked back to my seat. Kate stared at me “SOOO... I know you have a thing for Evan~” she said teasing me, my face turned red “Oh shut up” I said, continuing to eat my salad. Yeah but does he like me back? I thought and went on with my day. 
 
 Towards the end of the day Kate reminded me that we had community service after school. I shivered “Didn’t we ask the principal to change our community service to somewhere else?” I questioned. “Yeah, we did, but he said it was too late to change anything”. “Great” I muttered Kate and I started to walk out the building when she asked “Soo... when will you admit you like Evan?” I felt my face turn red again “Fine... I like him” I whispered, “Good now let's see you’ve liked him since ...6th grade?” I stopped walking and stared at her “What- how did you-” Kate just chuckled then continued to walk there we saw Evan standing at the school gates. We ran over then started walking. 
The walk to the shelter started out very slow and cautious but eventually we started to have fun Kate started playing her music and eventually we forgot all about what happened the last time we walked this road. “Hey guys do you ever think about what might’ve happened if that guy would’ve caught us?” Evan asked. “Yeah sometimes I-” I started but I was interrupted when I heard footsteps behind us. They were loud and it sounded like whoever they belonged to was running. 
I turn around and almost lose my balance in the movement, but I regain it by taking a step forward. Not a single soul was behind us. “Hm... weird.” I say to them as I turn back around. “Did you guys hear that it sounded like there was-” I am about to finish my sentence when I see Kate and Evan both looking almost petrified standing there still and pale as ghosts. 
Then I saw why. The man from exactly a month ago was standing ten feet away the same lab coat same hair but this time he had something in his hand I couldn’t see what it is because it reflected the rays of light coming down on us. He moved it and I got a good look at it and I finally knew why my friends didn’t want to move; it was a knife. 
I wanted to scream but I knew that would provoke him I grabbed my friend’s hands and whispered for them to run. We all ran the man was 10 feet away we turned the corner and hid in an alley way. We hid around a trashcan and hoped for the best. I knew how to protect myself and I got ready to hit him if he found us. 
We waited with batted breath to see if he is to find us. When we had waited so long my legs hurt from crouching, I whispered for them to stay and that I would be back. I left them to see if the coast was clear to sneak away at first, I couldn’t see him, but I felt a presence approaching me. At first, I thought it was just Evan or Kate but then I heard whatever behind me breathing I didn’t recognize the sound and I turned around, but I felt a stabbing pain in my leg and screamed. I really wish I hadn’t because right after I did Evan popped his head out to see what's going on, he started rushing at them right as I fell. My leg hurt so bad and there was blood rushing out.  
If I can't get up that means I can't help my friends I must get up now or my friends will get caught too. I can't let that happen. I pull myself to the wall of the alley and I use it to hoist myself up. After I do that, I limped over to where the man is slowly walking towards my friends I try to limp as fast as I can but it's too painful, I have to use the wall to keep myself up or I knew I would fall the man was still advancing on them and I didn’t know what to do so I decided that a distraction would work. 
I looked around myself frantically looking for something that could be of use. Then I spotted it a small wooden plank rests in the middle of the alley. It might not work as a distraction but if I can catch up to him It'll work. I limp as fast as I can towards it and bend to pick it up. But I didn’t realize that he had sped up and he was already three quarters of the way to my friends there was no way I would catch up. 
I decided that I couldn’t give up now and pick up the board anyways and limp as fast as possible in his direction my plan in mind. When I get to him, I’d hit him with the board in the back of the head and we will run as fast as we can to get out of there. If I hit him too hard, I could kill him, and I don’t want blood on my hands. I try to speed up a little more, but I start to feel shooting pains in my leg again. 
I'm halfway to where he is walking slowly now when he suddenly stops. I don’t realize until it's too late he has turned around and is sprinting my way. I am frozen where I stand never in my life did, I think that something would happen like this. He is too fast and as he advances on me I realize that I don’t have a chance and that if I want my friends to get out of here alive I'm going to have to risk my life in the process. 
I stand my ground looking the man dead in the eye. As he gets closer, I look over to my friends who are sticking their heads out from behind the trash can again and mouth the word “run” to them. They do exactly that but instead of running away from us like I meant they ran toward us looking prepared to fight if they must. 
I wondered how this would end and tried to reassure myself that it would all be okay, even if we got caught by him. The man is still sprinting toward me and is not slowing, and I fear that my friends won't make it to me in time and I will fail to keep them safe. At that moment that very fear came to life right before my eyes.