Uncanny (John Doe x Reader)

IV

This isn't happening. This isn't possible. There's no explanation for it. It has to be a nightmare. It has to be.

Maybe you're burnt out. Maybe repeating the same mundane routine day after day finally broke you. Maybe the events of...last night? It was last night right? It was yesterday. Right???

It had to have broken you. It had to. You're losing yourself. All you did was blink.

All you did was blink.

Work be damned, you weren't going in. You remember the events of the supposed night before and remember that creep. He might be there again. You absolutely don't want to even risk the possibility of bumping into him again. No way in hell. The way he just got so close. How he grabbed your face and leaned in. The way you were able to feel his breath on your neck. The tickle of his smile as he spoke into your ear...

Maybe you should go in...

No. No no no. What is wrong with you? Why would you even consider such an idea? The way the event made you feel was vile. Disgusting.

Alive.

Go. To. Work.

You're back on the bus. You want to beat yourself up. Or at least have someone else do it for you. As much as you argued with yourself and tried to stay home, something compelled you to go to work. Even with every fiber of your being saying "don't go". Even with the uneasiness of feeling watched. Evem with the noise you know you heard while getting dressed. A sort of purring, despite the lack of any pets. A noise that was a bit too excited, yet the source couldn't be found. Even with all of these red flags, you still decided to head to work.

That stranger wasn't here though. Wasn't he on the bus last time? You're sure he was. Though, you weren't complaining. His absence brought comfort. You can only hope that it will remain that way for the rest of the day.

And hope you did.

The workday was painful. Slow and on edge. Every little jingle of the door opening to greet a customer, you would whip your head around to check that it wasn't him. Anyone was more acceptable than him.

About halfway into your shift, the paranoia become unbearable. You just wanted to go home. Knowing your shift ended in the evening when it's dark didn't help. You refused to go out at night this time.

Giving your manager a call, you gave them a poor excuse that you threw up on the job. Which almost wasn't a lie. The fear in your gut made you want to vomit. And only to avoid a lawsuit, your boss decided you could go home early. They'd find someone else to cover the latter half of your shift, if not just close the store for the rest of the day.

With some daylight still being out, you didn't want to wait for the bus. At any moment, he could just...pop out. And you've managed to avoid him so far, so waiting out in the open didn't seem like the best idea.

The bus ride would take you home within 10 minutes, even with traffic and other stops. So, if you really had a pep in your step, you could walk home within maybe 30 minutes.

You wasted no time. You began your way home immediately. Every other minute, looking over your shoulder to make sure absolutely no one was following you. Your stature tense and your feet ready to bolt at any given moment. All you had to do was make it home, so you just continued to keep your head on a swivel.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

Back and-

*Beep beep beep beep bee-*