The Feast of Fears

The Mysterious Stranger

As Ava walked back to her apartment, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following her. She kept looking over her shoulder, expecting to see a figure lurking in the shadows.

But every time she turned around, there was no one there. It was as if she was going crazy.

As she approached her building, Ava noticed a figure standing in the corner of her eye. She spun around, but again, there was no one there. She shook her head and told herself she was just being paranoid.

But as she entered her apartment and locked the door behind her, Ava couldn't help but feel that she was being watched. She tried to distract herself by making herself a cup of coffee, but the feeling only grew stronger.

Suddenly, Ava heard a faint whispering in her ear. "You shouldn't have looked."

Ava spun around, but there was no one there. The whisper seemed to come from all around her, echoing off the walls.

She tried to tell herself it was just the wind or her imagination, but the voice sent shivers down her spine. Who or what was speaking to her?

Ava's heart racing, she walked over to the window and pulled back the curtains. That's when she saw it - a figure standing outside, watching her from across the street.

Ava's eyes locked onto the figure, and for a moment, they stared at each other. Then, the figure vanished into thin air.

Ava's breath caught in her throat as she realized that she wasn't alone. Someone - or something - was watching her from the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Ava's heart was racing as she stared out the window, trying to process what she had just seen. She couldn't believe that a figure had been standing there, watching her. Who was it? And what did they want?

As she stood there, frozen in shock, the doorbell rang. Ava's heart skipped a beat as she hesitated, wondering if she should answer it. But her curiosity got the better of her, and she slowly made her way to the door.

She peered through the peephole, and her eyes widened as she saw the same figure from across the street standing in the hallway. This time, he was wearing a long coat and a fedora, and his face was obscured by shadows.

Ava's hand trembled as she reached for the doorknob, but before she could open it, the stranger vanished into thin air once again.

This time, Ava knew that she wasn't imagining things. Someone - or something - was playing a game with her, and she was determined to find out what it was.

She opened the door anyway, hoping to catch the stranger off guard. But when she looked out into the hallway, there was no one there.

Ava spun around, looking up and down the corridor, but the stranger was nowhere to be seen. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, telling herself that she must have just imagined it.

But as she turned to go back inside, she heard a faint whisper in her ear once again. "You shouldn't have looked."

Ava's eyes snapped open, and this time, she saw a piece of paper on the floor. It was a note, written in handwriting she didn't recognize:

"Meet me at the old clock tower at midnight. Come alone."