Tonight was absolutely exhausting and terrifying. I worked all day, and I swear someone was watching me, or out to get me or something! First, I wake up late since bumps and cracks kept me awake at night. Then, my car breaks down halfway to work, so I had to take the bus. The worst part is I work late, and there is no buses at this time. I couldn't ask anyone from work, I'm not friends with any of them. They all hate me, they talk about me behind my back I'm sure, that's why I steer clear of them. You can't trust anyone in today's world.
So, I'm forced to walk home. Better yet, in the middle of the night! It's 1:00 am! Oh, but that's not the worst part, someone at work spilled coffee all over my sweatshirt on purpose so I would practically freeze to death! After a couple minutes pass, it starts to get warmer out, and the night sky is full of bright stars. Only things like these make moments pleasant and enjoyable. At least, this long walk home from work was pleasant and enjoyable.
Suddenly, I hear a ding. I jumped, but laughed it off when I realized it was just my phone. I have a notification from SnapChat, it updated. Still walking, I open up SnapChat. The only people I talk to are my family members on here, only when there is a family emergency, though. I start looking through the filters and I take a picture of me with the dog filter. There's something in the background casting a shadow, under the street light. I look behind me to see a person slowly pacing and following me from afar. I'm being followed. I start to walk faster, and I look behind me again, to see the person is gone. Where is the person? They must be hiding from me, I have to get home quick!
I start to run home, frightened for my life. I arrive home, slamming and locking my door behind me. Who was following me? Someone is out to get me, I know it. I've had this feeling for a while and the feeling finally is starting to make sense to me. Someone has been stalking me. Have they followed me before without me noticing, do I know them? I bet it's the girl who spilled coffee on my sweater earlier. Or maybe, it's everyone I know. They all have been acting strange, well, they've always been strange. I start to head to my living room, walking through my kitchen to get there. I pass a bottle of pills on the counter to the left of me, completely full.
When I get to my living room, I press the power button on the TV harder than usual since I was shaking, and sit down. A movie pops up, I don't know what it's called, and it seems like it's horror. Wait, I think it's called Scream, the guy wearing the black robe and the white mask. I try to change the channel, but it won't let me. Is my TV broken? No, it's a sign. Someone was following me home, they're probably planning on murdering me! While I'm desperately trying to change the channel with the TV remote, my home phone goes off.
"No! I am not answering it! It's the guy, I know it!" I run over to the phone and decline the call. It goes off again.
"No, no, no, no! Stop terrorizing me!" I pick up the phone and scream, "Leave me alone!" and I hang up abruptly. I have 2 new voicemails. I delete them. They're from the guy, I know it! I bet he's been stalking me for a while, he must be obsessed with me! But why? I don't want to die tonight. I try turning off the TV with the remote, but it won't work, why is this happening? I run over to the TV, only to discover I broke the power button; it's jammed. The girl on the TV screams, and I can't take it. I run into the TV, pushing it off the stand it was on, onto the ground with a now broken screen.
"Why is this happening to me?" I tear slips out of my left eyes and I start to sob uncontrollably. I hear a knock at my door that echoes throughout my house. The guy is here! I know it's the person, but why is this person doing this? Why are they out to get me? What did I ever do?
I run to the door to make sure it's locked, it is; good. The person knocks again, this time calling my name, it's the voice of a male. How does he know my name? It must be someone I know, or maybe, I'm being stalked. He calls my name again, this time louder.
"Go away!" I scream as loud as I possibly can. I run over to my phone and dial 911. They pick up.
"Hello? What's your emergency?" I can't stop crying when I reply.
"Help me, please..." The rest of what I say is slurred from my crying.
"What's happening? Where are you?"
"Come quick, he's going to get me!" I keep crying, and I can't get any more words to come out.
"We're tracking your location, you'll have help in a half hour. What's happening? Hello?" I can't reply, no matter how hard I try, I just can't. And why so long? A half hour? The police station isn't that far away, by the time they get here I'll probably be dead! I have to take matters into my own hands.
There's a loud bang on my kitchen window. He's trying to break in. He shouts, but I can't make out what he's saying. He put a crack in my window. I run over to my shattered TV screen and pick up a piece of glass, grasping it tightly, with a warm feeling slowly sliding down my hand. I hear sirens in the distance and he's almost in. All of a sudden, the window shatters into a million pieces and the guy jumps in.
"M-!" Before he can say anything, I shove the piece of glass into his chest, blood spilling out everywhere. Just as the police pull up in front of my house, I see a clear image of the man's face. That's my son.
"What did I do?!" I start crying, not able to live with myself after what I just did, I dash to my room, open my dresser drawer, take out the gun, and pull the trigger.
"Open up! Police!" We're calling, but there is no answer. Officer Jacobs kicks open the door, to see the body of a dead white male, about early 20s. Searching the rest of the house, we discover the body of a deceased female, white, about mid 40s.Autopsy report 1: White male, early 20s
Stab wound in left side of chest, punctured heartCause of death: Murdered; bled to death from punctured heart
Autopsy report 2: White female, mid 40s
Deep cut in right hand
Shot in headCause of death: Suicide; shot head
About a week later, back at the police station, we gathered up evidence and found the white, dead female killed herself after stabbing and killing her son. It supposedly wasn't intentional, though, as we discovered a full bottle of pills on her kitchen counter, which were for treating people with Paranoid Personality Disorder, she thought someone was going to kill her, and killed her son by mistake, thinking he was a murderer. According to family member, he was trying to check in with his mom, and he got worried after the phone call he and his mother had. But, looking through the house, we discovered another broken window near the back left of her house, in a bedroom. All the picture frames are family photos. The mom's head is cut out; missing from all the pictures.
YOU ARE READING
Paranoia
Short StoryA woman faces a stalker and break-in, but this story has a twist.