Deep Breaths

Freaky Tuesday

     It was just your average Tuesday, and I was just getting off work a little after 10pm. Unlike most tattoo places we're not open that late which works perfectly for me because I get all the me time I need.
Im almost always the last one to leave so I usually close everything up. I had pulled my bag over my shoulders and started walking when I noticed a man standing on the other side of the road. It was a quiet and a narrow street, there were barely anyone around and I normally I wouldn't have given it a second thought. But just the way he was looking in my direction, did not sit right with me.
He looked homeless, his clothes old and torn with a long trench coat that oddly enough seemed newer than the rest of his clothes. He had no shoes on and with messy somewhat long hair and dirt on his sunburnt face and skin, he had what seemed like a toothpick sticking out of his mouth. He looked agitated and nervous and it looked like he was anxiously chewing on the toothpick.
Normally I would just put my headphones in and bury my neck and face into my jacket and not meet anybody's eyes. But his vibe was so intense that I wanted to be able to hear if he was gonna try something funny like follow me or anything. So I decided not to play my music so that I could at least hear his footsteps if he were to follow me.
But surprisingly, he didn't move from his spot. I felt his eyes burning onto my back even after I passed him and I saw him still staring at me as I looked back quickly before I turned around the corner.
Hmm. Weird. His trench coat gave me a pervert vibe but it was buttoned and his hands never left his pockets the whole time. So he probably wasn't gonna flash me? I've come across flashers in the past multiple times in this neighbourhood so I am kind of familiar with how most of them usually are.
So maybe he was just mentally unstable or something. I don't really care as long as he doesn't come near me. I cant even handle sane people, how in the world would I handle an insane one.

***

The next day I was running late for work. I'm usually on time but I had just gotten my period as I was about to leave the house and I had to change my pants and everything was in chaos as it usually is in your periods and I was 5 minutes late by the time I closed my door after me. My hatred for periods cannot be expressed in mere words, so lets just leave it at that.
The first thing that I saw when I turned up the corner, was him. The same pervert/homeless looking man.
He was standing next to the door of the tattoo parlour and he was facing the opposite sidewalk. I automatically slowed down in my steps and recalled his intense vibes. I did not want him to see me or feel his stare but there was no way I could walk in to the shop without him seeing me. The street was obviously more packed than it was last night but he would still notice me because he was that close to the shops door.
I decided to ignore him and just pretend that I didn't see him. I had my headphones on so I wouldn't hear him even if he said anything when I reach him, so I shrunk my neck down like a turtle into my jacket and fastened my pace.
My eyes were glued to the ground and I was just about to reach the door when he stepped in front of me and blocked my path.
A gasp escaped my mouth as I looked up and stumbled back a few steps.
His eyes were wide and red and he had no toothpick in his mouth anymore. Instead, his teeth were visible and they were dirtier than any sets of teeth I had ever seen. Kinda like what a meth addict or crackhead's teeth would look if they'd been using it for a couple decades. He smelled like smoke and trash and he let out in a raspy dry voice "I... I was waiting for you."

What the fuck?!

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