The Little Book of Horror Stories

Not What They Seemed (Stalker)

A little bit of background before we get started. My name's Izabel and I'm a paramedic in South East England. I was 26 years old at the time of this story.

It was a normal day like any other, midmorning on a Wednesday, my last shift of the week. my partner, Ethan and I were called to a sick woman living in a small house in one of the towns in the area, I'd only been there a few times but from what I could remember it was pretty rough. The woman in question had had cancer and was released from the hospital earlier than she probably should've been and had caught pneumonia. Unfortunately, she died a few hours after we took her in and she left behind two sons, Cody and Caleb.

Cody and Caleb had dropped out of college to look after their mother together and they were left with a big empty house, no education, very little money and no vehicles. Caleb asked for my number as I was leaving the Ambulance station and, against my better judgment I gave it to him. I felt awful for the two boys, they had nothing and they'd just lost their mother, I thought there'd be no harm in humouring his request for my phone number.

Anyhow, days drifted by and both boys would message me constantly. Was I okay? Did I need anything? Would I go out for dinner on Friday night? Etc. I politely declined each time and tried to keep contact minimal. This was fine, at least until they started showing up at the Ambulance station to ask if I was around.

My boss told me I needed to tell them to clear off, and I knew it. Things had gotten out of hand and I never should have gotten involved. I explained this to the boys and they seemed to accept it. Or that was what I thought at least.

Ethan dropped me home after my shift that night since my car was in the garage and it'd take at least half an hour to walk home. I thanked him and as I walked up to the stairs to the apartment building I live in I noticed that some roses had been left on the doorstep with a note. I assumed they were for someone else but I knelt down to inspect the card quickly just in case it was one of the neighbours on my floor.

I was horrified to find the card was addressed to me and it was from my two stalkers. I felt my blood run cold and I quickly marched the bouquet of flowers to the wheelie bins at the end of the pathway to the right of the entrance. I dumped the flowers and quickly ran back into the entrance way before I slammed and locked the door and bolted up the stairs to my apartment. I locked that door as well.

I felt safe as I slumped against my door out of breathe, removing my coat and my boots before walking down the hallway in my small apartment. I was heading for the bathroom, but to get there meant walking past the kitchen, and just before I got to that door I saw a shadow move on the floor.

The shadow was far far to big to have been my cat, and it was humanoid shaped. I felt my adrenaline picking back up again. My heart pounded like it wanted to be set free from my chest and my lungs had to inhale vaster quantities of air to keep up. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

I reached quietly to my left for the old badminton racket I had from when I use to play for the club a few years ago, and I armed myself with it. I took one deep breathe and launched myself around the corner with the bat raised. If I wanted the upper hand I would need to attack first and I bought the bag down upon the head of Cody Smith, the younger of the 2 siblings. I couldn't see Caleb.

He yelled in pain and grabbed his head as I jumped away from him and felt the fear in my chest turn to anger.

"What the fuck?!" I screamed at him. "How the yell did you know where I lived?! How did you get in?! And why did you come here?!"

He gave me a look of startle meant before his eyes clouded over with something. I thought it might have been tears at first. But as he began to walk towards me without saying anything I saw the knife in his hand. I ran into my living room where I met Caleb, who also had a large knife by his side.

"Stay away from me!" I cried out in fear, pointing my badminton racket at the boys alternately.

"Don't be afraid Izzy..." Caleb cooed at me. "We just want to show you something amazing..." they said as they began to back me into a corner.

"I can't wait anymore, Caleb," Cody spoke to his brother. "I need to taste her flesh!" He swung at me with the knife and while I mostly dodged it, it did open a large and quite deep wound on my left arm, my blood splattered on to the cream carpet and I clamped my arm over the wound, dropping my bat.

Caleb grabbed my arm and liked my blood off of my finger tips while I looked at him in immense horror. What the hell was wrong with these two?

It was then that there was a knock on my door from a neighbour, asking if everything was alright, they'd heard a lot of screaming from upstairs.

I took my chance as the brothers stood there looking at each other confused as what to do, I flung myself past them and slammed my living room door shut, blocking the handle from turning with the coat wrack as I unlocked my door and ran out, my blood running out of my arm at an alarming rate. My neighbour, Michelle looked at me in horror as I cried out.

"It's an intruder! Two intruders! They tried to kill me!"

Michelle got out her phone and dialled 999, as we both sprinted down the stairs. Her husband was a police officer and I'd worked with him a few times, I just prayed they'd prioritise her call. We ran out the bottom stairs and into the cold winter night and she handed me the phone as we got in her car. My adrenaline was starting to wear off now, I could feel the pain of the deep wound in my arm. I saw the boys chase out of the apartment block doors, looking left and right for us.

I spoke to the 999 operator and Michelle broke every speed limit in the county to get us to the hospital, where an officer would be to take my statement, while others went to my home.

They never found the boys and I never saw them again. They had left a message carved in to my bedroom wall though, something that sends a chill down my body, even just recalling it to this day.

'Never show weakness to a cannibal.'

I moved house, changed jobs, I just disappeared over night. No-one knew where I went and I cut out all social media, friends and family I had previously had. For the time being anyway. I'm now 38 years old and I have a long-term boyfriend and 2 little girls whom I love dearly.

But I wake everyday, wondering, will this be the day they return?

END

Hey guys, I hope you enjoy this series, don't forget to like and comment and I'll see u in the next chapter, peace.
Word count: 1313