This happened to me when I was 12-years-old. This incident is the reason why I've been in therapy for almost two decades, and I apologize if it causes you to grow a significant case of paranoia as well.
I was a very playful child. My days were filled with riding my bike, and I was on good terms with everyone in the neighborhood. A few blocks from my house lived Mrs. Jan, whom I was very fond of; she was an excellent cook and would invite me in whenever I was around.
One day, I was on my way toward Mrs. Jan's when I thought I saw someone by the bushes. It was an unusually quiet day; there was nobody else on the street. As I thought over this, I looked up to see a man by the end of the garden.
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His face couldn't be seen, as the sun was directly behind him. I waved at him with my usual sense of cheerfulness, but he just stood there as if waiting for me to come to him.
We both eyed each other for a moment, before I slowly rode my bike away. By this point, I was feeling uneasy. Why would a man be following me in this time of day?
No sooner had these thoughts started to dominate my mind did I hear another sound from behind – it was him. Something told me what he wanted to get me as far away from my neighborhood as possible.
I jerked my head back to see the figure running toward me. He had his arms outstretched as if wanting to grab and lift me up. I climbed on my bike and tore down the street; my ears ringing with terror.
I hoped to see an adult nearby, and saw one. It was Mrs. Jan. She was hunched over the base of her house by the basement window. I jumped into her yard, startling her.
She didn't catch most of what I rambled, as I was too terrified to fill her in. Mrs. Jan told me to calm down, and pulled me into the house. She assured me everything would be fine, that she would go and inspect herself.
I begged her not to go out, but Mrs. Jan wouldn't listen. She took me into a room off the hall, telling me she'd be back soon. I didn't even get a chance to argue, as she pushed me in and closed the door. I heard the sound of the lock clicking. And then, everything was quiet.
Seconds passed. Minutes went by. There was no sound of Mrs. Jan coming back. Did something happen to her? Was there a chance she was still outside?
Since the door was locked, I hurried to the window. The street was empty as ever, and the sun was coming down. With the arrival of dusk almost here, my desperation was at its highest, and I grabbed a paperweight on a desk, hurling it at the doorknob to break it open.
Before I could leave the room, I saw a shadow fall by the window. My heart stopped. It was the man who'd been following me. He was hunched outside, as if looking for a particular spot. He had a large bag in his hand; it looked like there was something stuffed in it.
It felt as if as if several hands were reaching over into me and pulling my lungs out; I couldn't breathe. I was sure – it was Mrs. Jan in that bag.
