The Kreizler Institute | The Alienist + Mphfpc [Complete]

Chapter Three | Watched and Followed

Jade's POV:

As the weeks went by the better the weather improved, which put me in high spirits. I found myself spending more time at Stuyvesant Park as a result. At this very moment I was sitting underneath a large tree drawing in my sketchbook. Usually I'd be reading in this situation, but something told me not to be be seen out in public with the book I was currently reading. So I followed my gut instincts like I normally do.

The sun was bright and the sky was blue with a few white clouds floating past every once in a while. Due to the warmer weather a good deal of people were walking around the park with their dogs and whatnot. So when I started feeling like I was being watched, I didn't think much of it.

But when the feeling didn't go away I couldn't ignore it. I looked around and caught a glimpse of a man sitting at a park bench not too far from where I was. He had all black clothing on; it looked kinda like he was wearing a suit. I also noticed that he had a walking stick with him that was leaning against the seat of the bench.

'Maybe he's just out people watching.' I thought inside of my head to can my nervousness a little. But I couldn't help but wonder why he chose to watch me out of everyone else in the park. It made me a little uncomfortable to be perfectly honest. Instead of staring at him I turned my attention back to the drawing I was working on. Oddly enough I was drawing the young man I had seen in the window of 283 E, Seventeen Street.

I'm not sure why, but I wasn't able to get the story of that house being haunted out of my mind. It was like some kind of seed that had been planted and now the seed was sprouting roots. I always found ghosts and paranormal phenomenon interesting even when I was a teenager. But what really stuck in my head was what my uncle said that Caleb Carr thought about the house.

Apparently Caleb doesn't think the house is haunted, but he thinks something is going on. 'If he thought he had squatters then why hasn't he contacted the authorities?' Wondered, and that's why I think he knows something about that house that he isn't confessing to. And maybe even my uncle knows about also. I pressed my thoughts to the back of my mind as I continued drawing.

Eventually I glanced back to the park bench and noticed that the man in black was gone. It made me feel less nervous but in a strange was I kinda missed him. On that thought I decided it was probably time to head back to my uncle's place. During the walk back I wondered what we were going to have for dinner tonight.

My pleasant thoughts of delicious food were interrupted when I suddenly got the feeling that I was being followed. 'Great. First I was being watched and now I'm being followed.' I thought inside of my head. I quickened my pace slightly because I didn't feel like getting kidnapped and have something horrible happen to me. I've watched plenty of crime shows and whatnot to know how situations like these end sometimes.

I didn't feel completely safe until the door of my uncle's home was shut and locked behind me. When I walked in I found Alfius laying on the couch taking a nap. I knew he probably didn't intend to fall asleep, but the warm sun from the window is what made him do so. I smiled and decided to let him sleep. Quietly, I headed upstairs to my room to read a tale or two.

As I read I got a strange feeling in my stomach like I had a few weeks before. So I sat the book aside and went into the bathroom. To my surprise nothing happened, but the cramps in my stomach started fading away. 'You're probably just hungry or something. Or maybe you are something that didn't agree with you.' I thought inside of my head as I retired to my bed.

I read three more stories out of Tales of Peculiar before I chose to go check on my uncle. Once I entered the living room I seen that he was awake. "Good evening sleeping beauty." I joked, which made him laugh. "When did you get back?" He asked me curiously as he stretched. "A few minutes or so ago." I replied with a small smile.