The Follower

Tracy walked out into the dimly lit parking lot and pushed the button on her key to unlock her car. It was nearly midnight, the late summer air was cool and filled with the scent of nearby pine trees. She didn’t normally work this late. An upcoming fall vacation to Florida with her husband, Matt, urged her to pick up some extra shifts at the care center where she was a nurse. A deer in the meadow across from the parking lot dashed into the woods, startling her. She cursed under her breath and lit a cigarette as she slid into the driver’s seat. As she started the engine and drove down the long private road to the main street, she was glad to see the rest of the herd heading into the woods. She did not want to delay getting home. As she drove down the street towards the highway, she briefly considered getting a burger for dinner. She decided to instead finish up the leftovers from the previous night. She turned on the radio and cracked the window to flick her ashes. It wasn’t a long drive home, but the darkness made it feel longer.

The approaching glow of streetlights on the highway relieved her. She was halfway home. She flung her cigarette butt out the window and rolled it back up. She accelerated and merged with the few other cars that were out at that late hour. She turned the radio, paying attention to not miss her exit. Rain began to sprinkle her windshield. As she turned on the wipers, she remembered that she hadn’t been to the grocery store this week and needed some essential items. She wished she had gone before work today but chose to sleep in. She exited the highway and turned toward the twenty-four-hour market. She parked close to the entrance, underneath a light, and went into the store. The brightly lit market was practically empty. A cashier was tapping on her phone and a couple of stockers were pushing massive pallets of merchandise down the aisles. She selected her items, bread, milk, peanut butter, coffee, and dog food. As she checked out at the register, she felt grateful to have Bailey, the big black Lab, waiting for her at home.

She hurried to her car and quickly started the engine. As she turned onto the road leading to her street, she noticed another pair of headlights directly behind her. She couldn’t tell if they came from the grocery store or not. She accelerated a little, thinking she could lose the other driver. As it seemed like they maintained their speed behind her, she began to grow concerned. Her street was approaching. She didn’t want to lead a potentially dangerous person to her home. Especially when Matt was out of town this week for work. She turned down the next street without signaling. She had hoped that this would give the follower less of a chance to react and continue to trail behind her. Instead, she saw the vehicle turn right behind her. She felt her heart beat faster. She strained to see in the rearview mirror if she could recognize the car. Unable to identify it, she kept going.

She passed a few more side streets before she decided to turn again. The vehicle remained behind her and she began to panic. She ran through probable scenarios for the situation. "They could be lost. This could just be a coincidence. Maybe it’s a police officer? I don’t see any markings on the car." She fumbled for her phone. Matt had just texted her, “You home yet?” She didn’t want to alarm him. He was three hours away. "What could he do?" She thought. "Tell me to call the police?!" “The police!” She said out loud. She wasn’t very far from the station. "If they follow me down Oak Street, I’ll just drive to the police. They won’t follow me all the way there!" She signaled and turned left onto Oak Street. The other vehicle proceeded in the opposite direction. Nearly crying with relief, she backtracked for a few blocks before turning down her street towards home.

The motion sensor lights on the side of her house turned on as she pulled into the driveway. She collected her purse and grocery bags in both hands and rushed through the front door. Bailey’s toenails could be heard clicking on the hardwood floors as he ran to greet her. “Oh am I ever happy to see you!” Tracy exclaimed as Bailey nudged her legs and sniffed the bag of dog food. She took his leash from a hook beside the door and clipped it to his collar. Matt was sent a quick text letting him know she was home while Bailey sniffed the yard and marked trees. After getting him back in the house, she finished putting her groceries away and had a quick dinner. She climbed into bed after making sure the doors were locked and felt an extra sense of security as Bailey jumped in and settled at her feet. "Matt will be home in a few days." She thought to herself. "At least I won’t have any more late-night shifts until then!" She almost laughed at herself for overreacting earlier. After all, the other motorist didn’t even follow her for that long. "Still…" she thought, "…I wouldn’t have done anything differently. It’s better to be safe. You just never know who is out driving around late at night."