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The phantom stalker.

but she also knew that she had the power to move on

By williamPublished 12 months ago 6 min read
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The phantom stalker.
Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash

It was a warm summer evening when Maria first saw the figure. She was walking home from her job as a waitress at a nearby diner when she noticed a shadowy figure in the distance. At first, she thought it was just her imagination playing tricks on her, but as she got closer, she could make out the silhouette of a man. He was standing still, watching her.

Maria quickened her pace, hoping to get away from the stranger. However, no matter how fast she walked, the man seemed to keep up with her. She started to feel a sense of dread and began to run. She didn't stop until she reached her apartment building.

Over the next few days, Maria saw the figure several more times. He would always be watching her from a distance, never getting too close. She tried to brush it off, telling herself it was just a coincidence. But deep down, she knew something was wrong.

One night, Maria decided to call the police. She told them about the mysterious figure that had been following her for days. They promised to send an officer to investigate, but when he arrived, there was no one there.

The police officer suggested that it might just be her imagination, but Maria knew what she had seen. She couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, and it was starting to take a toll on her mental health.

Days turned into weeks, and the phantom stalker continued to torment Maria. She started to become paranoid, never leaving her apartment after dark. Her friends and family tried to reassure her, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed.

One day, Maria decided to take matters into her own hands. She began to document every time she saw the figure. She took pictures and videos, hoping to catch him in the act. She even tried to follow him, but he always managed to slip away.

The police continued to investigate, but they found no evidence of anyone stalking Maria. They suggested that she might be suffering from a mental illness and recommended that she seek help from a therapist.

Maria was hesitant at first, but eventually, she decided to give therapy a try. The therapist listened to her story and suggested that she try exposure therapy. Maria was hesitant, but she knew she needed to do something to overcome her fear.

Over the next few weeks, Maria slowly began to confront her fear. She would walk outside after dark, knowing that the figure was watching her. She would take pictures and videos, trying to get a better look at him. And slowly but surely, the phantom stalker began to lose his power over her.

One night, Maria was walking home when she saw the figure again. But this time, she didn't feel afraid. She walked right up to him and looked him in the eyes. To her surprise, she realized that the figure wasn't a man at all. It was a tree, shaped like a person.

Maria laughed out loud, feeling silly for letting her imagination get the best of her. She realized that the phantom stalker was just a product of her own fears and insecurities. And with that realization, she felt a weight lifted off her shoulders.

Maria went back to therapy and continued to work on overcoming her anxiety. She started to go out more, socialize with friends, and even started dating again. She knew that the phantom stalker would always be a part of her past, but she also knew that she had the power to move on.

Years went by, and Maria had long since forgotten about the phantom stalker. But one day, as she was walking through a park, she saw a tree that looked eerily familiar. It was the same tree that had tormented her all those years ago. And as she looked at it, she felt a sense of gratitude. As Maria stood in front of the tree that had once caused her so much fear, she suddenly heard a rustling behind her. She turned around to see a man standing just a few feet away, staring at her with cold, dead eyes.

Maria's heart raced as she realized that this man was not just a figment of her imagination. He was real, and he was dangerous. She tried to run, but the man was too fast. He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into the woods.

Maria fought back with all her strength, but the man was too strong. He overpowered her and held her down, his hands tightening around her neck. Maria's vision started to blur as she struggled for air, but she refused to give up. She kicked and thrashed, trying to break free.

Just when she thought it was all over, Maria heard the sound of police sirens in the distance. The man heard them too and panicked, running away from the scene. Maria lay on the ground, gasping for air, grateful to be alive.

When the police arrived, Maria told them everything she could remember about the man who had attacked her. They promised to do everything in their power to find him and bring him to justice.

Days turned into weeks, and the police investigation turned up nothing. The man seemed to have vanished into thin air. Maria began to fear that he would come back for her, but she refused to let her fear control her.

One night, as Maria was walking home from a late shift at work, she saw the man again. He was standing in the shadows, watching her with those same cold, dead eyes. Maria froze, her heart pounding in her chest.

But then something strange happened. The man seemed to shimmer and fade away, like a mirage in the desert. Maria blinked, unsure of what she had just seen. She looked around, but there was no one there.

It was then that Maria realized that the phantom stalker had never been a man at all. It was a ghost, a spirit that had been haunting her for years. She felt a sense of relief and closure, knowing that the man who had attacked her was not going to come back for her.

Maria went home that night, feeling a sense of peace that she hadn't felt in years. She knew that the phantom stalker would always be a part of her past, but she also knew that she had the strength to move on. And with that knowledge, she went to bed, ready to face whatever the future held.

MysteryHistoricalFan FictionClassicalAdventure
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