Stalked For Love
Authors: KC Royale
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. The following story contains mature themes, strong language, and sexual situations. It is intended for adult readers.
Copyright © 2015 by KC Royale
Dedication
George, Brian, Ricky and Samuel… My four brothers who are also my best friends in the whole world. It’s a rare thing to find people who will LOVE you no matter what, but I am lucky enough to have four of them.
In Honor of
Those who aren’t afraid to dream and fight each day to achieve the impossible. Those who are driven to send a message of happiness, fulfillment and positivity to the world through books
In Memory of
My beloved grandparents; Sylvester and Birdie May. Born into this world on May 4th and May 28th… I didn’t have much time with either of you, but I cherish the love and time that I did have. May you both Rest in Peace.
“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams…”
Poem; Ode
Recited by; Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder)
Written by; Arthur O’Shaughnessy
“What inspires one, can inspire another.”
-
KC ROYALE
Stalked For Love
Have you ever felt as if you’re being watched? I knew for a fact that a pair of eyes were on me… watching me, and perhaps following me. I used to feel a little paranoid, thinking that I actually had a stalker. It bothered me for a while, until I realized that I wasn’t important enough to have anyone stalking me. The strange thing was that it no longer drove me insane, as much as it used too. But I still couldn’t shake the eerie feelings that I would sometimes get, about my current situation.
It wasn’t always easy for me being so far away from home, while attending college in another state. There were good times and there were definitely some bad times, when I really wished I was back home. But somehow I’ve managed to endure it all, by staying focused on my studies. One class at a time. A long yawn escaped me as I lay in my bed, just thinking about my life while also listening to the rain that was tapping my bedroom window, undoubtedly flooding the streets of our small town.
It was late, very late, and I should be sleeping right now. But there I lay with my eyes wide open, while nestled under my warm covers, thinking. I blew out an exaggerated breath, as my eyes roamed around my vast room. A room that now only held a few boxes, packed with my belongings. My room was located on the second floor of the house that a few of my friends and I were renting, while we attended college together.
We’d been living here for a little over three years now, but tonight was the last night that I would be living here. Because the day to move out had
finally
arrived, and I was very excited. Living in a house with six girls wasn’t always the slumber party I thought it would be, when I agreed to move in. There were times when I appreciated the company, but then there were other times—when I really wished I was all alone, and living in my own place.
It wasn’t always bad living here, but at times, it really was. Due to the fact that most of my roommates were actively dating, and having lots of sex. Which of course, resulted in an endless stream of noise and traffic, at all hours of the day and night. What can I say; the constant parties, flings and even the noise were no longer appealing to me.
I had evolved quite a bit, from when I was first finding my way, as a new college student. Back then, my anxiety from being all alone in a new state, had really bothered me. So when I saw the posting of rooms for rent, in an all-girl house, I immediately jumped on it.
But as the years passed, unfortunately the madness didn’t end, it only grew. So much that it had unfortunately begun to affect
my
life, in more ways than one. It became difficult to read, study or even sleep most times. Which explains why I was still up at three-forty-three in the morning, while involuntarily listening to my roommate, Julie, getting her head thrashed into her wall, by her new boyfriend, Ian.
“Oh, Ian… thump thump, mmm don’t stop… thump thump thump,” Julie moaned loudly.
She lived right next door to me, right on the other side of the thin wall that separated our rooms. She’d sometimes spend nights out with her various boyfriends, but not tonight. Tonight she was home, with her newest boyfriend, who apparently has the stamina of a sexually charged stallion. So, for one more night, I fortunately got to hear why I was so excited to almost be free from this damned house.
I wasn’t like this in the beginning, back then I was always up for some downtime fun with the gals. But now, all I wanted was some peace and quiet. So after finally securing myself a job and a new place to live, less than twenty miles away from campus. I only had one more night of this madness, and tomorrow would be a new day. A day when I was finally going to get what I wanted, a life of my very own.
***
Having done so all on my own, I would in no way allow anything or anyone to take away from this freeing moment of my impending independence. A new beginning was on the horizon for me, and I was determined not to let anything ruin that. Including the unsettling notion, that someone was
still
secretly watching me. It all started about a year ago, while I was walking home from a long day at the campus library.
I’d had a final to prepare for that week, so I was spending most of my evenings at the campus library, studying. Since my shared house was just entirely too noisy. While walking home that night, it was eerily quiet and the streets were practically empty.
I found myself picking up my pace as I strode home, before my mild anxiety got the best of me. I thought I’d seen someone out the corner of my eye a few times. But it was dark and I was tired, so I brushed it off. Until I had
actually
seen someone at the next corner with my own two eyes, looking straight at me.
It was definitely a man, I could tell by his silhouette. He wasn’t walking or pacing, he just stood still… a little too still. But I’d kept walking, while cautiously glancing behind me, only to see that there was no-one around. When I’d turned back towards him, he was still there, staring. We were surprisingly alone, which was very unusual, especially on a street near a college. But, we were in fact, alone. Suddenly, a wave of panic washed over me and I immediately stopped walking.
I began to check my surroundings again and I still didn’t see anyone around. It was already dark outside, and the streets weren’t as populated as they normally were in the day. The only people in that short block at that very moment, were the two of us. I had a gut feeling that this was not good. I quickly calculated that there were less than thirty steps between us, from where I was now standing.
As my mind roamed, he still didn’t move an inch. I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to see if I could recognize him, but I just couldn’t see him clearly. It was hard to see anything outside of his masculine frame, not to mention that he’d worn all black and stood a short distance away. I was near the beginning of the short block, and he was near the end of that same block. I glanced around once more, and from what I could see, there were only two people walking, and they both happened to be on the
other
side of the street.
A few cars were passing by and I glanced back at the man, and he was still there, staring at me. I took a deep breath and as I exhaled, I tried to think of what to do. I didn’t want to seem panicky and just start running, as if he had a machete in his hand, looking to chop me into pieces. But the longer I stood there contemplating his motives and my impending actions, the more I found myself almost at full panic attack mode. I then took a few lingering steps, in the direction of the mysterious stranger, hoping he would just turn around and walk away, but he didn’t.
My steps faltered the closer I got to him, as my nerves began taking over my mind and my ability to walk. Ironically, in a matter of about two minutes, I’d only managed to take a few steps forward. Just then, a small crowd of students emerged out of a door, just near the strange man. They walked around him, on either side as if he wasn’t even standing there. The man just stood there, not even flinching as he continued to just stare at me.
With no visible streetlights where he stood, all I could make out additionally, was his baseball cap that appeared to be either black or blue, with some kind of white lettering that glimmered on occasion. As I took another lingering step forward, someone had bumped into me while rushing out of the nearby shop, I was unknowingly standing in front of.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she murmured, to me. “Oh crap, I knocked your bag down. I’m sorry, my ride is waiting for me and I was stuck waiting while they brewed fresh coffee.” she said, bending down to help me pick up my book bag.
I then glanced over her shoulder, flinching my eyes at the store that was surprisingly still open. I hadn’t noticed at all, that this store was still open, this late at night. Most of the stores on the campus strip closed early, but I was never one to stay out lingering around much, so I had no clue that some actually stayed opened this late. I then turned to see the girl standing while holding my bag out towards me.
She kept apologizing and calling herself clumsy, as I smiled at her. But I was in fact grateful for her clumsiness, and her perfect timing.
If she only knew how perfect her timing really was.
I quickly turned back to see the man at the corner… but he was no longer standing there. As I frantically glanced around, there was no sign of him anywhere. It was like he’d just vanished without a trace. My eyes continued to scour the street, but to no avail.
He was gone.
“Oh, well, it happens. Thank you, and have a good night,” I muttered, as she smiled at me. She then continued on her way, running towards the car that was waiting for her, on the other side of the street. I swung my bag over my shoulder and waited for a moment to gather my thoughts.
I then dug inside my bag and grabbed my mace and clutched it in my hand, before I placed my other hand inside my hoodie pocket. I then pulled my hood over my head, and started to walk the rest of the way home. That night was very different from the other nights I’d walked home alone from the campus library. Because that night, the entire walk home felt very strange. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that with each step I took… I was being followed.
Ever since that night, I have kept looking over my shoulder, wondering if I was still being watched. There were days when I wouldn’t feel anything out of the ordinary, and things would be great. Then there were days when I was on edge, and felt that unsettling twist in my stomach. It was the same gut reaction that I’d felt that very night, when I saw
him
,
just
standing there, watching me.
As the months passed, I kept pondering who this guy really was, and why out of all people would he want to watch me. I found myself wondering if he was still around the area, lurking in the bushes while observing me. Somehow, I knew he was still out there. I just couldn’t shake the feeling, and I would soon discover that my gut feeling, was indeed right.