n

ts of people around, and a lot of them were probably nice old couples enjoying an evening stroll while taking in the view of the sunset, which had formed itself into a canopy over the gorgeous sky that had become pink while everyone commented on how beautiful it was. I felt so alone in this crowd that didn't even surround me or ask me to stay submerged in it, but there were so many things to get involved in and forget the sorrow that lived somewhere, tying itself into knots I didn't have the power to undo but could consider invisible and move on in life. I started walking again, a little quicker than before. However, as soon as I got beyond the larger people, I noticed an odd feeling. I hear very faint footsteps behind me. I then realised that I knew who it was because it had been happening for about three months. He was literally following me everywhere, day or night, from the grocery store to the bakery, and he was not leaving a single area. Yes, it has become routine. He didn't follow me every day, of course, but he was there for the most part. And up until now, I hadn't made the decision to confront him as all I wanted was to avoid my horrible history; after all, he was a part of it, just like everyone else. However... I had no idea why I no longer wanted to appear as though I had forgotten about it. Maybe I got sick of him following me around every day and leaving me wondering the same thing over and over: What did he want? Like every previous time, I kept pretending not to see him when I woke up, but today I was holding out for the right opportunity to act. I caught a glimpse of his partially exposed face in the rearview mirror as I drove by, partially obscured by the black hat he had on over his long, black coat. Yes, he was moving slowly and with such composure that anyone would miss his movements if they weren't paying close enough attention. On the other hand, overconfidence was somewhat justified and caution was completely absent. Ironically, he did not seem to doubt his stalking abilities, as I could see from the corner of my eye that I was staring at his reflection. Again, I had to face him even though talking to him was the last thing I wanted to do. He had been doing the same