I should have said no when my cooworker Dany first suggested setting me up with her amazing friend I laughed it off blind dates weren't my thing and Valentine's Day was the last day I wanted to spend awkwardly getting to know a stranger but Dany was relentless she's funny she's smart and she's gorgeous she insisted nudging my arm come on man one dinner worst case you get an awkward story she had a point and after a long shift where I spent most of the night watching couples clink glasses over overpriced Stakes I figured why not maybe
I'd surprise myself that was mistake number one mistake number two was not asking for more details the rest restant was a small Italian place in River North dimly lit with the scent of garlic and fresh bread hanging in the air it was nice enough to set the mood but not overly fancy I got there a little early texting Dany to let her know I was on board with this ridiculous setup then she walked in Maya she was pretty in a clean cut way sharp cheekbones dark hair pulled into a Sleek ponytail red lipstick that matched
her dress she smiled and for a moment I felt like maybe this wouldn't be so bad we ordered drinks and conversations started flowing she was easy to talk to laughed at my jokes asked about my job I told her about working as a server my weirdest customer interactions the kind of small talk you expect on a first date and then things got weird you must be exhausted she said stirring her drink absent-mindedly after last night closing that late I blinked how' you know I closed she giggled Danny mentioned it that made sense but something about
the way she said it casual like she wasn't thinking about it rubbed me the wrong way I Shrugged it off and asked her about her job she worked in marketing or at least that's what she claimed but her answers were vague the conversation turned to family and I told her about my younger brother how he just started college oh at lyola right my stomach tightened I hadn't mentioned the school yeah I said slowly how'd you know that she tilted her head smiling like it was a joke you posted about it the picture at his dorm
move in so cute I stared at her that picture had been been posted months ago buried in my feed something was off I looked at my phone trying to think of an excuse to leave then she mentioned a local coffee shop I frequented describing my usual order with Eerie Precision I laughed assuming she had guessed I've seen you there she said a lot that was unsettling I never noticed her before but she described where I usually sat how I fidgeted with my phone when waiting for my order then she mentioned my apartment building the route
I walked home after work the laundromat I used my stomach tightened these weren't things Danny would have told her this wasn't casual knowledge I tried to change the subject but she leaned in resting her chin on her hand eyes fixed on mine you think you're hard to follow she said voice barely above a whisper you're not that was it I needed to leave I felt sick the waiter came by asking if we wanted another round I shook my head already standing I should get going early shift tomorrow Maya's face didn't change she just sighed and
leaned back in her chair I knew you'd try to run my stomach lurched I stepped back nearly knocking into the waiter what she stood slowly smoothing her dress you always leave places early always take the long way home I tried to keep my voice steady how long have you been watching me she stared at me like I was the crazy one you're overthinking this I turned and walked out the door into the street my hands were shaking as I pulled out my phone texting Dany who the hell is Maya what do you mean she said
you guys were hitting it off no she knows things about me personal things what she knew about my Coffee Spot my brother's College that's weird but maybe she just saw stuff online I wanted to believe that I really did but deep down I knew better a not ification popped up a text unknown number running doesn't help you know my mouth went dry I turned scanning the sidewalk people walked past lost in their own worlds no sign of her no sign of anyone watching I bolted home locking my door the second I got inside for the
next few days I barely slept until the messages started at first they were harmless you left so fast I wasn't done talking then you always take 8th Street home but not tonight smart and then I'll see you soon I blocked the number switched up my routine taking different routes home going to a different coffee shop I thought that was enough until Dany pulled me aside at work a week later she came in again Danny said Voice Low asked where you were I told her you had the night off and she just smiled like she already
knew that night nothing happened no more texts no sign of her a few days passed then a week then two I started to believe she had finally given up maybe she got bored maybe she moved on I let my guard down then one night I saw her again I had just finished a late shift and was walking home the cold biting through my jacket and I was almost at my building when I spotted a figure standing near the entrance at first I thought it was a neighbor but as I got closer I saw the red
dress she wasn't facing me she was standing still staring up at my apartment Window my stomach Twisted into knots my first instinct was to turn back but I was too close she had to have seen me I gritted my teeth and walked past refusing to look directly at her acting as if I didn't recognize her she didn't move not even when I unlocked the door not even when I slipped inside and bolted up the stairs two at a time once I reached my apartment I pressed myself against the door waiting listening nothing the next morning
she was gone but two nights later something else happened I woke up to the sound of my phone vibrating against the nightstand a notification groggy I grabbed it and squinted at the screen airdrop request one photo my breath caught I didn't recognize the name attached to the request but when I swiped it away another popped up one photo then another and another I turned off my phone and lay there in the dark barely breathing ears straining for any noise out inside my window but the street was silent a week later Dany called me you're not
going to believe this Maya wasn't her friend she had been a regular at the restaurant one of those customers you barely notice the kind that blend into the background she had asked Danny to set us up after weeks of eating there alone Dany thinking she was harmless agreed then Dany did some digging Maya had done this before she had followed another guy inserted herself into his life when he rejected her she vandalized his car left notes on his doorstep it got bad enough that he moved across the country I reported her to the police they
took my statement but there wasn't much they could do no crime had technically been committed a restraining order wouldn't stop someone like her so I did the the only thing I could I changed everything deleted my old social media and took different routes home every night and I never never agreed to a blind date again I never heard from her again but sometimes when I pass a storefront window or glance at a reflection in a train door I swear I see her just for a second Valentine's Day wasn't exactly my thing my girlfriend Elena knew
this but she loved it so I always made the effort fancy dinner candles the whole thing this year we picked a Waterfront Restaurant in Miami a place known for its seafood and live jazz it was packed couples toasting champagne waiters rushing between tables the smell of garlic butter and grilled fish filling the air it should have been a perfect night but from the moment we sat down I had this gnawing feeling in my gut like something wasn't right at first I couldn't put my finger on it maybe it was the vague tension I felt like
something unseen was pressing in but then I saw a man sitting alone at a table near the back mid-50s balding he wore a crisp black suit that didn't quite fit him right too tight at the shoulders like it had been borrowed he had no food in front of him just a nearly full glass of red wine but what unsettled me the most was his expression he was watching us not casually not in passing unblinking focused I tried to ignore it maybe he was just lonely spending Valentine's Day on his own maybe he was waiting for
someone but every time I looked up his eyes were still locked on us on Elena she didn't notice At first she was scrolling through the menu debating between the filet and the lobster risoto but I was barely paying attention to her I was too busy watching him he never checked his phone never looked away just sat there watching a waiter passed by and I caught his attention hey I said keeping it low the guy in the black suit over there do you know if he's waiting for someone the waiter gave a quick look over his
shoulder that guy he's been here for hours ordered one glass of wine hasn't touched it I felt a chill creep up my spine for hours since before my shift started is he bothering you I hesitated looking at Elena who was still oblivious to the situation no I said just weird the waiter nodded and moved on I turned my attention back to the man but he was gone the chair was empty the wine glass untouched still sat on the table I blew out a breath rolling my shoulders as if I could shrug off the discomfort maybe
I'd been overthinking it maybe he just left Elena finally noticed my distraction you okay she asked yeah just thought I saw someone I knew I lied what are you getting she smiled Lobster risoto obviously I tried to focus on the meal on Elena's laugh on the warmth of the restaurant I kept telling myself it was nothing but the feeling that something was wrong was only getting stronger then the waiter came back he slid something thing onto the table right next to my plate a small folded napkin I frowned what's this it's from that man he
asked me to give it to you I unfolded the napkin my pulse picking up as I read the message how much name your price for a second I didn't understand then my stomach Twisted I looked up scanning the restaurant The Man wasn't at his table anymore but I spotted him standing near the exit waiting Elena I said quietly we need to leave what why I shoved the napkin into my pocket I don't like this place let's go she frowned clearly confused but she didn't argue I threw a couple of bills on the table grabbed my
coat and stood up the moment we moved the man stepped forward cutting us off leaving already his voice was smooth almost most friendly I positioned myself slightly in front of Elena yeah we are he smiled a shame I was hoping to make a business proposal I clenched my fists not interested he watched me closely then his attention shifted to Elena and that disturbing smirk spread across his face are you sure I grabbed Elena's hand and pushed past him to my relief he didn't follow but as we stepped out onto the street I could still feel
his eyes on us we walked fast weaving through the crowd of tourists and Valentine's Day couples I didn't stop until we reached the parking lot my chest tight with adrenaline Elena get in the car what the hell is going on she demanded who was that guy I pulled out the napkin and handed it to her she read it her face drained of color what does this mean I shook my head I don't know and I don't want to find out I started the car checking the rearview mirror no sign of him still I drove in
the opposite direction of my apartment weaving through different streets making sure we weren't being followed only when we were miles away did I let out a breath we never saw him again but that note still haunts me not because of what it said but because I'll never know what he was actually offering and what would have happened if I had given him an answer Valentine's Day was never a big deal for me I didn't need the grand romantic gestures the overpriced dinners or the heart-shaped chocolates but I did like the idea of doing something meaningful
something different so when my boyfriend Lucas suggested a late night walk through an old Cemetery in Salem I wasn't totally against it he called it a Gothic kind of romance we had been dating for almost a year and at first he had seemed perfect thoughtful Charming a little intense but in a way that made me feel desired over time that intens became something else a possessiveness that I tried to ignore he didn't like when I went out without telling him he questioned my male friends he subtly guilt tripped me for wanting space but I always
convinced myself it wasn't as bad as it seemed he picked me up around 10: p.m. the streets of Salem were mostly empty the shops long closed the cemetery one of the oldest in the area had an Iron Gate that was never really locked tourists visited all the time even after dark this is going to be special Lucas said as we walked between the headstones the air was crisp and a light fog curled along the ground making the gravestones look like they were floating I tried to play along to find the charm in the Eerie setting
we wandered deeper into the cemetery past the oldest Graves the the ones where the names had been worn Away by time the silence felt different here thicker heavier I was about to suggest heading back when I noticed a single bouquet of fresh red roses placed neatly on a grave at first it seemed sweet some heartbroken lover remembering someone they had lost then I saw the note and my name written on it a deep suffocating pressure pressed against my ribs the C was simple no elaborate designs just a plain white envelope slightly damp from the Mist
my fingers trembled as I opened it inside in neat careful handwriting were just six words so you'll never leave me ever a chill ran through me that had nothing to do with the cold night air I turned to Lucas my breath stuck in my throat as I held up the note Lucas what the hell is this he was watching me his expression blank then he smirked you like it like it I took a step back the letter trembling in my hand is this a joke he Shrugged it's poetic don't you think love that lasts forever
even Beyond Death my stomach Twisted this isn't romantic Lucas it's terrifying his face darkened why because I don't want to lose you I realized then just how deep his obsession ran this wasn't love this was control possession let's go I said this isn't funny I turned to leave but Lucas grabbed my wrist not hard but firm enough to make me stop you always ruin things he said his grip tightening I do something meaningful and you don't even appreciate it you left a note on a grave with my name on it how did you expect me
to react this is sick Lucas his jaw clenched for a moment I thought he was going to do something but then just like that he exhaled and smiled fine he said let's go we walked back in silence every step I took I felt like I had to keep him in my peripheral vision my pulse pounded every Instinct screaming at me to get away from him but I didn't want to set him off off not yet not here when we reached the gate I let out a breath of relief I'll take you home he said no
I said keeping my voice firm I'll get an Uber I couldn't tell what I saw in his eyes anger Amusement he stepped closer lowering his voice you're overreacting I didn't respond I pulled out my phone and called for a ride refusing to look up until I saw the headlights of my Uber were approaching only then did I step away Lucas watched me get in the car his expression calm composed like nothing had happened see you soon he said I shut the door without answering I didn't go home that night I went straight to my friend
Audrey's apartment shaking as I told her everything she listened her face growing more horrified with every word you need to block him she said now so I did blocked his number his social media told my friends my co-workers I was done but Lucas wasn't over the next few days he showed up at my apartment knocking for hours he left voicemails long winded messages about how I was making a mistake how he just wanted to talk then the text started different numbers different accounts you can't just disappear we were meant to be you know I won't
stop the final straw came when Audrey called me from her work he came here she told me voice shaking asking where you were that night I went to the police filed for a restraining order Lucas never showed up again not at my place not at work just like that he was gone leaving behind only the memory of that awful night in the Cemetery for a while I kept waiting for something a message a call a glimpse of him in a crowd but nothing ever came eventually I convinced myself that it was over it's been years
but no matter how much time passes I still wonder if he's waiting dating in the age is weird as a bartender in San Diego I meet plenty of people but something about online dating always made me uneasy maybe it was the illusion of control how easy it is to swipe left to ghost to assume you know someone based on a handful of curated photos but after my last relationship fizzled out I decided to give it another shot his name was Jason at least that's what he told me he was attractive well spoken in texts and
seemed normal something I was beginning to realize was a rarity we matched on a Monday and by Wednesday we were chatting regularly he asked about my favorite bars my dog even what my ideal Valentine's Day looked like harmless but the more we talked the more something felt off his messages came too frequently like he was always waiting for me to reply he asked specific questions about my schedule when I worked when I got off where I like to go after a shift at first I chocked it up to standard conversation but then came the subtle
possessiveness I bet you get hit on all the time at work he said must be exhausting I laughed it off yeah comes with the job but you don't give those guys attention right red flag I didn't respond right away and he followed up with another message I just don't want you around creeps that was it my gut told me to stop talking to him so I did I unmatched him and moved on thinking that was the end of it I was wrong a couple of days later I noticed a new follower on my Instagram no
profile picture sure no posts just a blank account normally I wouldn't have thought twice but something about the timing unsettled me I blocked the account and ignored it then on Valentine's Day I received a text from an unknown number look outside I stared at it confused a Spam message a prank then another Happy Valentine's Day be beautiful I didn't recognize the number but something in my gut told me exactly who it was my fingers hovered over the keyboard before a new text came through that dress looks good on you my blood ran cold I was
wearing a dress that night at work right then I whipped my head toward the entrance scanning the customers couples a few regulars no one unusual my heart pounded I checked my phone again another message smile for me I didn't I turned ducking behind the bar pretending to check something on the bottom shelf my hands were shaking I showed the text to my coworker Lisa and she frowned you sure it's him she asked who else could it be she grabbed my arm you need to be careful seriously I put on my best customer friendly smile and
nodded but my thoughts were anything but calm how did he get my number how did he know what I was wearing and then it hit me my social media I had been careless my Instagram was public pictures of my dog at the park drinks at my favorite bar selfies in front of my apartment building a photo from that morning in the very dress I was wearing captioned Valentine's Shift come grab a drink he had pieced together where I worked followed the trail I left online and now he was here my shift ended at midnight Lisa
insisted on walking me to my car and I was too shaken to deny the parking lot was mostly empty just a few scattered Vehicles my car was parked near the back where the security lights didn't quite reach as we got closer Lisa tensed up is that someone by your car I followed her eyes and my stomach dropped St a shadow stood next to my driver's side door unmoving I sucked in a breath the figure moved just a little and in the dim glow of a distant street light I saw the grin Jason Lisa let out
a low curse and grabed my arm we're not going to your car we turned and power walked back toward the bar I refused to look back but I could feel him watching the second we stepped inside Lisa locked the door were calling the cops I couldn't argue but by the time the police arrived Jason was gone I thought that would be the end of it but over the next few days I noticed strange things a car parked near my building that I didn't recognize a silhouette lingering at the corner when I walked my dog a
bouquet of red roses left outside my door no note no sender just waiting for me to find them the texts continued too random numbers short messages why won't you talk to me you can't ignore me forever I blocked every number but they kept coming Lisa had me stay at her place and even though I felt safer with someone else around I couldn't relax then one night the messages stopped and that terrified me more than anything it had been a week since the last text I had finally gone back home feeling on edge but convincing myself
it was over then around 2: in the morning my phone buzzed a single notification a picture it was grainy and dark but I knew exactly what it was my apartment Window I called the police immediately by the time they arrived there was no sign of him but I knew he had been there I filed another report locked down my social media changed my phone number the police couldn't do much he hadn't technically committed a crime but they told me to stay vigilant I packed a bag and left that night Lisa didn't even ask questions when
I showed up at her place shaking just pulled me into a hug and told me to stay as long as I needed I took her up on it days turned into weeks every time I stepped outside I felt like I was being watched every time my phone buzzed I jumped I barely slept jolting awake at the slightest noise Lisa did her best to reassure me and then one night it stopped no more messages no more pictures no calls from random numbers just silence at first I was relieved but then relief turned to paranoia had he
lost interest found someone else or was he just wai waiting for me to let my guard down I wasn't going to take any chances I never went back to that apartment Lisa and I searched for a new place together somewhere with a security system somewhere he wouldn't know to look it took a while but we found one a fresh start a place where I didn't feel like I had to keep my blinds shut 24/7 but even now I find myself scanning the street even now I hesitate before posting anything online because the truth is he
was never just some random guy on a dating app he was a reminder a reminder that sometimes the scariest people aren't the ones lurking in dark alleys or abandoned houses sometimes they're the ones who already know exactly where you live if these stories made you rethink Valentine's Day plans hit that like button and share with someone who loves a good scare don't forget to subscribe and turn on notifications you never know when the next chilling story will drop have you ever had a Valentine's Day that took a dark turn drop your experience in the comments
we're dying to hear it stay safe trust your instincts and remember love isn't always sweet sometimes it's terrifying thanks for watching and I'll see you in the next nightmare
