THE SILENCERS
Short story
They are following me.
I'm not crazy, I know. My parents tell me that it is due to stress, that work has exhausted me and that not sleeping does not help my situation at all ... but even if it is true, even though my body is asking for a break and work is killing me, I know how to recognize when someone follows me for two weeks in a row.
It's too obvious, I think he might even recognize his routine. Since I leave home, at 5:30 in the morning, until I get home from work, at 10:05 at night.
They always see me. They always watch me.
The morning of today began like any other. One morning full of fog, with a very strong cold. I got up at 4:30 in the morning, after thinking a lot, and I went to breakfast, I made a sandwich of cheese and ham accompanied with orange juice, then I went quickly to the shower and I brushed my teeth for that from 5:15 to be finishing dressing. At 5:20 I was ready, with the briefcase on the floor and the paperwork from the previous night inside. I was waiting for 5:30 to get up from the couch and go to work, but this morning, curiosity killed me. I got up without thinking and went straight to the window, without opening the curtains I could define the shadows and see what I wanted to see.
I was there, waiting for me.
There was no doubt, it was the same subject, in the same corner, on the same avenue, like all the fucking days. Almost next to my house, behind a post, I was staring at my house. His clothes were too specific, he had a huge sack that reached to his feet, with a hat that did not allow him to recognize his face.
It was just there, it just existed, I waited for it to come out. My head just went around and around with questions to which I would not find any answer: "Would you follow me like every morning or do something different today? Would you approach me? Would you introduce yourself and talk to me? I will kill me?"
The minutes passed and I was still there, static, petrified. I could not move, I do not know if it was fear or the simple reflection of survival that told me that today I should not leave home. What could I do? Tell my parents? No, they would say again that I'm crazy, call the police? Yes, I could. A couple of early mornings I took a few pictures, I have them in the camera in addition to the backup. I can do it, that is, I have proof ... but lately I have been so tired, that I have not had time to think about anything else than going to work and then returning home.
One moment, there is something strange. I no longer see the subject.
I quickly checked the time and it was 5:52 in the morning, I had spent 22 minutes watching through the window, at what time? I went down the stairs and grabbed my briefcase as fast as I could. I left my house trotting and went to the bus stop, I had lost the transport at 5:35, but it gave me a chance to reach the 6:05.
Even when that subject had vanished from the place, I felt watched. And it is that, in truth, I do not understand. Why did he leave? that is, what is the difference between this morning and the others? Why today he left and the others did not? I know that today I left a little late but that would not imply that ... or would it?
Hell, it's that, if it makes sense. He must have a routine, and like me, he must do different things. Yes, he watches me all the time, but at certain times he must be traveling to different places, like me. For example, at this time I would usually already be on the bus ... Will it be that I did not leave on time, did I have to move to speed up and that my late departure did not affect their routine?
Agh! I do not understand anything.
Thinking cold, your routine is based on mine, right? It is always before me in the places where I must go at a specific time, to be there, waiting for me. And automatically when leaving late, he must move.
My thoughts stop and my stress reaches its maximum. I'm listening to footsteps behind me.
They are following me.
I do not know what to do, I'm just meters from the stop and it's about 10 minutes before the transport arrives. The stop is completely empty, and I do not even want to stay alone with that subject. What I do? What I do??
With my heart in my hand I decide to face what happens. I turn as quickly as possible and see it. It's him ... It's him! That guy, the man in the dark jacket, is 4 meters away from me, seeing me. I stay dry, what do I do now? What will he do now?
He only sees me, he does not do anything. This is horrible. He places his briefcase on the floor, and still sits with his eyes on me. I am immobile, I can not even sit down. I see my watch, and it has only been a minute since I arrived at the stop ... Just a minute, and it has felt like it was hours.
Nothing happens. Does nothing.
The bus arrives. There are people inside, many. I take advantage of that. I go as fast as I can, without hesitation, I pass in front of him, and he does not flinch, the driver opens the doors of the bus and I climb the stairs staggering. I can not walk well, I feel dizzy. I enter and I feel. He does the same. He sits three places behind me. What the hell do you want?
All the way he did not make any movement, I just felt his eyes pierce the back of my neck, but without much delay, we arrived. I'm getting off the bus, I'm entering through the front door, I'm leaving behind. I do not hear footsteps, it did not come down with me. I flip through the doubts and see it, even inside the bus looking over here.
The transport advances and I see how it vanishes in the fog along with it. The guy left, he did not get off. Why? Why did you continue with the bus? Why did not he get off? What's the point of all this? What the hell was that?
The rest of the day was torture. He kept asking me things and making ideas in my mind. I was not at all accurate at work, I made mistakes by not being concentrated, and several experiments went wrong because of me. At about 8 o'clock at night, the Head of Investigation talked with me, and seeing me so lost and sweaty, decided to send me home.
- We all deserve to rest - He told me - Do not worry, we take care of you, you finished for today.
On other occasions I would have questioned, but not in this one. The faster you get home the better. A jump in my schedule would give me an abysmal advantage with regard to the subject of dark coat.
Being the only one who would leave early, I got home even faster, since the only route that the company's transportation would follow would be mine. I get off the bus and go straight to my house, I do not see the sides, I do not want to! I go as fast as I can, I start jogging, I do not mind making noise, I can not stand a moment more outside my house.
I see everywhere, I can not find it. As I run, I look out of the corner of my eye at every dark corner I find on the road. Without approaching, I see behind the poles and landlines. I can not find it. I'm happy, I'm happy! I am very afraid and not seeing him reassures me too much, I want to lock myself in my house and be safe, free of him, free of all.
But something is wrong.
My door is between open. Why? What the hell? I remember closing it, I closed it! Why is it open? What the hell is going on!?
I do not doubt it. I open my briefcase and take out the pocket weapon that I bring inside. The papers and the briefcase fall to the ground, but I do not care. I have my weapon in sight, I can defend myself. I did not want to do it but I have no choice. I open the door and start to pass, my whole house is ruined, I can not recognize it. My furniture is upside down, the walls are torn, the shelves flipped, the books on the floor, my tv destroyed. The carpet has marks, those that leave a heavy object that was dragged.
I do not understand.
There is still more. I hear small sparks from the floor above, white flashes are present by the stairs. There is something in my room. I climb trembling, I can not hold my gun well and my hands sweat too much. The flashes feel more and more reapers and the most irritating sparks, the steps are almost not seen by the white of the room and it is difficult to be placed in the space by the strong sound. Everything is horrible, I can not understand what is happening, I just ask that you stop.
And that does.
I get to see the room. The man in the dark jacket is there, in the center of the room, with an open briefcase lying on the floor and my bedroom smashed.
**- Who you are!? What are you doing here, how did you get in !? - Shout to the subject in black.
**- Do not shoot me **- that stranger asks me.
- Shut!! What the hell are you doing in my house !? Why have you followed me all this time !? - I approach him pointing to his forehead - Who the hell are you !?
- We'll take a trip - he says whispering - Please, do not scream.
A white sphere appears in the middle of the room, it looks like a vortex. Start sucking all my bedroom, I see my things fly through the air, my books, my shelves, my research, my life. Everything starts to float. That man just stares at me. I do not know how to react. I do not know what will happen.
The sphere grows more and expands around the room. I hear a dull thud and it explodes. Everything is blank, I do not know where I am. We're not in my bedroom anymore, that's for sure ... What I do not know exactly is where the hell am I?
I rub my eyes and find myself on the floor, sitting and surrounded. I count as 7, I can not see well. 7 men identical to that guy in a dark suit, all dressed the same. Hat, long black jacket and with briefcases. No one can see the face, none can recognize it. What's going on? What the hell is going on?? I just want to go home.
One of them approaches me, it comes super fast, I can not recognize if it is that always or is a new one. He bends down and looks me in the eyes.
- A pleasure to meet you Ben Frost, we are sorry but we can not allow you to continue with your investigations. You already know too much.