Emily

At first they laughed, thinking it was just kind of harmless creepiness. Then Jenny, who worked mornings, spoke up. She said Chris had been asking questions about me. If I lived around the place. If I normally worked late shifts. If I had somebody waiting for me at home. My stomach twisted at her words. The fear simmering in the back of my mind now felt like a cold stone pressing against my chest.

The next time I saw Chris, something was different. He wasn't asking questions anymore. He was suggesting. He wouldn't let the quarry go and kept on insisting that we had to go. He described it, going into great detail of how the moonlight filtered through the trees, the silence just before dawn, and how easy it was to disappear in those woods where nobody could find you.

The next time I saw Chris, something was different. He wasn't asking questions anymore. He was suggesting. He wouldn't let the quarry go and kept on insisting that we had to go. He described it, going into great detail of how the moonlight filtered through the trees, the silence just before dawn, and how easy it was to disappear in those woods where nobody could find you.

He spoke of it like it was some sort of sacred thing, something meant to be seen. I could hear the edge in his voice, that thinly veiled hunger which made my skin crawl. I tried to deflect, to change the subject, but Chris wouldn't let it go. He leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. The real fun starts when everything is quiet, he said, his eyes fixed on mine.

He spoke of it like it was some sort of sacred thing, something meant to be seen. I could hear the edge in his voice, that thinly veiled hunger which made my skin crawl. I tried to deflect, to change the subject, but Chris wouldn't let it go. He leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. The real fun starts when everything is quiet, he said, his eyes fixed on mine.

When nobody knows you're out there. i forced a smile but inside my instincts were screaming at me to get away from him the fear finally became real tangible a low hum at the back of my mind i could hardly sleep and when i did i dreamt of dark woods and something moving just out of sight watching always watching I finally decided to report Chris to a supervisor.

When nobody knows you're out there. i forced a smile but inside my instincts were screaming at me to get away from him the fear finally became real tangible a low hum at the back of my mind i could hardly sleep and when i did i dreamt of dark woods and something moving just out of sight watching always watching I finally decided to report Chris to a supervisor.

I didn't care if it sounded paranoid. I told him everything, the questions, the quarry, the way he looked at me. My boss listened, head nodding, but I could see the doubt in his eyes. He said he was going to talk with Chris, that something was definitely going on. But before he got a chance to say anything, Chris vanished. He just stopped showing up for his shifts.

I didn't care if it sounded paranoid. I told him everything, the questions, the quarry, the way he looked at me. My boss listened, head nodding, but I could see the doubt in his eyes. He said he was going to talk with Chris, that something was definitely going on. But before he got a chance to say anything, Chris vanished. He just stopped showing up for his shifts.

His phone went straight to voicemail, and nobody knew what happened to him. Some said he quit, others thought he got fired, but I could not get out of my head that he was still out there, somewhere. I found myself continuing to expect him, to turn a corner and find those watchful eyes staring back.

His phone went straight to voicemail, and nobody knew what happened to him. Some said he quit, others thought he got fired, but I could not get out of my head that he was still out there, somewhere. I found myself continuing to expect him, to turn a corner and find those watchful eyes staring back.

The image of the quarry waited in my mind, an echo of his whispered promise, the real fun starts when everything is quiet. It felt like a warning, a reminder of how things could have so easily gone another way. Even now, there are moments when I'm alone in the store late at night, and I catch myself glancing at the shadows, half expecting to see Chris there, waiting. The fear never really leaves.

The image of the quarry waited in my mind, an echo of his whispered promise, the real fun starts when everything is quiet. It felt like a warning, a reminder of how things could have so easily gone another way. Even now, there are moments when I'm alone in the store late at night, and I catch myself glancing at the shadows, half expecting to see Chris there, waiting. The fear never really leaves.

It's always there, a constant reminder of how close I came to something dark and dangerous, something I never want to face again.

It's always there, a constant reminder of how close I came to something dark and dangerous, something I never want to face again.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's exhausting.

It's exhausting.