If you notice it lurking in the background, watching, turn around and walk away as fast as you can. Do not look at it directly, no matter what. If it notices your gaze on it, just pray you can get away safely.

If you make eye contact with it, hope your death will be quick and painless.

I live in a secluded small town in North America. I moved here alone, looking for a peaceful, drama free life. This town is small enough that the majority of people know each other on a first name basis, and it didn't take me long to learn either. Everyone was very welcoming and kind.

One night I was out with my friends, just having fun, walking around town on a saturday evening, and they told me about the urban legend of the Stalker.

During the 80's, a creepy, middle aged man would walk around the streets whenever it rained, dressed in a large gray trenchcoat. He always wore a hood, so his facial features couldn't be made out. Rumor has it, he stalked young women, and if any paid attention to him, he'd follow them and kill them.

Only one woman ever got away after making eye contact with him because he was caught before he could kill her, her name was Lucy. She said his eyes were bloodshot and he broke into a wide, bizarre grin when they made eye contact.

"People have been reporting that they see him at night, whenever it rains, just walking on the streets." Annie says in a spooky voice.

"Yeah right.." I reply, not believing that one bit. Maybe there was a creepy man killing women in the 80's but there's no way he's back.

"Speaking of rainy nights.." Sasha points with her finger to the dark clouds looming up above.

"We should hurry up." I say and we speed up our stride to get back to Annie's apartment.

After a couple of minutes it begins pouring, and another short while later we get to her apartment, just a little wet.

We throw on a movie, home alone, and begin enjoying ourselves. Its a saturday so we don't have work tomorrow, meaning we can stay up a lot longer than usual, drinking some softer cocktails. Annie is our cocktail guy- or girl in this case.

Eventually though, sasha leaves to go home, Annie and I continue talking about this and that, until about half an hour later we receive a call from Sasha.

"Hey Sasha, what's up? You leave-" I begin saying, but she cuts me off.

"I saw him- he's here! He's following me!" Sasha says in a hushed whisper.

"Who? Where?" I turn on the speaker so Annie can listen in.

"The Stalker! The creepy man, I was walking home and he was on the opposite side of the road, just standing there, with his creepy gray trench coat. I looked at him for a short moment, and then he began following me!" She's sobbing between words, she sounds really scared.

"Where are you? We'll call the cops and then come and get you!" I tell her.

"Do you remember that fancy coffee shop? I'm in the alleyway left of it, hiding behind some dumpsters." Sasha whispers back. "Okay, we'll hang up now and call the cops, stay hidden." I say.

"Okay, please hurry." She whispers back.

As soon as we hang up I dial 911 and wait for the operator to answer, while putting on my shoes and jacket. "Annie you're not coming?" I ask, seeing that she's not moving.

"You surely don't believe that stupid urban legend? It's just some creepy guy." I continue, the police finally picks up, I don't even know why it took so long.

"911 what is your emergency?"

"Hi, yes, my friend, her name is Sasha, she was walking home when she called us and told us that a creepy guy has been following her." I mouth the words "Last chance" to Annie. She sighs and gets up to dress.

"Did your friend tell you of her location, so we can send a unit to check?" The voice asks.

"Yes, I don't know the address, but I can kind of explain it, she's in an alleyway left of Dawn's coffee shop, do you know where that is?"

"Yes, I'm sending a unit out to her now."

"Okay thank you, we'll call her to make sure she's still okay." Annie has finished dressing, and we go out the door and into Annie's car.

"Call her." Annie instructs me, and I do.

"Shit. She's not answering." I say.

We drive down the quiet neighbourhood roads, it's about a 3 minute drive to the coffee shop.

"Shit, isn't that the guy she described? What is he holding?" Annie points with her finger. "What the fuck" I say in horror, he's holding an arm.

The guy stops walking and looks towards our car from a distance. "GO GO GO." I encourage Annie to step on gas, and get the fuck away from this guy.

"He was holding a fucking arm, Ann." I tell her.

"Do you think it's..?" She trails off.

"No, there's no way it's Sasha's." I really want to believe that. We finally arrive at the coffee shop, and the police is already there, the three officers on scene are talking amongst themselves in hushed whispers.

"What's going on?" We ask the officers from a distance, and all three of them flinch. "We're the ones who called about our friend? Sasha? Is she okay?" I ask them.

They all look at each other, as if trying to decide who's going to tell us. "Yeah.. Sasha's not here, but we did find a purse with her ID in it, and lots of blood." A male officer, maybe in his 30's responds. Annie stops dead in her tracks and looks horrified.

"What is it?" I ask Annie in a hushed whisper.

"Don't you see him?" She points with her finger to the officers.

"See who?" I look at them, and I can only see the three officers.

"The guy in the trenchcoat.. He's behind them." She says.

"Listen this whole scene is closed off, it's best you go home." A younger female officer tells us. "We still don't know who's out here, so you better lock your doors and stay safe tonight."

"Cmon Ann, lets drive home, I'm sure Sasha is fine, she's just hiding somewhere else." I'm trying to convince her as much as I am myself.

We begin walking to her car again, but Annie can't take her eyes off the officers, or what's behind them.

"Are you okay?" Annie is tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, looking into the rearview mirror every 5 seconds or so, she looks extremely paranoid.

"Yeah.. just.. I keep seeing him." I look in the rearview mirror too, but I can't see anyone or anything.

All of a sudden, Annie screams and slams on the breaks. "What's wrong?" I scream at her.

"He was in the backseat, and I saw Sasha, she was all bloody, her arms were gone!" Annie begins sobbing and I take her into my arms. "It's okay, you're okay." I try to reassure her, while keeping my gaze on the rearview mirror.

After a short while, we start the car back up and Annie drops me off at my apartment complex. "You sure you don't want me to stay with you?" I ask her for the fifth time as I begin opening the passenger door. "Yes, I'll be fine, I just need a good nights sleep, good night Jen."

"Good night Ann." I reply, and step out and go into the building. It's eerily quiet and dark inside, I've never actually been out here at such late hours.

I begin walking up the stairs as a sound of footsteps echoes back to me, making me flinch. I take a deep breath, reminding myself I'm not a child anymore, and continue walking, wondering who's coming down. An elderly woman, maybe 70's finally turns the corner, it's Lucy, she's been really helpful with the flower garden in the backyard. Lucy is shivering a lot and her eyes seem a little swollen. As I pass right by her I can hear her whisper the words "He's here."

"Who's here?" I ask without thinking better of it, and the woman stops dead in her tracks and turns around to look at me, her lips now transformed into a twisted smile, showing off her rotten teeth. "The Stalker." She whispers, then turns around and begins walking down stairs again.

What. the. fuck. Is all I can think right now, I finish walking the remaining flights of stairs and speed walk to my apartment, unlocking the door, and then locking it behind me. I sigh a sigh of relief, and take the breath I've been longing, I hadn't even realised I was holding my breath.

I turn on the lights and head to the bathroom, washing my face and make up off, I decide to call Annie to make sure she got home safely.

After about 10 seconds, she picks up.

"Hey Ann, you home yet?"

There's only silence on the other end.

"Ann? Hello? Can you hear me?" I continue.

Something whispers back, but I can't make out what it says.

"Can you repeat that?"

The phone hangs up. Now I'm officially freaked out, what the hell is going on here?

I try calling again but Annie doesn't pick up the phone anymore.

I open the bathroom window to smoke a cigarrete and gaze outside, it's still raining. I look down below and I see the elderly woman walking down the street. I follow her with my gaze until I notice someone in a trenchcoat walking towards her, maybe 50 feet away.

I put my full attention towards watching them both, until they finally collide.

The man pulls out a knife from one of his pockets, turns the woman around and slits her throat in one swift motion, And just for one very short moment, I make eye contact with his red, bloodshot eyes, until the ash of my cigarrete burns my fingers and I wince in pain, looking away. When I look back, both the woman and the man are gone.

I take out my phone and dial 911 again, I tell them what I just saw and they believe me at first, until I mention that both the victim and the culprit disappeared in a split second. Then they warn me not to prank call again, and hang up.

I'm not sure what to do. Ann isn't picking up, Sasha's gone, and the elderly woman was killed right in front of my eyes. And I made eye contact with her killer.

I am in bed as I write this, it still hasn't stopped raining.

I started hearing knocking at my front door two minutes ago, the door handle is rattling too.

I hope it stops raining soon, maybe that will make him go away.