The fear and shock of what I just witnessed has woken me up.

  I'm covered in cold sweat and accidentally scare Misty, who jumps off my bed and runs away.

  I turn on the lights in my room.

  Shakingly I decide to look around to make sure no one but me is in my room.

  When I've checked under my bed and in my closet I start to feel a bit embarrassed. I'm twenty-one for god's sake! Not five.

  Looking at my alarm, I see that I still have quite some hours to go before I need to get ready. So I decide to watch something on my phone.

  When the movie I am watching starts to bore me, I decide to try sleeping again.

  My alarm goes off way louder than I had hoped, I turn it off and get ready for work.

  Like always, I take the train, it seems to feel a bit different from normal. Though I am not sure why, maybe it's because of the rain? Perhaps it only feels darker.

  When I arrive at the office, I greet everyone and go further with my work.

  Suddenly I find myself unable to concentrate and then a thought emerges in my mind: Where is Suzy? She is always here on this day of the week.

  About two hours later she arrives, looking not so good.

  I walk up to her: "Hey Suzy, are you okay?"

  She clenches her fist and doesn't seem willingly to look at me: "Please, just leave me alone for today."

  "Alright, sorry for bothering you." I respect her wishes and leave her alone, but with a strong feeling of guilt lingering in my body. Couldn't I have responded better?

  During lunch I eat with Myla again in the office cafeteria.

  When I look outside the window I can see the raindrops slide down the glass, it's going pretty fast.

  Carefully I ask the question that has been in my mind since this morning:

  "Hey Myla, do you know what happened to Suzy?"

  Myla knows almost everything around here, so she might also know what is going on.

  "Yes I do." Her answer is much shorter than expected, normally she can talk for hours. But today seems to be a day that she doesn't. Suzy and Myla are not the only ones who seem to feel off and I start to wonder why everyone is so gloomy today, what could have happened to ruin the day for so many people?

  Myla doesn't seem like she will be giving me an answer, so I don't pressure her.

  After lunch we return to the office, there aren't many people, most of them seem to have left earlier.

  I decide to go to David, but when I arrive at his desk he too seems rather gloomy.

  "Hey David, is there something I can do for you?"

  He looks up at me: "Ah sorry Edith." He shakes his head seemingly with his head elsewhere: "Could you repeat that again please?"

  Now the worry is reall setting in my mind: "Is there something I could help you with? Everyone seems to feel a bit out of it today."

  He smiles at me, happy, but sad. He seems glad I asked to help, but sad about something else.

  "If you really want to, many have called in sick today, so if you could do some of theirs... that would be nice... But don't overwork yourself."

  I nod and take the pile of paper he gives me.

  Before I leave I decide to ask my question anyway: "You don't have to answer my question, but why does everyone seem so sad today?"

  David hesitates and then answers: "An old colleague who used to work here until just last year has passed away recently... Last night."

  "Ah, I'm sorry for your loss." I say a bit shaken.

  The dark images from last night's nightmare return to me, but I quickly try to think of something else.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  It just can't be.

  David just gives me a nod and goes back to staring blankly at the wall.

  It takes me a bit longer to finish everything, so I sent Nova a message that I will be working longer today.

  I go through all the work, working as hard as I can. Before I know it I'm the only one left in the office.

  After a while I can suddenly hear a pair of loud footsteps, it has already gone dark, with my screen and lamp as the only light sources.

  I turn around quickly.

  "Good evening ma'am, what are you still doing here?"

  It's the nightguard, I didn't know we had one, but he has the uniform and is holding a flashlight.

  "Oh, is it already this late?" I say shocked as I look at my watch. It's almost midnight, there won't be any trains that will leave before five and I have a lot of missed calls. All of them are from Nova.

  I quickly sent her a message about it.

  "Sorry, I was working." I say as I point to the last few files.

  "A hard worker I see, but that's not very healthy."

  "Sorry..." I mumble as I turn off my computer.

  The guard guides me out of the building, after seeing my info card. To confirm that I really am someone working late and not someone out stealing data.

  "Are you able to get home safely?" he asks me in a kind voice as we stand by the front entrance.

  "I will probably get a taxi."

  The man shakes his head: "No that won't do." He sighs: "There is a murderer walking free somewhere nearby, haven't you heard the news?"

  I look at him shocked: "No I haven't heard."

  "She even used to work here too."

  "I just started here, but that must be why everyone seemed so upset today."

  "The poor girl was cut into pieces and placed under the floorboards from a nearby café."

  Cut into pieces? Nearby café? It's just like what happened in my dream. What the hell?

  "Are you okay ma'am?"

  "Yes I'm, it just sounds awful. I didn't know it was that bad."

  Suddenly my phone starts vibrating.

  "Sorry, I need to take this."

  "It's okay." he smiles.

  "Hello, Edith speaking."

  "Hi Edith, this is Peter. I heard you were going back home rather late, I was thinking of picking you up."

  "You really don't have to.

  "Do you have someone else coming to pick you up?"

  "N-not yet..."

  "Alright, stay right there, I will be there in about ten-ish minutes."

  "Thank you, but really, you don't have-." But he ignores me:

  "See you then!"

  The guard turns to me and asks: "So you got yourself a ride?"

  "Yes, I did, a friend of mine is coming to pick me up."

  "A trustworthy friend?"

  "Yes, I know him from high school and we even went to the same university."

  That is true, Peter was the first of the four I had known. We had some projects together and after we both went to the same university, we met Nova first and then Jonathan. I'm glad we were all able to stay friends for so long.

  My friendships before were never this long lasting. Now that I think about it I'm not sure why.

  The guard and I go outside, waiting for me to get picked up.

  It doesn't take long for Peter to show up, so I thank the guard for helping me and get another lecture in return.

  "Sorry, I really gotta go no, goodnight!"

  I wave at him as he returns a goodnight back.

  I walk to the car that just parked in front of the building.

  "Hi Peter, thank you for coming to pick me up."

  "It's no problem, are you okay?"

  "Yes, I am. The guard stayed with me."

  "So that's why you were together with a stranger."

  For the rest of the ride we sit in silence. I'm a bit tired and stare at the lights passing by at high speed.

  Streetlights, shop lights.

  A city is really a place that never sleeps. It might not be as busy as during the day, but some people really live during the night.

  We arrive at my apartment.

  "I guess I will see you later."

  "Thank you for driving me here in the middle of the night. You can come in if you want to."

  "No thanks, I too want to go back to bed soon."

  "Alright."

  I thank him again and wave him goodbye as he drives off.

  I enter the dimly lit apartment complex.

  I'm too tired to go up the stairs and take the elevator.

  When the doors close I suddenly get a terrible headache. A headache that almost makes me want to drop onto the floor in pain. Is this the consequence for overworking? It hit pretty fast if that's it.

  I suddenly remember the nightmare that took place inside this elevator, about the person with the bloody knife. I look around and a small stain on the floor takes my attention. Could they have been here as well?

  Am I... being stalked?

  The thought alone is enough for me to shiver.

  Why the hell would anyone even want to follow me around?

  I don't invite it, do I?

  I'm not that nice to everyone, right?

  So, it can't be!

  But I know very well that there always exists a change, many victims of stalking don't ever know about it. The intentions also vary per stalker, even so stalking is never good.

  A stalker could even be someone you know very well or, of course, a complete stranger.

  The elevator stops at the second floor.

  I'm sure I clicked the third.

  Is there someone else who needs to get inside?

  The doors open slowly, showing only a pitch black hallway. With no one near it.

  I click the 'close door' button and I can hear footsteps coming closer from the hallway.

  My heart starts beating louder and I just wait for the elevator to please go up as soon as possible.

  Just before the footsteps can reach me, the doors close just in time and I catch a glimpse of the person standing there. They are dressed completely in black, the clothes resemble the ones the killer in the elevator and café wore or is that just my imagination?

  As I get back to the apartment, Nova is waiting for me.

  "Nova, did you wait for me? You could have just gone off to bed you know. I don't mind."

  She gives me a mug filled with still hot tea: "Nah, I wanted to wait for you. The news recently has been pretty crazy. There have been two murders close by."

  "Wait two? Not just one?"

  "No unfortunately not, the body of an older lady had been found just a couple of streets from here."

  "When?"

  "This morning, she was cut into pieces. Just like the other one."

  I look it up on my phone and find the news message. It's a picture of the old lady who said that I was being followed.

  I can feel my stomach turn, I need to tell someone, anyone. Even if they don't believe me or think me crazy.

  "Hey, Nova, can I tell you something?"