The bar was full of people and bustling.The girl had a smile on her face and was about to leave.Laughter and shouts echoed in her ears, she struggled to open the heavy door, and a gust of cold wind rushed in.She turned around and said "good night" to everyone who might be looking at her, and saw a few arms go up, waving her goodbye, but most of the guys either continued to sip their beers or gestured wildly , sharing their latest jokes to anyone who will listen. The door slammed shut behind her, cutting off the warm yellow light and the joyful voice of young people reveling in pleasure.The dark night enveloped her, and the sudden silence hit her like a physical blow.For a moment, she stood where she was, motionless.

She shivered in the cold of early winter, pulled the scarf around her neck tighter, and folded her arms to keep warm.She really needs to find a coat she likes, and she will wear it when she goes out at night.She smiled at the thought of her own vanity, and reminded herself that it only took a quarter of an hour to walk back to the apartment, and that as long as she walked fast, she would warm up in no time. The bar door swung open again, momentarily breaking the silence, and the amber light from inside spilled onto the wet sidewalk.She thought she heard her name being called to the blaring music from the warm bar, but the door turned and slammed shut again, and all was quiet again.

In the streets of this part of Manchester a few people hurried along, turning off the side roads leading to their homes and disappearing.Horrible weather and the freezing cold of early winter have forced people to stay indoors tonight, and who can blame them? A couple stopped to kiss not far in front of her. The girl put her arms around the boy's neck and stood on tiptoe so that her whole body could be attached to the boy's body. This finally brought some warmth to the night.She looked at them and smiled again at the thought of how wonderful it felt to be in love.She had only recently moved in with her boyfriend and she had never been happier.

She walked to the intersection of the main road and waited at the intersection.Traffic is sparse, but as one of the main thoroughfares in and out of Manchester, it's never completely quiet. She hurried across the street while there were no cars, and walked to the quieter street on the other side, away from the student apartments and modern houses.She was ecstatic when they found an apartment in an old Victorian house.The whole floor is theirs, and while it's still a bit dirty, they're cleaning it up.Best of all, the apartments are located on a quiet and lovely tree-lined street, giving each house there a sense of privacy.

She turned into the first intersection.The small park on the right was usually full of children playing, but at this time of night, there was no one there, except for a lone swing that swayed silently. The flats hit the pavement almost silently, and she felt a strange sense of isolation.She looked at the windows of the houses she passed, most of which were hidden by high fence walls, and all she could see was darkness, except for the lifeless reflections of street lamps on the road, making the distant rooms almost ambiguous. An eerie feeling of being uninhabited. Someone is nearby!The thought crept upon her suddenly.She had no evidence, neither heard the screech of shoes nor glimpsed a shadow.Something else entirely, it felt like someone's eye had punched a hole in her back.She just knows.

The body instantly became stiff, and every nerve ending was tingling.Should she run?If she did, would it be a signal for that person to chase her and grab her?Should she turn into someone's driveway?But the man would catch her before she got to the door of that house. Wouldn't it be better to let the other person know that they are aware that they are being followed?If you turn around and look at it, will it stimulate the other party to react?she does not know. But the man is there.She just doesn't know how close the other party is to her. Before she had time to think about it, she turned her head quickly, but the street was empty.That person is not behind her?It must be somewhere, she was sure.She looked toward the park and thought of the wobbly swing.The man, probably hidden behind bushes on either side of the dark, unlit path, was walking alongside her.

A fragment from earlier that night had suddenly pierced through her mind.For a moment, she felt uncomfortable in a bar full of loud laughter.She turned sharply on the bar chair, expecting to see a vicious strange man standing next to her, but no, no one was even looking at her.So she brushed that feeling away, letting the joy of the night wrap around the uncomfortable shudder, and squeezed the energy out of it.But to no avail.She feels exactly the same now as she did then. The entrance to the park is just ahead.If the other party is inside and wants to catch her, this is the best time to do it.She has only a few seconds to think of a countermeasure.She was to act nonchalantly, and start running as soon as she was parallel to the park gate.She will scream for help if necessary.

There are two more steps, and she will be there.She let her arms drop to her sides.The corner of the road to go was ahead, but darker there, the thick trunks of her favorite trees casting deep reflections on the narrow sidewalk, their black, bare branches bending into the night sky. One step, two steps - run! She didn't dare to look at the open gate of the park, she could only hear the sound of her heavy footsteps and rapid breathing, and she couldn't hear if anyone was chasing her. The situation happened when we were only ten meters away from the corner.She was almost there, almost home, almost safe.

A shadow appeared from behind the last few dark trees, motionless, and then quietly spread its legs, waiting for an opportunity to grab her.