Have you ever been stalked by a tall, faceless monster?

       Most likely the answer is "no" because most people live in a normal, rational world where that kind of thing only happens in scary movies and stories meant to give people thrills. Just a few months ago I also lived in that world, where I was more worried about "real" problems than monsters hiding under my bed, but not anymore. Now I was trapped inside this messed up world of fear and danger, where seemingly anything could happen.

       Droplets of sweat formed on my face and hands as I stared at the blank white face hidden among the trees on my camera screen, my heart pounding violently in my chest. This wasn't an old recording or video, the camera was recording this image live at this very moment. If I looked up from the screen, I would see that tall black-clad figure standing among the trees—and that knowledge only made me feel more and more nauseous.

       Suddenly I was back in that abandoned building fleeing through the winding hallways, never knowing when my vision would flicker and I'd appear in another room. Chills ran down my spine at the memory, at the fear and anxiety that powered every step. I knew that every moment I spent staring at this monster right now was dangerous and I should run right away, but I couldn't. My body felt heavy as lead, my joints locked in place and every muscle tight and rigid, unable to do anything but stare at the camera.

       Visual tearing began to ravage the image, bands of color and static flashing across the screen as the colors were distorted and darkened to near-black. A dull hum began to sound, white noise gradually seeping into my thoughts. With its emergence my mind suddenly cleared, leaving one thought above everything else: Get the hell out of here! Almost grateful for the sudden clarity, I obeyed the voice in my head and took off running as fast as I could.

       I didn't dare look back as I fled from the Tall Man, trying to ignore the growing static in the back of my mind. The world began to tilt around me a little bit as a sudden wave of dizziness washed over me, but that was it. This time there was no extreme vertigo, no sudden flickering in my surroundings, no endless disorientation. All I had to do was follow the dirt path without falling and remember not to drop the camera.

       Hours seemed to pass in the span of minutes as I ran, but eventually, the trees began to fade around me and give way to dry, slightly yellow grass of the park. As soon as I was out of the wooded area, the white noise vanished and my head abruptly cleared. The change was so sudden I skidded to a stop and almost stumbled, but somehow I kept my balance and took a few moments to collect myself.

       Relieved to have made it out safely, I went over to a nearby picnic table and dropped my backpack on it before plopping onto the bench. My mouth was left pretty dry from a combination of running in this heat and the sheer fear of my encounter with the Tall Man, so I got out a water bottle and chugged it all down. Sufficiently hydrated, I put it away and then just laid my head on the table, staring into space.

       There was a playground here. Kids crawled all over the jungle gym, screeching with joy as they slid down the slides and chased each other. A little girl sat on the swing, laughing and yelling "Higher!" as an older boy pushed her. The adults just watched from nearby benches, chatting lightly with each other as they kept an eye on their rambunctious children.

       Once upon a time, I was one of those kids. Swinging as high as I could, playing tag with my friends, cheering on the idiot who always tried to climb a slide. I was just your average carefree little girl, oblivious to all the problems in the world—all the problems in my world.

       Sometimes I'd give anything to have those days again, to return to that point in my childhood where I wasn't "Lady Luck". Those carefree days where I didn't notice just how often bad stuff happened around me, where witnessing bank robberies and car accidents just made for fodder for exciting stories to tell my friends. I was just a little kid who happened to see a lot of stuff for her age.

        And look at me now.

        Homeless for almost a year now, not because of circumstances outside of my control but by choice. Living out of a hotel with a guy I only barely knew, with a two and a half month gap in my memories. My danger sense completely warped by the stuff that happened around me while I somehow always emerged safe and sound. That was why I left in the first place—I knew I'd always be safe, but I couldn't guarantee the same for everyone around me.

       And now, that was truer than ever. If I ever went home, the Tall Man would follow me and everyone around me would be pulled into this mess too, just like Hoody did with me. Sighing, I just buried my face in my arms and closed my eyes. I don't know how long I waited like that, but eventually, I heard familiar footsteps approach me from behind. "(Name)?" Tim's voice had a note of surprise and confusion to it, asking, "What are you doing here?"

       "The freaking Tall Man appeared," I grumbled, not looking at him.

       "What!?" Shock was evident in his tone, and I could imagine his face contorting with concern. "What happened!? Where was he!?"

       "Nothing happened. I was filming at the gazebo and I saw him. I ran, he probably chased me—I don't know, I didn't look back—and then I got out. End of story." Tim didn't respond right away, just stood in silence for a while. Finally, though I heard him give a small sigh.

       "...Come on, (Name), let's just get in the car," he said, and I sighed as I raised my head and got up. As we headed back to the car, I couldn't help shooting him a curious glance.

       "Did you find anything?"

       "Nope, nothing. Just dust and dirt. Looks like coming here was pretty pointless." We both fell silent at this point and just got in the car, a solemn atmosphere settling over us as Tim started the engine. When he slid the key into the ignition I glanced at it closely, deep in thought. Though I couldn't examine them side by side, I got the feeling that it was identical to the key I found save for the key fob being separate from his.

       Noticing me staring at it, Tim commented, "You're wondering why this key won't work with the glove box, right?"

       "Huh?" Jarred from my thoughts, I looked at him in surprise before slowly nodding. "Oh. Uh, yeah..."

       "Thought so. Well, it's probably a valet key."

       "Valet key?" I repeated, frowning slightly. "Like, those guys who park your car at fancy restaurants and stuff?"

       "Yeah. Some cars come with two keys—a main one and a valet key. The valet key can start a car and unlock the front door, but it can't open the glove box or trunk. We don't have to worry about the trunk part because we have a key fob that can open it, and also a button inside the car, but there's nothing for the glove box."

        "...I see." I slowly nodded, ever-conscious of the key in my pocket. That definitely answered a lot of questions, but still left one: why was it in my bag in a locked pocket? Clearly, it was hidden for some reason, but why? I didn't say anything, though, and Tim didn't either. In fact, neither of us said anything else for the rest of the car ride.

        A quiet tension filled the car after Tim pulled onto the road, forming an invisible barrier that neither of us wanted to penetrate by speaking. Instead we just each got lost in our own thoughts, the trip leaving a clear impact on us. Occasionally I'd glance at Tim and see this grim expression on his face as he stared at the road, his hands clutching the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turned white. I wondered what was going through his mind, but of course, I never asked.

       The silence persisted until after we arrived at the hotel. As we arrived at our floor and stepped off the elevator, Tim glanced at me and finally spoke. "I'm just going to head to my own room. I'll look through more of the memory cards for what happened after the last one ended. You just rest for the rest of the day."

        "Yeah... Okay." I nodded, grateful for the break from watching the videos. Not just because it was so boring, but also because I didn't want to stumble on a video of the Tall Man so soon after my encounter. I didn't really want to think about him right now.

       With that settled, we headed off to our rooms, Tim briefly popping into mine so he could retrieve his laptop and the memory cards. Once the door closed behind him, a strange sense of relief settled over me at the knowledge I was alone. My room had been a sort of base of operations since we first arrived at the hotel, so this was the first time I had really had the room to myself. Relaxing a bit, I sat on my bed to consider what to do now.

       Tempting as it was to take the key I found and try to open the glove box, I ultimately decided not to. While I wanted to know what was in it, I'd had enough adventures for one day. Just knowing I had the option now was enough for me at the moment, I could open it tomorrow.

       Instead, I felt like a nap might do me some good. I felt like the fantasies of dreams would give me a nice break from the nightmares of reality, assuming I wouldn't have nightmares of the Tall Man. As I pondered the chances of a nightmare I laid back and leaned my head against the pillow, only to freeze as I heard a crinkling sound.

        What the...? Slowly sitting up, I eyed the pillow suspiciously as I tried to determine what made that sound. Now incredibly wary, I picked it up and cautiously reached into the light orange pillowcase, feeling around inside. Soon enough my fingertips brushed against something smooth and crisp laid on top of the pillow, and I instantly recognized the texture as paper.

         I paused at the realization, finding myself hesitant. No way the cleaning crew would leave a note inside the pillowcase. Slowly pulling out the paper, I found it to be folded in half with my name written on one side. I looked at it for a moment before unfolding it, finding a simple note inside:

       Meet me tomorrow @ 1 in the alleyway. You know the one.

-H

       "What the hell!?" I whisper-shouted, frowning at the note. I didn't need three guesses to figure out who "H" was, but how did Hoody get inside the room? The door needed a card key, he couldn't pick the lock. More than that, when did he get inside? He had to know we were gone, no way would he try to break in while we were here.

       Paranoia instantly consumed my mind and I snapped my head to stare at the window, my heart pounding in my ears. Rising from the bed, I slowly walked over to the window and peered outside. Logically, I knew he probably wasn't watching me through it. The room was on the second floor, and it faced the hotel parking lot, which offered no ways to look inside. If he was watching us, most likely he was just watching for the car to leave.

       Still, I quickly yanked the curtains shut and hurried back to my bed, hugging myself as I perched on the edge. My gaze quickly wandered to the note, my mind racing. Tomorrow at one, in the alleyway... Why did he want to meet? Did he want to talk? Or was it some kind of trap? Should I risk going?

       Although I knew I should be hesitant and careful about this, deep down I already knew the answer...