May's life had become a prison of her own making. She tried to cling to some semblance of normalcy, but the walls around her were closing in, tighter and tighter with every passing day. Will's presence was inescapable. No matter how many locks she placed on her door, no matter how many times she checked the windows, he was always there—lingering just out of view, lurking in the shadows.
It wasn't just the constant feeling of being watched that shattered her sense of security. It was the knowing, the undeniable truth that Will would never leave her alone. No matter how many times she told him to go away, he never did. She could run, but he would always find her.
She started keeping herself confined to her apartment. Classes became less of a priority. Friends began to call, but she couldn't bring herself to answer the phone. How could she explain it to them? How could she make them understand that the man who had appeared out of nowhere had wormed his way into every part of her life? She didn't want to appear weak or paranoid, but it was hard to hold onto any sense of control.
Even the smallest details became triggers. The soft rustle of leaves outside her window, a shadow cast across the street, a fleeting glimpse of a figure out of the corner of her eye—all of it sent her into a state of panic. She'd jump at the sound of her phone ringing, her heart racing as she checked to see if it was Will, or worse, if it was someone who might know about him. She couldn't shake the feeling that everyone around her was in danger simply because they existed in her world.
But nothing had prepared her for the day that Will finally decided to make his move again.
It was a rainy afternoon when she stepped into her apartment building after a rare trip outside to pick up groceries. Her hands shook as she fumbled with the bags, the weight of exhaustion pressing down on her. She had barely stepped inside when she noticed something was off. The door to her apartment, which she had locked with multiple bolts earlier that morning, was slightly ajar.
Her stomach dropped. Her mind raced.
Will.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she stepped cautiously into the hallway. She should call the police. She should run—get out of the building, go to a friend's place, anything—but fear froze her in place. Every instinct screamed for her to turn and leave, but something kept her rooted to the spot, a paralyzing sense of dread holding her in place.
Then she heard it: a soft, almost inaudible sound coming from inside her apartment. A low, deliberate creak. The sound of someone moving, but carefully, cautiously, as if to avoid being detected.
May's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't think clearly—her mind was a whirlwind of panic. She wanted to scream, to run, but her legs felt like lead, heavy and unresponsive. Every part of her screamed for help, but the silence around her seemed to close in tighter with each passing second.
She inched closer to the door, holding her breath, trying to be as quiet as possible. She could hear him now—his breath, slow and steady, just on the other side. He was there. Inside her apartment. She wasn't alone.
With trembling hands, she turned the knob and pushed the door open, her heart threatening to burst out of her chest. The room was dim, only lit by the soft glow of the streetlights filtering through the window.
And there he was.
Will stood in the center of her living room, his back to her, a dark figure shrouded in the quiet gloom of the room. He was so calm, so collected. The same look was on his face, the same eerie, emotionless smile that sent a shiver down her spine.
"May," he said, his voice smooth, almost tender, as though nothing was wrong. "I knew you'd come back. I've been waiting for you."
The words hung in the air, almost unreal, as if time itself had stopped. She stood frozen at the doorway, the bags of groceries still clutched in her hands, her breath coming in shallow bursts.
"Get out," May managed to croak, her voice barely a whisper, trembling with terror.
Will didn't move. "Why?" he asked, his voice soft, almost playful. "I'm just here to talk, May. I told you—there's no reason to be afraid. I understand you. I always have."
Tears welled up in May's eyes, and she fought to hold them back. She felt trapped, cornered in a space that was supposed to be her sanctuary. She thought of her friends, her family, her life before this nightmare. How could it have come to this? How could she have let him in?
"Please, Will, please leave me alone," she begged, her voice cracking. She felt the panic rising, choking her, threatening to consume her entirely. "I can't take this anymore."
Will finally turned around, his expression unreadable, his eyes never leaving hers. "I'm not going anywhere, May. Not until you understand. You can't keep running from me. I'm always here, and I always will be."
He took a step toward her, slow and deliberate, but May backed away, her breath coming faster now, her body trembling. She couldn't let him get any closer.
"I said get out!" she shouted, her voice hoarse, her chest tight with fear and desperation. She couldn't stay silent any longer. This had to stop. She had to make him understand.
For the first time, there was a flicker of something—something like frustration—in Will's eyes. His smile faltered, just for a second, before it returned, colder than ever.
"You'll understand eventually," he said, his voice low and dangerous now. "You'll realize that I'm the only one who will ever be here for you. Everyone else will leave. But I'll never leave, May. I'll never leave."
With that, he stepped closer again, and something inside May snapped.
A surge of adrenaline coursed through her, and without thinking, she turned and ran. She sprinted past him, ignoring the bags of groceries she had dropped in her panic, ignoring everything else in the room. She didn't care. She just needed to get away.
She ran out of the apartment, down the hall, past the stairwell, and straight out the building door, into the pouring rain. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears, the thunder of her own footsteps the only sound in the world.
But even as she ran, she knew—it didn't matter how fast she ran. It didn't matter where she went.
Will was always going to be there.
And sooner or later, he would find her again.