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The Stalker’s Shadow
An unreleased short story from the book:
Love Me to Death: Disturbing Tales of Online Dating Gone Horribly Wrong
It began like any other day. Claire swiped through the dating app, half-heartedly scrolling past faces that didn’t quite catch her interest. Her thumb hovered over another profile when a new match appeared. His name was Ethan. His smile was warm, inviting. He was tall, with dark eyes that seemed to promise some kind of understanding, like he saw through the façade everyone wore.
He messaged first. “Hey, Claire. You look like someone who knows what they want. What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?”
Claire smiled. It was a simple question, but the fact that he seemed genuinely interested made her feel seen. It had been a while since she’d felt that way. The last year had been a blur of dates that never went anywhere, conversations that fizzled before they could catch fire. But with Ethan, it felt different.
They talked every day, their messages getting longer, more personal. He knew just enough about her to keep her engaged, and Claire found herself eagerly anticipating his responses. By the time they met in person, she was already drawn to him. He had a way of making everything feel like it was meant to be.
Their first date was at a cozy café. Ethan was charming, attentive. They laughed, shared stories, and Claire felt a connection she hadn’t experienced in months. As they parted ways that evening, he gave her a soft kiss on the cheek and promised to call her soon.
She smiled the whole way home, replaying the moments in her head. She couldn’t wait to see him again. But the next morning, something happened that made her pause.
She woke up to a text from Ethan. It was casual, just a simple “Good morning,” but there was something unnervingly precise about it.
“I hope you slept well last night. I remember you mentioning that you had a long day at work yesterday. Did you manage to get some rest?”
Claire froze. She had never mentioned work to him. Not once. She had never talked about how tired she was or anything remotely related to her job.
Her thumb hovered over her phone, and she stared at the screen, trying to rationalize it. Maybe she had mentioned it in passing. Maybe he was just good at picking up on small details.
But the feeling of unease didn’t go away.
The next few weeks were a whirlwind. They met several times—dinners, drinks, walks through the park. Ethan was always attentive, always present. But the more Claire saw him, the more the sense of discomfort began to creep into her thoughts. Little things. Small details that she brushed off at first but eventually began to weigh on her.
One night, after a date at a local restaurant, Ethan offered to walk her home. As they strolled down the street, he casually mentioned, “I saw that your sister’s birthday was coming up. You always post about her on Facebook. I bet she’s excited to see you this weekend, huh?”
Claire stopped dead in her tracks. “How do you know about that?”
Ethan’s smile never faltered. “Oh, you mentioned it a while ago. When we first started talking.”
But that wasn’t true. She had never mentioned her sister’s birthday to him. The only place she had posted about it was on Facebook, but she didn’t share her posts publicly. The only people who could see it were her friends—people she trusted.
The unease in her gut grew, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she laughed it off. “I must have mentioned it somewhere. I forget sometimes. I’m a little absent-minded.”
But deep down, she knew something was wrong. How had he known? Why had he been paying so much attention?
Over the next few days, Claire began noticing more and more signs that Ethan knew things about her that he shouldn’t. He knew about the book she had been reading, the restaurant she loved to visit on Sundays, the exact way she liked her coffee. It wasn’t just small talk anymore—it was as if he had been watching her, learning her habits, studying her every move.
One night, Claire decided to test him. She mentioned something she had never told him about—something insignificant, like the fact that she preferred to sleep with the window open, even in winter.
The next day, Ethan casually texted her, “I was thinking about you last night, and I remembered you saying that you like the window open when you sleep. Must’ve been chilly last night with the wind.”
Claire’s heart dropped. He had been paying attention, watching, listening to her in ways that were far beyond normal. How could he possibly have known that?
This time, she couldn’t deny it. Ethan had been watching her. But how? Was he following her? Was he at the café when she was with her friends? Did he somehow know her schedule?
That night, she stayed up late, scrolling through her social media profiles, trying to figure out if there was any way he could have pieced together all these details. But the more she searched, the more she realized there was no way for him to know so much. She had been careful, keeping things private, only sharing things with close friends. She had never even given Ethan her full address.
The next day, she decided to confront him. She texted him, asking to meet for coffee. She needed answers.
When they met, Ethan was unusually quiet, his eyes darkened with something she couldn’t place. As she sat across from him at the small café, she felt a cold chill run down her spine. She took a deep breath, steadying herself before speaking.
“Ethan, I need to know how you know so much about me. You’ve been saying things that only people close to me would know. And it’s… it’s starting to freak me out. I don’t want to accuse you of anything, but I need an explanation.”
His lips curled into a slow, knowing smile. But it wasn’t the smile of someone who was taken by surprise—it was something darker. “You’ve been paying attention too, haven’t you?” he said, his voice calm, almost too calm. “You’ve noticed the little things. I’m impressed.”
Claire’s blood ran cold. “What are you talking about?”
“You’ve seen me, Claire. I’ve seen you too. I’ve watched you for years. Every date you’ve gone on. Every coffee shop you’ve visited. Every moment you’ve shared online.”
The words hit her like a slap to the face. Her vision blurred as she tried to grasp the magnitude of what he was saying. He had been watching her for years?
“I’ve been following you, Claire. Not just since we met, but long before that. I’ve been watching you when you didn’t know. When you thought you were alone.”
The realization sank in, and Claire’s pulse began to race. The shock of it left her breathless. She felt like she was drowning. She hadn’t been dating Ethan. She had been a subject in his twisted game.
His smile widened. “Every step you take, every move you make… I’ve been there. I’ve been waiting.”
Her hands trembled as she pushed back her chair, ready to flee. But before she could stand, Ethan’s hand shot out, gripping her wrist with an unnatural strength. His eyes locked onto hers, his voice a low whisper.
“You’re not leaving, Claire. You never have been. I know where you go, who you talk to, who you trust. And I’ll make sure you never escape.”
Her heart pounded in her chest, and as she tried to break free, the room seemed to close in on her, the walls pressing inward. Every escape route had been cut off, every hope extinguished.
The man who had once seemed like her perfect match had been her stalker all along. And now, there was no way out.
If you enjoyed this short story you will probably like our latest release available now:
Love Me to Death: Disturbing Tales of Online Dating Gone Horribly Wrong
Original price was: $5.99.$3.99Current price is: $3.99.
“Love Me to Death” dives deeply into the chilling abyss of online dating, where hope and romance quickly devolve into horror, manipulation, and death.
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