the targerted

THE RANGE ROVER

I had just left work in downtown Los Angeles. It was past 11pm. The city was still alive, but my street, Los Feliz, was quiet, so I took an Uber to the main road, then decided to walk the last two blocks. Just me, a few late-night cars and cold wind from the alley. I know I shouldn't have taken that shortcut. The dark alley between Beverly and my apartment—the one with broken streetlights. I branched into it. I mean I'm not supposed to be taking shortcuts or even walking alone by this time of the night, but god, I'm so tired and need to get home. My heels clicking fast. I tried to get home as fast as possible, but that's when I saw it in the reflection of a*****e window. A black Range Rover, it was matte black, no plates, headlights plates off, but the engine on:my heart skipped. "Maybe it's nothing," I thought. "Maybe it had lost way" or maybe looking for someone. I thought again, but I asked myself by this time of the night? Oh. Well, but I have to be for sure I'm not being followed. I had to test the car, so I stopped, and the Range Rover stopped, then I turned left instead of right. The car turned left too. I crossed the street and the car crossed too.it was following me. I don't know why for sure, but right now I know I'm being followed by people or someone and I had to run.

My breath got fast, and I pulled my bag tight and started walking faster, then almost running. The car didn't speed up, it didn't need to it just kept gliding behind me, silent, patient, like it knew exactly where I lived. I burst out of the alley and sprinted to my apartment building, fumbled with the keys, dropped them, picked them up with shacking hands, and slammed the door behind me.

Inside, I locked everything;doors double locked, windows locked, curtains pulled shut so tight not even a ray of light could pass through. I was breathing hard, forehead against the door.then I heard the low rumble of an engine stopping right at my doorstep. I tiptoed to the window just enough to peek through the edge of the curtain. The black Range Rover was over there, packed directly in front of my house. The engine running, tinted windows so dark I couldn't see inside. No one got out of it, just sat there watching. I watched from behind my curtain, barely breathing.the windows were tinted so dark I couldn't see a single person inside.

No passenger.just black glass. Nobody came out.for almost ten minutes, it just idled in front of my house. The low hum of the engine was the only sound on the whole street.then finally, the brake lights flashed, and it pulled away slowly like it wasn't in a hurry. I collapsed onto the floor, my whole body trembling.its over," I whispered to myself, it's over." And I breathed a sign of relief, closed back the curtain, double-checked the front door and went to the bathroom to splash water on my face. I needed to sleep. It had been a long day and I needed to sleep so badly. I said to myself as I turned on my small desk lamp on my study table. Well, I know I said I needed to sleep, but I just have to check some basic work stuff on my laptop before tomorrow or else Mr Cold will kill me. Today is my first day at work, and it has been the worst day ever. I mean how can your day get any worse? My boss made it hell for me. At work, FYI, my first day at work, and on my way back home I got stalked. I finished reviewing some files, then turned off my lamp to go to bed. When my phone buzzed, I jumped out of fright before looking at it. Its light was lidded up, so I picked it up and, to my surprise, the sender was an unknown sender. It read: You look good in red

Did you get the rose? Check your table. And my blood ran cold.

What.... What rose I whispered to the empty room. I looked around. My apartment door was locked. I always locked it twice. My windows were closed. Slowly my eyes dropped to my study table. There was something that wasn't there before. Or, I asked myself? A dark red rose. Placed like someone had put it there. My hands started to shake. I had not seen it when I came in. I didn't want to touch it.

Every part of me screamed not to touch it. I was so freaked out, but soon I gathered my courage, picked it up, kept it in the dumpster and went to bed.