A month. That’s how long you’ve felt on edge. It came out of nowhere and you couldn’t figure out what it was. It was almost like you were being… watched? Except it was constant.

Every second of every day, you feel an invisible gaze boring into you, yet you can never find the source. Ever.

You feel like you’re going insane. You’ve told your friends about it and they’ve all blamed it on lack of sleep or you just being paranoid. But you knew it was more than that—you were being stalked.

It was the only explanation. It was too consistent and insistent to be just “your mind playing tricks on you”. So, before you go out to the convenience store to get a few things, you set up a hidden camera in your back pocket. It was barely noticeable. You got it off amazon a few days ago.

It was around 11 pm at this point. You have pepper spray on you just in case as you make your way outside and towards the store.

As your walking, sure enough, the feeling returns, more intense than ever. You’ve rarely walked alone since feeling this constant sensation, so you felt even more on edge now. But you keep going. You get to the store, grab the things you want/need, and get back to your apartment. Once home, you lock the door as always, and immediately review the footage to see if it caught anything.

Around halfway to the store, you notice a bit of a blur dash across the street. Confused, thinking maybe it was some sort of bug causing it, you go back and go frame by frame—and your stomach instantly sinks.

It was a human—no—a humanoid.

No human could move that fast.

You keep watching despite now being terrified. As you briefly pass through a little park-like area, a figure can be seen peeking out behind the trees—their eyes a ruby red.

“..w-what the fuck…” you mutter to yourself, your voice shaking from a mix of fear and utter confusion/disbelief.

You go to your computer and search up,

’What is a fast humanoid that has red eyes?’

Unsure if anything will pop up, you click search.

A few articles and pages pop up, all having one concept in common—Vampires.

Vampires? But… those were only old tales… they didn’t actually exist…

Right?

…

You click on one article in particular, with the title ‘Being stalked by a vampire?’

“…god, this is so stupid…” you murmur, before beginning to read.

You quickly scan it, but one specific excerpt catches your eye—

’Can’t tell if it’s a person or something more sinister? Here’s how to tell the difference.’

’1. -You have a constant sense of uneasiness, even in your own home.- This is common in vampire stalkings, due to their unwavering gaze. Once they have a target locked, they never let it out of their sight.

’2. -They move at inhuman speeds.- Ever seen or caught what looks to be a quick blur passing your vision? That’s a tell-tale sign you’re dealing with a vampire rather than a human. Like what was said—you stay in their line of vision at all times.’

’3. -They have an abnormal eye color.- Though it’s extremely rare, if you manage to see the figure and they have an unusually brighter hue of the iris, such as yellow or red, that’s a giveaway.’

’If you’ve noticed all three of these things, it is 100% a vampire you’re dealing with. Whatever you do, do not confront them! The best way to get rid of them is to have salt on you at all times. The vampire’s heightened sense of smell will be used against it, and they usually stop.’

With a stressed sigh, you close your laptop.

“Salt, huh..?”

You think for a moment, before you decide—you’re going to confront the vampire, with concealed salt in your pocket of course, in case things go wrong.

You step outside your apartment, your uneasiness accentuated.

“I know you’re watching me, and I know what you are!” you call out, standing in the middle of the barren street.

“Why are you watching me!?”

Suddenly, some leaves crunch behind you and you turn to see an ominous figure staring back at you from near a tree, the same red eyes from before piercing your very being.