Uninvited Guest

It was 5 p.m. on a Friday in May. This Friday felt better than ever since it was a beautiful day outside, and little traffic on the road. I was headed home from work, and as I turned up the radio and sang along to pass time on the way home, I had noticed a car that had followed me since I left work. I thought nothing of it at first, as the way home is a major route for a lot of people, but as I neared closer to my hometown it seemed this car was possibly following me for a reason, and this was no coincidence.

I tried to turn off my paranoid thoughts from the far too many crime documentaries I have watched and just drove along and thought nothing of it. As soon as I turned down my block, the car kept going straight, so I knew my paranoia had gotten the best of me and just shrugged it off. Relieved I was home, I pulled into the driveway, waved to the neighbors, then entered my house. It was time to change into comfy clothes, order a pizza, and relax. I checked the mail and waited for the pizza then within minutes heard the doorbell ring. I knew there was no way it could have been the pizza this quick and wasn’t expecting any visitors but went to the door in case it was a fluke and the pizza somehow was ready in under ten minutes. As I approached the door, I saw a middle-aged man dressed in worn-down clothing, and I had never seen him before. His hair was dark and greasy, about shoulder length. His clothes old school punk style, with torn black jeans, black doc martens, and a Ramones t-shirt. He has a devil tattoo on his right bicep and his eyes looked cold. They were hazel but had a reddish tint, just something very creepy about his overall appearance. This alone creeped me out because why was an unexpected visitor at my door that I had never seen before or expected? I proceed to open the door and I am greeted with a somewhat pleasant stranger that said he was lost and simply wanted to know how to get to the nearest gas station since he was running low. I made casual conversation and noticed he had plates from three states away. Nervously, I asked: “So what brings you to Chicago? I see you are from Nebraska?” With slight hesitation, the man, whose name is Lufer, replied: “Ohh, you noticed my plates, huh? Well, I might ask why a lady such as yourself is answering doors for strangers alone on a Friday night?” A little creeped out by that reply, I said, “Good point, I hope you enjoy your stay and find your destination, nice meeting you” and I slammed the door. I made sure all my doors were locked and watched his motions through the curtains as he walked away. Before he left my doorstep, I noticed he bent down as if he was leaving something for me, but obviously, I waited until he drove off before inspecting what he left at my door.

The creepiest thing about that visit was I noticed his car was very similar to the one I thought was following me home. The reason I say that is because the car following me wasn’t just any old car, it was a rusted white Oldsmobile, had to be at least 20 years old, and had a big skull decal on the hood. So, this wasn’t a common vehicle, and I noticed that the same car was the one this man parked in front of my house and drove off in. So perhaps my instincts were right, and I was being followed for nefarious reasons. I had no clue why I was singled out since I never saw this man or vehicle before tonight. Since he finally left, I cracked open the front door and noticed an unmarked package at my doorstep wrapped in brown paper. This seemed very suspicious to me, yet I picked it up and placed it on the table in my house. I just stared at it for a while with a billion thoughts running through my mind on why this man chose to follow me and leave a package at my door. While pondering a billion outcomes of this visit, the doorbell rang.

Given the recent events, I jumped out of my chair and my heart felt like it was pounding out of my chest. I proceeded to the door and was relieved when I noticed it was the delivery man with my pizza. “Here’s your pizza ma’am, and this picture was left outside, perhaps you dropped it?” said the pizza delivery man. “Hmm, yes I guess I dropped it, thank you” I proceeded to grab the pizza and photo and wished him a good weekend. This made my suspicions about the mysterious man even more uneasy. As I placed the pizza on the kitchen table, I looked at the photo left by my door. I immediately felt sick and disturbed at what I saw. It was a photo taken of me as a child at a park. I must have been around 10 years old, and I’m on a swing by myself.

So why, would this photo appear randomly after a suspicious package was just left by a stranger at my doorstep? At this point, nothing is making sense so I call my neighbor to come over and spend the night just so I had some peace of mind. I lived alone, so this whole encounter was creeping me out and at this point, I didn’t feel safe. That Park in the photo was right next to the woods, so it’s as if that picture was taken from the woods without my knowledge, which made everything that much more sinister.

My neighbor Becky knocks on my door, and I answer it with a sigh of relief. I explained the events of the last couple of hours to her and she agreed it was creepy: “So,” Becky said, “aren’t you going to open the package?” “Well yes, I guess I should, just a little creeped out so I’ve been just pondering on what to do,” I said. Becky exclaimed: “Open it!” So, I proceeded to unwrap the package to see if it would solve any of this mystery. I tear open the paper wrapping and notice it’s a plain, unmarked brown shipping box. I open the box, inching in fear of what is on the inside, and I am overwhelmed with fear. Inside the box were years of photographs of myself, each one of them at times I was alone in public, whether it be at the mall, or the park, or at the gym, each taken from afar. At this point, I am assuming we have a stalker situation on our hands, so I immediately phone the police and explain the whole situation, especially the strange visit which started this bizarre night.

I keep thinking over and over again in my head, how could someone stalk me for years and me not know it? Not once, did I ever notice something off when I was out alone, not one single time? It creeped me out that it was so easy to fool someone, and lord knows how many other people have had the same thing happen. So, even though this was a strange and scary situation I couldn’t let this control my life. To quell my fears, I had put out an ad for a roommate so I wouldn’t be alone. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to get help with the rent while also having a companion, so I wasn’t alone. One application stood out over the others. It was a single woman named Lilith moving here from out of town. She had just lost her husband to cancer and had no family or friends. Her story was quite sad, and I felt horrible for her situation and wanted to help. She wanted to move somewhere new to forget the sadness in her past and start a new life. I was intrigued by her story and seemed she would be a good fit since it seemed she was also looking for a reliable person to stay with. We talked over the phone, she seemed normal so we proceeded with the application, and she gave me a deposit and said she would be here the first of the month to move in.

It was the morning of move-in day, and I was eager and excited to meet Lilith. I had cleared out my extra bedroom and put a few coats of fresh paint so my new guest would have a fresh new place to call home. I was just putting the last finishing touches on the guest room when I heard the doorbell ring. Of course, I jumped, since the doorbell rarely brought good news these days, but remembered it was Lilith since it was about time she was due to arrive. My body was overwhelmed with a sense of calm and gratitude to find someone to keep me company, and possibly someone I can confide in as well so they can offer me some hope in my bizarre story. I run to the door, eager to find my new roommate, but I’m alarmed beyond words. As I peek through the curtains, I notice that rusty white Oldsmobile from a few weeks ago that started my paranoia. I thought to myself “this can’t possibly be Lufer” and proceeded to take a deep breath and open the door. As I open the door I see that same evil cold stare, rugged skin, and torn clothes….my fears had come true, it was Lufer. At this point, I realized he had found my ad, and tricked his way back into my life. This time I was fearful it was the end, this situation is too bizarre to not end badly, but luckily my recent paranoia had me prepared for the worst. I had a panic button installed next to my doorway and immediately pressed it. As Lufer proceeded to grab me and throw me to my floor, he didn’t know the cops were already notified. You see, I had planned for the worst and explained to the authorities if I ever use that button, they must be as swift and quiet as possible because I would be in immediate danger for that button to be pressed. So as Lufer closed my door behind him, my body frozen and lifeless on the ground I just kept praying and praying for the cops to arrive soon and for a miracle.

Moments later my door bursts open with four police officers now in my house, and two of them pinning Lufer to the ground.

Although I was relieved, I knew the worst was yet to come because he hadn’t hurt me, so I doubt he would be locked up, and would eventually come back. To my surprise, Lilith turned out to be real, and it was an unlucky coincidence she arrived minutes before Lufer. The cops discovered her body lying on my front lawn, strangled and stabbed to death by Lufer.

You see, Lufer had stalked her first, and she was moving away from him. She had no husband, it was Lufer she was running from. Come to find he was responsible for a string of unsolved murders where these girls were stalked for years, then are never heard from again.

Well, that day Lufer had gotten his last victim. To this day he is rotting in prison on death row, and although his motives were never understood, at least I can rest easy now knowing he is done and will never hurt me or another woman again.