Every time I remember the instance, I get frightened all over again. The whole thing is quite unreal. Any other possibility other than what occurred of course is impossible for my to imagine in any form. But like all ghosts, here is a story I feel I should write down, just to get rid of it , to send it out of my body once and for all. For each time I think of it, is like a travel trough time, the colours and light change around me, freeze for some instants and bam there I am again, heart racing like that of a hunted deer.
Night had fallen. It was winter and the darkness immersed London early. It was not late however, somewhere around 8pm, the train was full of people going elsewhere from work, and as it stopped, I made my way out of nothing Hill station, just a droplet of a huge wave, a mass of people gushing out of the tube, over the steps and onto the street. The mass of people quickly spread out of the station in all directions, and within minutes what was a crowd, dissapered into whisps.
I took the first street south of the station, close to the heart of nothing hill , and made my way down the street, set out to hunt down Danae's address. It was coming up to Christmass, mist, and cold breath where in the air, I was invited to a pre holliday dinner, to see my friend off, before as most of us, we made off for our christmasses to somewhere abroad.
At notthing hill station I noticed a man, probabley because he was tall. Slightley down the street I saw him again, on the other side of the road, making his way down the same street as I full of closed shops seling lamps. Than I took a turning left, into a residential street, not beocouse I knew the way, but becosue I felt my friend would be living in one of those signature nothing hill homes. As I did, the man, the tall man also took the same street.
How did I notice him? The height, the long coat, the black hair, tidy, on white mans head, somehow registred in my periphery vision. I felt a little worried going further into the street for it was very quiet, and very dark, it seemed to be a one way street. But the presence of that man behind me made me doo further. To edge away from him.
I sped up my walk, but 10 meters behind so did the man. I barley could belive that my paranoia was reasonable. So I tested it.
Cars where parked along the road, and just to see wether he would follow, I moved in and out of the cars, left to right, illogicaly, snaking between them, but so did he. It was a tom and jerry chase. My heart began to thunder in my chest. All around me was stillness. Darkness. Not a person in sight, I was already half way down the long street, and the end of the one way street appeared to offer only total darkness. This man, this tall man in black was speeding up his walk, and following me. I felt such dread in my body as I had never before. Fear for my life.
As he apporached, I ran for the other side of the street, towards the last houses which had light in their garden. He ran after me and we made it to the garden gate of the lit house at the same time.
Some revolt, a concoction of fear and self defence, made me turn towards him instead of run away. He , shocked by my unexpected move stopped. He towered over me frozen in momentary shock that I dared to face him. I screamed at him, as ferouciously as I could " Why are you following me"?
for a second the man seemed lost for words, as If he was trying to think up an answer. Taking advantage of that instant, I broke trough the garden gate of the lit up house. Rang the door bell several times.
A gentle face opened. Behind him the house smelt of Chrtismass and calm. My appreance made the homewoner look worried. As if he is thinking of shuting the door. As calmley as I could I spoke " please help me. There is a man behind me who is following me. He has followed me from the station."
"Where is he", asked the gentleman. I turned around. There was no one behind me. No one outside the gate. The man in the black coat had slipped away.
"Come in the man asked."
He and his lady friend bade me sit down, and we waited for my friend and her boyfriend to come pick me up.
Before I left, the home owner who opened the door, not knowing who I am or what I would do, said- "There have been some murders in noting hill in the last year. All girls."
