Being Followed
The distance between him and the car allowed him to recognize that he was being followed while also preventing it from becoming an immediate threat. The car, at last, approached him while still moving.
He answers all of his inquiries while being paralyzed with terror. Then he tells him to get in the car. Duncan swallows, smiles forcibly, and follows instructions to the letter.
Walking Home
Michael Duncan was traveling on foot after leaving work. From Vallejo, where he resided, to Benecia required a perilous 7-mile trip via dark alleys that typically took him 2.15 hours to complete.
He had been doing that for a few days at this point, so it wasn't the first time. It would, however, be different this time around.
He Needed Help
A walk to work wasn't always necessary for Duncan. Prior to its breakdown and inability to be repaired, he had a car. He was now in the hands of the gloomy mornings and nights.
He depended on friends and relatives for rides to work for a while. But finally, that had to stop.
He Made A Choice
Duncan came to the conclusion after a few weeks that he needed to stop depending on people to get to work. He still lacked the cash to maintain his car, but he also didn't want to put any additional financial strain on others.
He decided accordingly. For now, until he managed to earn enough cash for his car, he would walk every day to work.
He Didn't Want To Be A Burden
Duncan understood that things at home were already difficult enough. Since his car's breakdown, it had been two to three weeks. He was constantly plagued by guilt whenever he requested his mother or brother to drive him to work.
He didn't want to cause them any more stress after everything they had been through the previous year.
Problems
The period was particularly trying on Michael's family. Fortunately, their financial situation wasn't dire, but they did have other issues.
Three incomes went into the household income because Michael's mother and brother all had full-time jobs in addition to the part-time job he had just started. They didn't see each other too often because they worked different shifts. There was, however, more.
Problem Child
Curtis, Michael's younger brother, had spent only a few months before being incarcerated in a juvenile correctional facility. Michael, to be fair, could see it coming.
But despite the fact that he, his mother, and his older brother did their best to prevent it, Curtis was stubborn and kept interacting with the wrong people. How about their father, though?
Where Was His Father?
Their father had also served time in prison. They still occasionally went to see him, and Michael's mother wasn't dating anybody else.
But they all harbored a grudge against him in some way. Nothing more nor less, but just his own careless and self-centered actions had put him in jail. He wouldn't be released for at least another 12 years.
Lessening Their Load
In light of the fact that Michael's mother and brother already had a lot on their plates, he chose to travel alone to work, even if it meant walking until his car could be restored.
After all, he had chosen that career to assist his family at home, not to cause them further stress. He didn't expect to encounter a problem, though.
He Was Used To It
If only he were aware of all the risks he was exposing himself to. Those roads might be hazardous, but he was unaware of that. They were frequently left alone; if something were to happen to him, perhaps no one would discover it until it was too late.
Nevertheless, he grew accustomed to rising before dawn and returning home in the pitch black.
Brave Young Man
Duncan was a brave young man but that didn’t mean that he didn’t get scared. He often got a fright on his walk home when he’d hear a noise coming out of the darkness. Luckily, nothing ever happened, just possums and squirrels and rats having a good time.
But this time would be different. Duncan was about to stumble into a terrifying encounter.
Paranoia
With only one more hour to go, he began to daydream about his bed. He was exhausted after a long day at work, and the walk sure didn’t help.
He let out a big yawn and stretched his arms up towards the sky. That’s when he noticed his shadow. He moved further away from the road, expecting a car to pass, but something was wrong.
Feeling Stalked
His shadow hung around and remained the same size. Confused, he looked behind him. Out of the darkness and in the distance, he saw the dazzling headlights of a car. It seemed like it wasn’t moving.
What was going on there? Michael squinted his eyes to get a glimpse of the driver behind the windshield; but he couldn’t see anything.
Was There A Problem?
For a minute, as he stood there, Duncan thought about walking toward the car and approaching the driver. Could they be having a problem?
Immediately, he realized that he was better off minding his business. For all he knew, it could be a set-up attempt. So he turned back and kept walking. But he realized something.
They Were Following Him
The car had begun moving. It was keeping up with Duncan, just far enough behind to not be an instant threat and close enough to make him realize that whoever was on the wheel was following him.
Right then and there, a scary possibility crossed his mind: was he being stalked? But why, and by whom?
Just His Imagination?
Maybe he was just imagining things, he told himself. Duncan had never been propense to paranoid thoughts or fearing unlikely scenarios, but this time was different.
He was all alone in the middle of the road at night, miles away from home, and there was one car following him. Anyone would be afraid in that situation; and Duncan, in particular, had good reasons for it.
He Kept Walking
He decided to keep walking and not look back. Maybe they were waiting for him to stop so they could jump on him more easily.
With his heart galloping, he kept hearing the low and menacing roar of the engine while the car kept moving slowly behind him. He thought about running or screaming for help; but quickly, he realized something.
Empty Road
The road was completely empty; no one would hear him scream. And no matter how fast he ran, the car would reach him if the driver was really going after him.
There wasn’t much he could do to get out of the situation, which felt like an absolute nightmare he couldn’t wake up from. Duncan decided there was only one thing he could do.
Voice From Darkness
He turned around and quickened his pace. His shadow grew bigger as the darkness gave way to the headlights. The car slowly pulled up beside him.
He acted like he didn’t see it but then he heard a voice shout from the car. His heart pounded as he looked at the man, and then he froze.
Cherries And Berries
It was the cops. Duncan’s mind got racing and he felt drops of sweat going down his forehead as the officer ordered him to stop walking and began asking him questions.
Did he think he had done something wrong? He surely looked suspicious walking on this empty road in the dead of night. And, of course there was another possibility.
What If…?
Could this be related to his little brother or his father somehow? Duncan began feeling really anxious. But how could the cops recognize him? Had they been investigating and surveilling him?
The thought alone formed a pit in Duncan’s stomach. What could his brother and his dad have told the police? How could they be able to do something like that?
Questions
The police officer asked about his name, address and what he was up to. Duncan replied and then asked if there was something wrong, but he got no response.
After he answered his questions, the officer asked him to get in the car. His face is stern, his hand resting comfortably on his weapon. Duncan gulped and did what he was told.
Nerve-Wrecking Drive
The officer offered to drop him home. He was so nervous that he couldn't refuse. The officer could have told him to do anything and he would have done it.
So desperate to prove to the officer that he was a friendly, normal guy, he began speaking non-stop. He let the officer know things perhaps he shouldn’t have even mentioned.
Information
By the time he got home, the cop knew everything about him, his friends, where he lives, works. This cop had all his information.
Immediately, Duncan realized that maybe he had talked too much for his own good. But the officer didn’t seem to have any ulterior motives; he just dropped him by his mom’s house and let him go.
Self Reflection
The next day, Duncan set out on his long journey to work again. He thought about his encounter last night and laughed at himself for being so scared.
“How ridiculous”, he thought, “I’ve been watching too many movies”. Duncan concluded that the strange encounter was just a cop being friendly, but there was much, much more to this story.
Officers Await
When he finally arrived at work, he was there waiting for him. He stood with his hand on his hip, resting on his weapon, feet planted firmly on the ground. His gaze fixated on Duncan.
Confused at this unwelcoming sight, Duncan’s heart raced. Why is he here? Was he there for Duncan? He didn’t even do anything wrong. Duncan held his chin high and walked towards him.
Awe And Admiration
The police officer, Kirk Keffer had listened to Duncan’s story that night and his reason for walking alone in the darkness. He knew he had to do something to help.
“His drive. His work ethic. To me, that speaks volumes.” Keffer said, “Not that many 18-year-olds you meet have that kind of mindset. They don’t even want to walk down to the store, let alone walk 7 miles just to get to work.”
Shock
Duncan had told Keffer that he had just graduated high school and really wanted to become a police officer after going to college so they exchanged numbers. Duncan thought he’d never hear from him again, but Keffer had other plans.
He showed up at Duncan’s work and pulled out a brand new bike from the back of his car. But that’s not all.
The Gifts Keep Coming!
He also spread the word about Duncan’s dedication and started a GoFundMe page for him to go to college. They ended up raising $40,000 for him.
Duncan couldn’t believe this police officer did all this for him. He was in total shock. He never expected his actions would be recognized by a cop, let alone rewarded!
A Lasting Friendship!
Keffer and Duncan developed a solid friendship from then on and often kept in contact as Keffer checks in on how he’s doing - and how he’s spending his money!
Staying true to his word and ambition, Duncan spent $2,500 on a new car for his commute to work and put the rest towards college. A worthy gofundme recipient!
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.