I was leaving the music store in the plaza near my home. I had about a ten to fifteen minute walk ahead of me. I was wearing my usual mini skirt, fishnet stockings, and tight fit shirt. A look that I loved, but definitely had a tendency to attract the wrong type of attention. While I was in the store, this very creepy guy from the neighborhood was also there. Marc was his name, and while I walked around, he pretended to be looking at records, but it was pretty clear he was following me. Music played loudly in the background, as I continued walking through the store. He always creeped me out, and I just wanted to get away from him, I thought that if I lingered long enough, he’d eventually leave. At first I tried making conversation with the owner of the store, in hopes that eventually Marc would get bored of waiting around. Instead he just tried interjecting on the conversation, and despite clear looks of disapproval, he was unphased. I went back to browsing the store, haggling with the owner, for a record I’d had my eye on. He wouldn’t budge though, so I had to leave it behind. Marc was still standing close, and with daylight starting to fade, I realized I had to leave the store and start my walk home. I said good bye to the store owner, and headed out, hoping that Marc would stay behind. He did remain inside for a minute, but eventually he was coming up behind me, the record I had been looking at in his hand. He called to me, trying to get me to slow down, telling me I could have the record if I waited for him. I started walking faster, but he stayed behind me, continuing to talk to me as I continued down the street. I was hot and tired, but I was not about to break my stride, I just had a bad feeling about him. I continued picking up my pace, he was pretty far behind me, but just kept walking and talking. My house was up a pretty steep hill, fortunately, I did a lot of walking, so getting up and down it was not hard for me. It did prove to be a challenge for Marc though, thankfully, so I was able to get up the hill and into my house before he got any closer to me. I watched out the window as he lingered outside for almost an hour, then he finally walked away.

A few weeks later my friends, James and Mike and I were waiting for another friend of ours, Matt, to get off work. We were going to walk across the plaza to meet up with Matt’s girlfriend as soon as his shift was over. Marc worked with Matt, and was supposed to be there to relive him. Time kept going by and Marc had not shown up for work, leaving Matt stuck on shift. We assumed that Robin would just make her way to us when she got off, this was before cell phones, so there was no way to let her know what was going on. Matt had run late before though, and she always showed up to wait with us. This time though, there was no sight of her. We didn’t think too much of it, Robin also got caught up at work from time to time. Guess it was just one of those days for everyone. After two hours of waiting, Marc did show up to work. He was covered in scratches and dirt, mumbling about leaving the country. He walked over to James, Mike, and me and very coldly told us that if we were waiting for Robin, she would not be coming because she was dead. Then he walked away, shaking and still talking to himself. We all just looked at each other, not really sure what to make of what had just happened. Marc was such a strange person, and no one ever put much stock in anything he said. James yelled something to him, but Marc just kept walking. Matt came outside, finally able to leave work, since Marc had showed up. He asked what Marc’s problem was, and we told him about the weird statement he had made. Matt got nervous, and we all started our way across the lot to where Robin worked, assuring Matt that she was fine, and Marc was just nuts.

We got to Robin’s job a few minutes later, her car was parked outside but there was no sign of her anywhere. We asked her coworkers, but they all told us that she had left hours earlier. We all were starting to worry now, Marc’s words echoing in our minds. We never saw Robin again. We all became people of interest in her case, everyone knowing that we always met up at the end of her shift. We quickly cleared each others names, soon becoming prime witnesses, as much as anyone could have witnessed anyway. We spoke with police, psychics, anyone and everyone that might have been able to help. We told everyone our story about Marc and the weird things he had said that day. It didn’t seem like anyone wanted to listen though. No matter what we said, they never questioned him.

Matt eventually committed suicide, never really able to get past Robin’s death. Thirty years have passed and no trace of Robin has ever been found. There have been some hopeful moments, where at least her family might be able to find some peace and lay her to rest, but nothing ever panned out. Marc still walks the streets, living as normal a life as someone like him could live. No repercussions from any part he may have taken in her disappearance.

I think back to that day a lot, and further back to the day Marc followed me home. I started walking a lot less after that. Always making sure that if I was going anywhere, that I had someone with me. I often wonder if I had stopped to talk to him that day, or simply walked a little slower, could it have been me who disappeared?