He kept on saying something wasn’t right. He was convinced he was being watched, followed. It made me laugh at first, he could be paranoid at times.

He never told me who he thought was following him, he wasn’t really one for talking. That was probably a hint that there was something wrong, looking back. He was worried enough to bring these experiences up and I just brushed it away. Now he’s gone.

I only saw him last week and he seemed fine. We were talking about our plans for the weekend. He was going cycling, he loves cycling. Apparently he never met his friends, but they thought he was maybe just a bit hungover. Friday night was pub night after work and he’d had quite a lot apparently.

I only found out this morning, he hasn’t been at work for a few days. He lives by himself, our parents are gone now. He’s single, or at least I assume he is. He never mentioned anyone. I was his emergency contact at work so they called to see if I knew what was wrong.

I don’t know, was something wrong? He was fine when I saw him. But why didn’t he go cycling. Why didn’t he go to work?

The first time he told me he thought someone was following him, I laughed. Why would someone follow you, I asked him. He looked uncomfortable then, shrugged his shoulders. He wasn’t sure, maybe to see where he lived, so they could steal his bike. I told him he was being paranoid. He’s had bikes stolen before, but he’s moved house now, a much nicer area. Any way the bike was still there the next day, so I forgot about it until this morning and I started thinking about things again.

He didn’t say anything again for a while about it. A few months passed at least. But it must have still be happening, he just didn’t want to bring it up again. I shouldn’t have laughed. But I thought it was funny, at the time.

When he next mentioned it, he said he sometimes got this weird sensation when he was walking back at night, like someone was following him. He wasn’t afraid he said, but he’d pretend he was lost, take out his phone, like he’d got a text and the turn the opposite direction. I laughed again at this, said it’s sounded like a spy movie or something. He’s always been a bit anxious, but this was getting silly now, wasn’t it?

That happened a few times apparently. Next time, he called me early in the morning, he sounded weird and he never called normally, not without sending a text to check it was a good time. He said a car alarm woke him in the night, he looked out the window to see where it was coming from, but there was someone standing down the road a bit. Not right in front of his house, but a few houses down. He said this person, was watching him, he knew it. How did he know, I asked? It was dark wasn’t it, they could have been looking at anyone. It was a bit weird to be doing that, sure, but what made you think they were looking at you. Paranoid, i told him again. You’re being paranoid.

But maybe he wasn’t after all. I suppose you wouldn’t stand directly outside the person you were watching’s house, probably a bit obvious. Apparently he jumped back from the window, ducked out of view. He said he did some breathing exercises to calm down and when he looked out the window again, this person was gone.

I tried to be understanding, but wanted to get him to think rationally. I asked if he’d had a drink, said it could have been a really intense dream, nightmare I guess. He could have been sleepwalking, it wouldn’t be the first time. This annoyed him. He said he knew the difference between a fucking nightmare and reality. It was real, he said. It was the person who’d been following him.

This again. I’d almost forgotten, it was just so ludicrous. I asked him how he was so sure, it was dark after all. He said he recognised them, they way they stood, what they were wearing, he could just tell.

My brothers gone now. I keep thinking, I should have listened properly, helped him, let him stay here with me, safe. But it’s too late.