CASE 01
Mars
We found a human footprint in Martian dust three kilometers from the lander.
It was fresh and pointed toward us.
FEAR FILE · 11 CASES
Pursuit Fear
Fear of being followed, hunted or approached.
CASE 02
The Ashes
I scattered my wife’s ashes in the garden exactly as she requested.
Every morning since, there have been gray footprints leading back into the house.
CASE 03
Recalculating
My GPS kept rerouting me onto a road that did not exist on the map.
When I ignored it, the voice stopped giving directions and said, “He can see you now.”
CASE 04
The Whistle
My grandfather taught me never to whistle in the woods after dark because something might answer.
Tonight I heard my own whistle coming closer through the trees.
CASE 05
Low Tide
At low tide I found a line of barefoot tracks leading from the ocean to my beach house.
The tracks stopped beside my bed.
CASE 06
Trail Marker
Every trail marker in the forest suddenly pointed back the way I had come.
The footprints behind me were not mine.
CASE 07
Initials
I carved my initials into a tree so I could find the trail back before dark.
An hour later every tree in the forest had the same initials.
CASE 08
Fire Tower
From the fire tower I saw someone moving through the trees below with my flashlight.
Mine was still in my hand.
CASE 09
Security Still
The detective showed me a security still of the person who had been following me.
The timestamp was tonight, and the picture was taken from my bedroom.
CASE 10
Red Nose
A car followed me home with a red clown nose hanging from the rearview mirror.
When I parked in my locked garage, the same nose was hanging from mine.
CASE 11
Balloon
A red balloon appeared tied to my mailbox every morning for a week.
On the eighth day it was tied to my bedroom doorknob.