DEAD OF NIGHT 2

I work for a catering service which means I am on the road a lot usually.

Late at night, I spend most of my time lugging stuff from place to place in this massive truck the company makes me drive.

It's not the worst job in the world, but the hours sucks and it's not at all what I thought I had be doing with my life.

By the time I get home, I'm either so wired from caffeine that I can't sleep all I pass out.The second I hit the bed and stay that way for 12 hours.

I was driving back home one night like at 2 AM, it was nice to be driving my own car again as I was approaching my house, I realised I had probably had one too many red bulls and there was no way I had be able to sleep; on top of that, I hadn't eaten an hours and I was starving.

There is a McDonald's right of the highway, about 10 minutes from my house. It's usually my first choice when it comes to late night snacks. Since it's just so convenient, I am not even one to charge myself on fast food just occasionally get this weird craving that only a handful of fries can satisfy.

It's obviously 24/7, and I figured some comfort food would be the perfect thing to help me when down.

I don't remember exactly what time it was, but it was definitely after 2. By the time I pulled into the drive-thru, there were a few cars ahead of me, which I was actually kind of surprised by it's not like this McDonald's was a busy spot at 2 AM on a Tuesday.

As I was sitting there impatiently, I found myself staring off into space, wondering what was taking so long. That's when I noticed something strange; there was an old beat up Volkswagen, with its window tinted backed into a spot in the very corner of the parking lot.

The McDonald's itself was only accepting, drive-thru orders at this time. So it didn't make sense why there'd be a car in the lodge.

There were reserved spots on the other side for employees, so it couldn't be in one of them, I figured it was maybe just someone eating in their car, which is probably was I myself, did that from time to time, so I guess I couldn't judge.

It was just an odd site to be completely honest, I got my snacks and started driving away. I don't want to go home just yet. I also don't want to just sit there, idling my car again, racking my brain, trying to think of a good place to scoff down the food.

I live in a pretty lush area. So there is honestly lot of options, but I don't want to beat around the bush too much.

Considering how late it was; there is a massive Nature Preserve, literally down the street from my house. It's situated on a mountain and is essentially just an enormous forest.

The kicker is that, there is a scenic Lookout Point at the peak with a view of the city, there is a road that loops around the perimeter of the reserve and to the peak, which is nice during the day.

After the preserve closes; through the road, is inaccessible to cars but still a convenient path to get to the peak without having to walk through any woods, I used to go there with my friends from high school all the time, it was kind of a default spot.

When we wanted to go outside, we had hang out here...talk, smoke or just appreciate the view. I actually hadn't been there in a while because I was just so busy working all the time. So, I figured going there would deliver a much needed nostalgia rush.

When I go to the preserve parking area, it was completely empty. I say parking area because it wasn't a traditional parking lot with spaces for cars, but rather a big patch of gravel that veered off from one of the roads that ran past the reserve's border like I said, the actual preserve was closed meaning.

I have to walk all the way up to the lookout spot from outside before I could even turn off the engine I saw had left.

Pulling into the lot that was unsettling enough on its own. Who else would be there at 2 AM then I realised what I was looking at, it was the same Volkswagen from the McDonald's parking lot, I was 100% certain of it.

I parked a little ways away and the engine cut off. I felt the eerie fear to pour in what were the odds of that happening.

Naturally had they followed me, my window was partially rolled down and as far as I could tell there was no music coming from the car or at least none that I could hear often, nothing happened for a good minute for so my fear started to fade.

They were probably doing the same thing. I was out for some fresh air or a smoke. It's a pretty popular spot for that kind of thing, but I was just so weird out considering how late it was, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

Even though I completed that it was just one of those unexplainable coincidences, I sat there for a minute. Thinking, if I should just go home, I didn't want to leave, but I didn't want to be alone either.

I picked up my phone and faced timed, one of my close friends who lived a few minutes away, I told myself that if he didn't pick up I just eat my food in the car and drive home, he was actually awake through which I was a little surprised by he said he had been upwriting a paper, I convinced him to swing by and hang out for a bit, he was down, he said he had be there in 10.

While I waited, I kept my eyes on the Volkswagen, it still hadn't moved, I tried to shake it off. Telling myself, I was being spying, unaware yet when Sebastian finally pulled into a lot, I'd felt a lot better.

We both got out of our cars and began walking up the path before the parking lot fully receded from the view. I shot a glance backwards the Volkswagen still there, but I saw all doors open at once 4 guys stepped out.

They just stood there for a few seconds looking at each other, they weren't even talking. Just looking around at each other, it was freaky, I nudged, Sebastian, who realised what I was looking at before they could see us.

We continued walking up the path; so that lot was obstructed from view, alarm bells were going off in my head, but Sebastien didn't seem that concerned. He told me they were probably just going out to smoke.

We kept walking and by the time we got to the top city view was enough to take my mind off things, we always sat on this Little Rock wall that was supposed to keep people from wandering off the edge of the mountain beside they're eating and talking like we used to it was nice.

Of course, that nice feeling didn't last very long, we heard the sound of talking, and laughter quickly approaching us, we turned around to see 3 guys walking towards us, sharing what looked like a Blunt, they were acting friendly enough, which definitely calm my nerves a little; instead of finding their own spot, though they walked right up to us like they wanted to start a conversation.

The guy in the Blunt was covered in tattoos and had a nose ring. He honestly looked pretty intimidating. He flashed half a smile before asking us if we wanted to smoke. We both said no and one of the other guys loved and called us to which Sebastian scoffed at my curiosity got the better of me and I blurted out a question about "what they were doing at McDonald's", the guy holding the Blunt dropped his smile instantly and narrowed his eyes like he was caught off guard by my question.

His 2 friends did the same staring at us with cold expressions, they didn't say anything for an uncomfortably long time.

That's when I remembered that there had been 4 guys in that car and one of them was missing at that point, I was fully prepared to run, I knew Sebastian was thinking the same thing.

Finally, the ring leader told us that he worked nights and he had just gotten off. He pulled his hoodie up to reveal a McDonald's uniform.

I think because he knew; we wouldn't have believed him otherwise, he then went on to say he came to the spot everyday after work to smoke with his friends, while that definitely calmed me down a bit something about this situation was terribly off.

I could tell Sebastian felt the same, but decided it was time to go as we started walking down the path; Sebastian stopped and pointed into the trees. I followed his gaze and saw the fourth guy half hidden in the darkness, he was holding something, but I couldn't make out what it was, I felt My heart start racing the moment he saw us looking.

He started moving.

That's when we ran, we bolted down the path, glancing back to see him chasing us with the 3 other guys close behind my heart was pounding so hard. I thought it would burst, I could hear their with steps getting closer, but I didn't look back again, we finally made it to the parking lot jumped into our cars and flowed out of there... as I was speeding away, I could see those guys rushing to get in their car, I didn't feel comfortable.

While driving home out of fear that I had been leading them right to my house, I called Sebastian and told him we should meet back up on a street. I don't know what the thing Sebastian showed me his phone and said he had snug a picture of them while they weren't looking, he sent it to me but I wasn't sure what to even do with it.

I had off the next day so I convinced Sebastien to come with me back to the McDonald's, so we could at least report the employee.

The next day we approached a guy in the younger sight and hopes that he had listen to us, showed him the picture and told him what happened and his eyes widened, he told us something literally out of a horror movie.

Apparently that guy's girlfriend had also worked at that McDonald's and had dumped him a few months ago, he didn't take it well and would harass her while she was working and stalk her after her.

He obviously got fired, that didn't help; the police were involved shortly after there was a restraining order, put in place, apparently, he had been violating that restraining order because he was camping out in the parking lot; Sebastian and I were held horrified.

I have no idea why he decided to follow me, but it was clear that he was unpleased. I'm praying that the police catch him camping out in the parking lot because we'll actually be screwed, just hope it he can't recognise my car anywhere.

It's only been a week but I haven't been back to the McDonald's or the preserve since. Hopefully the police are able to do something but that's out of my control.