u/AdNext8428

A few years back, I (now 24F), was an opening barista at a local coffee shop. I was working the bleak 5am shift that absolutely no one wanted. Poorly-lit, the entire city was asleep, corporate/industrial neighbourhood. Just, bleh.

Not an ideal place for a nineteen year old girl to be taking rong bips ;) before she clocks in. But I was brazen and naive and believed I was untouchable, brazen enough to not even double check how to lock my shitbox “new” car.

I usually went early so I had time to smoke, so it was freakishly early. Absolutely no one around, not even the city transit across the street waiting to start their first route yet.

Since this was a corporate area in a suburban part of town there weren’t many homeless people either. I thought it was safe.

Something I have reluctantly learned, never assume anywhere is safe. Especially in the early hours of the morning. ESPECIALLY as a young woman.

This time of year, late November, the fog in the early morning reminded me of silent hill. I was completely oblivious to my surroundings, probably messing around with my grinder when something in my gut told me to look up.

As I did my heart went into my throat. The visibility was terrible, and all I could see in the thick fog and the glare of my headlights reflecting back at me was a massive silhouette of a man dressed in dark clothing,, trudging towards my car.

There was no one else here. This guy was fucking huge. It felt like we were the only two souls in the entirety of the world.

I knew there was no good reason for this man to be approaching me, at this hour. There was no way he had good intentions. I had the presence of mind to put my car in reverse.

He came to the drivers side and tapped on my window. I cannot for the life of me remember what this man looked like, I cannot make out any features other than his silhouette in my memory.

I rolled my window down a crack.

He said in a harsh, gruff voice, “You got a cigarette?”

“No…” I said.

“You got a light?”

“No.” I repeated. Looking back dude could probably smell the dank stench of maryj wafting from my cracked window (lol).

I remember thinking, if he tries the door I am screwed. I don’t even know if I locked it. I’ll have to reverse.

(Before you get at me for this, my car has a weirdly confusing lock system that I hadn’t figured out yet but I know I probably could have handled this better)

He makes a frustrated huff at me and just says “Fine.”

The man walks off to the dumpsters about 15 meters from my car and I exhale for a moment but continue to watch him closely and keep my car in reverse.

I make a rule with myself; he moves out of my sight and I am out of here.

He doesn’t. He just stands there, staring right back at me. I could’ve sworn he was grinning at me.

Maybe that’s just terror manifesting itself in my shaky recollection of his face.

It is now about ten to 5am and my supervisor should be here any second so I stay put.

To my horror, as he is staring at me, he pulls out a cigarette and lights it.

That will stick with me forever.

My supervisor arrived moments later and I don’t recall if I lost sight of him before or after I ushered us both inside and quickly locked the door.

I remember trying to recount the situation to her and I was brushed off, but it scared the living room couch out of me.

I don’t even know if the situation itself was what really terrified me, although it was creepy.

Technically nothing happened.

It was how suddenly I realized how vulnerable I was; alone and isolated. And how much of my fate depended entirely on what this stranger’s intentions were.