One by One

Prologue

Have you ever heard someone who's been through something traumatic, like a car crash, say something like "I thought it would never happen to me"? Everyone has heard it said, but almost no one actually changes the way they think about life. I've heard it a million times, and I always, in the back of mind, figured that nothing bad would happen to me.  

 I always considered myself to be tough; someone who could handle any situation with some sense of control. I didn't have a lot of fears, but now, I'm constantly afraid. Afraid of everything; a light that looks a bit too dim, a floorboard that creeks too loudly, even a friendly hello from a neighbor terrifies me.

 It's easy to be afraid of things like murderers, sharks and even the dentist. It's rational to fear these things because you know that they are scary, and that they can hurt you. And the best things about these fears are that you know what they are, and how to defend against them. But what if you had no idea what to be afraid of? What if you knew that something was after you, was going to get you, and you had no idea how it was going to happen? That is my life. I am being hunted; hunted by someone, something, that defies the boundaries of human limitations.

I can only do so much to protect myself. Eventually, it will get me, and I will join the others.