today I had to do a bit of late shopping. this was because I was too busy previously to do so or had no mode of transportation to fit the weather. it was in the low 70s or upper 60s so I took a bike ride to the sunset esplanade. well I tied my bike up at the rack and made my way to pet-co for some tags for a friend. well I then realized that I needed to wait for a couple of people to pay up before I could buy them. so I moved on. (sorry, I'll get them ASAP) well then I went on to buy a gift card for a friend. as I was passing a tanning salon a man surrounded by kids (didn't notice a mother or anyone else for that matter) was staring at a poster in the window. well when I could no longer hear the kids I heard foot steps. I had already run into a few people and knew some people who worked at the stores in the mini-mall. I turn my head to see who it is because there are a lot of people I know who would sneak up on me. it was the man in front of the tanning salon. no big, he was just going my way and he was and he was following closely, about two feet. well I turn again as I'm approaching rite-aid but now he's slowed way down. he was now five or eight feet away. now I'm freaking out. he's trying not to look any more suspicious then he already does. well I turn into rite-aide, if you haven't been in that one it's kind of screwy in the fact that the isles aren't all parallel, some of them would hit each other at odd angles if they were long enough. the perfect place to lose someone. I walk in and walk around with no apparent pattern to where I'm going. if he started isle skimming it'a done him no good with the isle set up but with the way I was walking he'd need to be extremely lucky to find me. then I left. this may be where I made a mistake. the whole front is window. he knew I was trying to lose him. I wasn't going in for anything. all he needed to was wait and stay out of sight. I then want to safe way as I initially planned. I realized along the way about the windows so I decided to do the same thing, just to be safe. I ran into him three times. this was getting too complicated and I just couldn't take it. I had to run but then he'd know for sure that I knew what he was up to. what did he think I was going to do? call the cops? I didn't want to know what he'd do if he thought I was going to do that so I had to give him no reason to. I just walked out. he too walked out, he, like me, wasn't carrying anything. he hadn't come in to buy anything and I don't think he was homeless and had come to beg or get an interview, he wasn't dressed to fit either part. I had to go, my heart was pounding do hard in my chest I thought I'd be liable to pass out, what then would he do to me? I walked faster so I'd be around people when it happened, that way I'd have a chance. I was alone. I needed someone near by. that way how could he take on two of us. one would run for help and then he wouldn't be able to show his face in public. he'd b better off dead then a wanted man. I knew where I'd go. this time of year stores almost over staff themselves for returns and such. my friend from math class, Devi worked at target. it was just a bit further. all I'd have to do is talk to her and he wouldn't come near me. I'd have to talk long enough that he would go away. he wouldn't come near me while I was with some nor that had a security a call away let alone inside a store with security cameras all over the place near a known meth shooting ground. he'd be caught. before I got there though I ran into my friend matt. he was looking for his sister. I told him what was up and we went looking for her. by the time I got out it was now very cloudy and likely to rain. I went to my bike and hurriedly unlocked it and put the chain in the bike brief. I strapped on my helmet and rode off. I wasn't in the clear yet. if he was skilled he could snatch my off my bike and get off, dump the car and get away with it. he was a big man so I didn't doubt weather or not he had the strength to do it. I peddle out of the parking lot and hit the stop light. it's red. no matter, I'm turning right anyway. I keep going. there's no center lane in the beginnings of the street and I begin to panic. if all he wants to do is kill me he can do it and make it look like an accident. usually there's allot of cops down cypress because people like to speed down it. he wouldn't follow me as long as I didn't go 25 witch I felt an easy task. there was no way he would impede traffic down there. soon the center lane made itself and I was speeding along. as a testament of how scarred I was I didn't even feel the hill I usually have to walk up because I'm outta shape. I made it the rest of the way home with out incident. I still haven't seen him and I suspect I left him at target but that's when I stopped looking back. and if you're wondering why I didn't call the cops, if I did and it turns out that is was a huge coincidence my parents are outta town in san Diego and they would need to call them to explain what happened.