When I was a teenager, a guy used to follow me home from school every day

When I was about 14, I used to walk home from school every day by myself. <br><br>About halfway through my walk home, I noticed this guy was walking behind me. <br><br>He was quite tall (probably 6ft 6) and was wearing a black parka with the hood up, and was carrying a big backpack.<br><br>At first, I thought he was just walking in the same direction as me but, after 10-15 minutes of walking, I could tell he was tailing me. <br><br>He was walking at my pace and was about 10m behind me. It was obvious he was following me but I didn't want to be paranoid so I tried to go about my day as usual. <br><br>I kept looking back at him, trying to get a look at his face but he had his head down, eyes to the ground.<br><br>I ended up going straight home but he didn't follow me onto my street.<br><br>He stood across the road from my house, facing away from me and looking into some bushes. It was as though he was trying to pretend like he wasn't following me.<br><br>I felt stupid for being paranoid so I didn't think much of it, especially since he didn't follow me the next day.<br><br>However, a few days later, he was back. <br><br>He was walking behind me for the rest of my walk home, staring at the ground and rushing to catch up whenever I'd cross the road. <br><br>I thought he was just a weird kid from school that fancied me or something, trying to get my attention. <br><br>I didn't mention it to anyone at the time.<br><br>This kept happening for months. <br><br>Sometimes, he'd be there. Sometimes, he wouldn't. Sometimes, I'd see him ahead of me and he'd 'realise' he was walking in the wrong direction and turn around.<br><br>I was used to seeing him walk behind me. It was like clockwork. <br><br>This happened for months. Then, it just stopped. <br><br>I didn't see him for 3-4 months then, one day, as I was walking home from school, I noticed a tall guy with a black parka walking ahead of me, towards a tunnel that goes under a railway bridge.<br><br>I knew it was him immediately. <br><br>He was about 20 metres ahead of me and, as I got closer to the tunnel, he walked into it and stopped.<br><br>He turned around and looked at me. <br><br>That's when I finally saw his face. <br><br>His eyes looked sunken, his skin looked yellow and he had a few missing teeth. He was a few years older than me so must've left school years before.<br><br>I crossed the road to avoid him and the tunnel. <br><br>He followed me, walking along the other side of the road, toward my house. <br><br>I walked at a fast pace and, eventually, reached my front door. <br><br>I shut it behind me and locked it, looking out the window to see him standing across the road from my house again, doing the same thing as the first time I saw him. <br><br>I didn't see him again after that. <br><br>I'm 22 now. It's been 8 years since I last saw him and, looking back on it, it's really creepy. <br><br>I should've told someone but I didn't want to seem like I was making a big deal over nothing. <br><br>Also, I once told my mum about a guy that was harassing me (he ended up walking with me and chatting to me one day and was completely normal haha) so I didn't want to seem like I was making anything up again.<br><br>I guess the moral of the story is that if someone is following you regularly and you're sure of it, tell someone. <br><br>I have no idea what would've happened if I hadn't crossed the road that day, 8 years ago.