🚗 Chapter 2 — The Car That Didn’t Belong

As Sam rounded a gentle bend, a dark-grey hatchback sat parked unusually close to the curb. Engine off. No lights. Windows tinted.

Lots of cars parked on this road — but something about this one felt off. Maybe the angle. Maybe the silhouette. Maybe nothing at all.

Sam kept running, but his awareness sharpened. He moved to the opposite side of the road, giving distance without making it obvious.

👀 Chapter 3 — The First Sign

Two minutes later, he heard it.

A car engine starting.

He didn’t turn around immediately — instead, he listened. The car crawled slowly behind him, tyres whispering on wet tarmac.

Not fast enough to overtake. Not slow enough to park. Just… following.

His heart rate rose, no longer from the run.

🌕 Chapter 4 — Testing Distance

Sam crossed the street deliberately, pretending to stretch his calf. The car moved another ten metres… then stopped again.

Test. Response. Adjust. Repeat.

Whoever was behind the wheel wasn’t lost.

They were watching him.

🧠 Chapter 5 — The Awareness Switch

Sam’s mind shifted gears. His awareness map expanded instantly:

• Nearest open shop — 0.6 miles behind.
• Nearest lit area — the main junction ahead.
• Nearest escape point — a pathway between houses on the left.
• Phone battery — 41%.

He wasn’t panicking. He was planning.

🏠 Chapter 6 — The Houses With Lights On

He scanned the houses. Three had porch lights. One had an upstairs window lit. One had an older man smoking outside.

That man became an anchor point — a witness if things escalated.

Sam changed direction slightly to bring himself closer.

🚨 Chapter 7 — The Decisive Move

When Sam approached the smoking man’s gate, he made a deliberate choice — a move that would break any predator’s pattern.

He stopped running… turned his back to the car… and approached the man casually.

“Evening, mate,” Sam said, slightly breathless but calm.

The man nodded. “Night run?”

“Yeah. Thought I’d take a breather here for a minute.”

Behind them, the car’s engine revved softly — and then, almost instantly, accelerated away. Fast. Too fast for someone “lost.”

📱 Chapter 8 — Reporting the Pattern

Sam walked back with the man still outside. A witness at his side was enough to break the danger completely.

He made a note of the car’s shape and partial plate. When he got home, he reported it on the non-emergency number with clear detail:

• Behaviour
• Timing
• Location
• Vehicle description
• Pattern testing

Operators took it seriously — runners had reported similar behaviour two streets away earlier in the month.

🧠 Chapter 9 — What Sam Did Right

• He trusted the first instinctive “not right” feeling.
• He changed sides of the road, creating distance.
• He observed without staring — no confrontation, no escalation.
• He identified witnesses and safe zones.
• He used behaviour, not fear, as evidence.
• He changed the pattern suddenly — predators hate unpredictability.

🏁 Chapter 10 — Key Safety Lessons for Runners

• Pick routes with escape options and lighting.
• If a car follows slowly, change sides of the road first.
• Bring yourself toward houses with lights or people.
• Predators rely on isolation — break that pattern.
• You don’t need proof. Suspicion is enough to act.
• Your instinct is an early-warning system, not paranoia.

Sam didn’t fight. He didn’t confront. He didn’t escalate. He simply shifted the rules — and the threat vanished.

Awareness isn’t fear. Awareness is freedom.