🌙 Chapter 1 — The Walk Home

It was 9:20 p.m. and Ryan Doyle was walking home from the gym, hood up against the cold. He wasn’t in a rush — the night was quiet, and his neighbourhood was usually calm at this hour.

Like always, he put his headphones in. Not blasting music — just enough to take the edge off the silence. A podcast about football commentary played in his ears.

He walked past familiar houses, the glow of TVs behind curtains, the hum of boilers kicking in.

Nothing unusual. Nothing threatening.

Not yet.

👣 Chapter 2 — The Footsteps

Two minutes later, Ryan noticed something — not through hearing, but through vibration.

He felt faint rhythmic taps through the pavement.

Footsteps behind him.

He couldn’t hear them clearly because of his headphones, so he did a quick test without turning around:

• He slowed slightly.
• The footsteps slowed slightly too.
• He sped up.
• The footsteps sped up.

A cold awareness slid down his spine.

🧪 Chapter 3 — The Proximity Test

Predators often test distance first. They close the gap gradually to check whether the person notices.

Ryan changed sides of the street casually, pretending to avoid a puddle.

The footsteps crossed too.

That was the moment he knew this wasn’t coincidence.

Someone behind him was syncing their pace with his — quietly, deliberately.

📱 Chapter 4 — The Fake Phone Check

Ryan reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He turned the screen on, pretending to reply to a message.

This gave him the opportunity to do a reflective check in a nearby window.

He angled the phone screen just right. In the reflection, he saw him — a man in a dark jacket, hood up, hands in pockets.

Close. Too close. About 10–12 metres behind.

And the man wasn’t on a phone. He wasn’t walking a dog. He wasn’t carrying shopping. He wasn’t jogging.

He was just following.

🎧 Chapter 5 — The Realisation

Ryan realised something crucial:

“He thinks I can’t hear him because of the headphones.”

Predators prefer distracted targets — people whose vision and sound are reduced.

Ryan had unknowingly signalled both:

• Head down.
• Headphones in.
• Hands in pockets.

He broke all three in seconds:

• He lifted his head.
• He pulled one headphone out.
• He freed his hands.

The dynamic changed instantly.

🔁 Chapter 6 — Pattern Break

Ryan suddenly turned left into a short, well-lit street — one that led towards three houses with porch lights on.

The follower hesitated at the junction.

He hadn’t expected that.

Ryan stopped beside a brightly lit garden wall and pretended to adjust his shoe, giving him full view of both directions.

The man stood at the corner, pretending to check his phone — but his body faced Ryan, not the screen.

Predators mimic “normal actions” badly. Their attention betrays them.

👀 Chapter 7 — Witnesses Change Everything

A neighbour across the street stepped outside with a bin bag. A simple, everyday action — but one that created an immediate shift in power.

The follower adjusted his hood, lowered his head… and continued straight down the original road without looking back.

He wasn’t interested in Ryan anymore.

He was interested only when Ryan was “alone, unaware, isolated.”

Now he wasn’t.

📞 Chapter 8 — Reporting the Near Miss

Ryan walked the rest of the way with his headphones out. When he got home, he reported what happened through the non-emergency channel.

He wasn’t dramatic — just clear:

• Description of the follower.
• Behaviour patterns.
• Distance maintained.
• Streets used.
• Timing of movements.

The operator told him someone else in the next street had reported similar behaviour two nights earlier.

🧠 Chapter 9 — What Ryan Did Right

• He noticed pattern-matching through pacing.
• He changed sides of the street to gather more information.
• He used reflections instead of turning around.
• He broke his “distracted target” appearance.
• He moved toward lit houses and potential witnesses.
• He didn’t confront — he changed the environment instead.
• He reported the incident to help others.

🏁 Chapter 10 — Lessons: The Headphones Trick

1. Criminals look for distracted targets.

Headphones signal sensory reduction — especially at night.

2. Footsteps matching your pace is never coincidence.

Two pace changes matching yours = deliberate attention.

3. Reflections reveal truth without confrontation.

Shops, cars, windows — everything becomes a mirror.

4. Witnesses break predatory intent instantly.

Predators choose isolation. Remove isolation, remove danger.

5. You’re allowed to change your route — anytime.

Safety doesn’t require proof. It requires action.

Ryan didn’t fight. He didn’t argue. He simply stopped being the target the man thought he was.

Your awareness is your first line of defence — always.