Fatal Friend Request

On my way home from shopping, a creepy guy blocked my path. As he coldly waited for me to add him on social media, I ran through several potential death scenarios in my head if I refused. So, I forced a smile, clicked accept, and turned to walk away.

I planned to delete him the moment I got home, but then I stumbled upon a trending post.

"Hooked up with a pretty girl on the street today; already got her contact."

"I'm a fast starter, wondering how to get her warmed up quickly?"

The comments were a mixed bag, making me frown. Ten seconds prior, the poster had liked a comment.

"What's the big deal? Check her profile, then search her photos across the entire internet!"

"Girls love to show off their photos on all platforms. Then you can follow the breadcrumbs, find her other accounts, pinpoint her personal information, and just show up at her door to display your manhood!"

Not long after reading that, my phone pinged. "Hey there, beautiful, why's your profile locked? Unlock it so I can take a look!"

The sender's profile picture was a blurry, in-your-face selfie, his eyes staring straight ahead, as if trying to pierce through the screen. His name: Mark Jensen.

"You're so gorgeous, I couldn't get enough of you today. Unlock your profile so I can worship you some more!"

My mind exploded! It was this afternoon!

I was stopped outside the mall by a man. He wore an ill-fitting T-shirt, his hair greasy and plastered to his scalp, his eyes shifty yet burning with a kind of obsessive fervor. He insisted on getting my contact info. I instinctively refused, but he immediately stepped closer, blocking my way, his voice suddenly rising: "What's the big deal about giving your number? You look down on me?"

In that instant, a news headline flashed wildly in my mind: "Woman Stabbed to Death After Refusing Advances." A profound sense of alarm shot through me from my feet upwards. I didn't dare provoke him, so I forced a smile and took out my phone to scan his code. He watched me intently as I clicked "add," then grinned, revealing a mouth full of crooked yellow teeth, and left, satisfied.

At the time, I just felt a wave of bad luck, planning to delete him once I got home. But now, this name, this message, and that chilling post That poster was him!

What did he want to do to me? Follow the breadcrumbs? Pinpoint information? Show up at my door to display his manhood? My stomach churned instantly. I only felt a slight relief after confirming my profile was private.

Suppressing my disgust, my fingers trembled as I typed on the screen. I couldn't provoke him, but I had to cut ties quickly. "Sorry, my profile isn't really open."

"And my boyfriend wouldn't appreciate me adding random strangers. Apologies, but let's just unmatch each other."

Send.

Without waiting for his reply, I immediately clicked his profile picture, then the top right corner: Delete Contact. "Confirm"! Not a second of hesitation!

Watching the system notification "You have deleted this contact" on my screen, I exhaled slowly. It was over.

But after all that last night, for some inexplicable reason, I reopened that post. The page refreshed. A stark red, angry update abruptly stung my eyes!

Poster: "Damn it! That bitch deleted me! Just now, she tried to use some stupid 'boyfriend' excuse!"

Below was his screenshot. My profile picture, and the two sentences I had just sent, were clear as day, word for word! The comment section instantly erupted.

"Hahaha, OP, don't be so overconfident. She's politely rejecting you, can't you tell?"

"A toad trying to eat swan meat, she deleted you, serves you right!"

"PSA: A girl agreeing to add you doesn't mean she's agreed to your marriage proposal. She just didn't want to embarrass you in person."

Amidst the mockery, Mark Jensen's replies were particularly twisted, each word reeking of resentment and distortion.

"Bullshit! If she wasn't interested, why would she agree to add me? She clearly has a boyfriend and still added me, isn't that hinting I can steal her away?!"

"She's testing me! Playing hard to get!"

Reading his deranged words, I felt a surge of anger and dread crawl up my spine. This person hes a total psychopath, isnt he? Impossible to reason with.

Just as I was about to close the page, a new reply popped up. It was from the ID that had encouraged the poster to "search the internet, stake out her home." His reply was just a short sentence, but it sent a chill down my spine.

"Boyfriend? Buddy, don't let her fool you."

"I checked for you. All her social media profiles show she's single."

"That's a green light, understand? She's waiting for you to make a move."

The ID immediately posted another reply, filled with malicious instigation. "I've seen plenty of women like her; they're just faking it. They look down on honest guys like you, always putting on airs. Give her a lesson, and she'll straighten up."

Mark Jensen was predictably ignited. "But she deleted me! I can't reach her now, damn it!"

"Deleted?" The ID scoffed, "Heh, just a little trick. Don't worry, buddy, I've got the skills to dig up her phone number, address, company, all her info for you."

In the thread, Mark Jensen was already ecstatic. "Good buddy! DM me! Quick!"

Psycho! A complete and utter psycho!

I couldn't help but curse under my breath, but the image of Mark Jensen's obsessive, fervent face from this afternoon, and his relentless determination, vividly reappeared before my eyes.

What if he really does show up at my door!

Acting on caution, I swiftly took screenshots of all the chat logs and pages. I didn't even have time to change my jacket. I grabbed my keys and rushed out of the house, heading straight for the nearest police station!

"Officer, I want to report something! Someone is doxing me online and threatening my personal safety!"

The officer who handled my report was very patient, but after reviewing all my screenshots, he merely frowned. "Madam, this for now, it's just online talk. They haven't caused you any actual harm, so it's difficult for us to open a case."

"But they want to dig up my information! They want to show up at my door!" I was getting anxious.

"How about this," the officer thought for a moment. "We can contact this Mark Jensen, ask him to come in, and give him a verbal warning, explaining the situation clearly."

Call him in? My whole body stiffened. I couldn't imagine what a fanatic like Mark Jensen would do after being warned by the police. That would only completely enrage him!

"Then, let's not bother for now." I practically gritted my teeth, squeezing out the words.

Walking out of the police station, a huge sense of powerlessness swallowed me.

Back home, I double-locked all the doors, still feeling uneasy. For some inexplicable reason, I refreshed that post again. The page displayed"Sorry, this post has been deleted."

Deleted? My heart sank. This was even more terrifying than if it hadn't been deleted! It meant they had gone underground and started executing their plan!

Just then

Thump! Thump! Thump!

A knock on the door! The sudden sound scared me out of my wits. My phone clattered to the floor!

Who was it?! I even stopped breathing. I tiptoed to the door, my heart pounding as if it would burst from my throat. I didn't dare make a sound, trembling as I pressed my eye to the peephole. But it was blurry outside. I couldn't see anything! The peephole seemed to be smeared with something sticky! It hadn't been like that when I came home!

I quickly backed away two steps, rushed to the living room, and opened the home security camera app on my phone. The live feed of the doorway showed the hallway was empty. I immediately brought up the recorded playback. The time: less than five minutes after I got home.

A man in a black hoodie, wearing a mask and a cap, appeared on the screen. He stealthily pressed himself against my door, listening for a while, then stepped back, facing my front door, and unzipped his pants. His lower half began to make extremely lewd thrusting motions! A few seconds later, he stopped, and meticulously used his finger to smear a warm, thick white liquid on my peephole!

I clamped my hand over my mouth, barely stopping myself from throwing up. It was him. It was Mark Jensen!

Fear, like countless cold hands, instantly gripped my heart. I rushed back to the door, slammed the security chain on, and double-locked every lock I could. After doing all that, my hands still shaking, I dialed 911, and then the building management.

"Someone someone at my door he" My voice trembled uncontrollably; I could barely speak a complete sentence. Perhaps my panic was too real; the police and management arrived almost simultaneously.

I showed them the security video. The police officer's face instantly became grave. But the property manager, in her business skirt suit, showed a hint of impatience. "Madam, it's possible an outsider slipped in. We'll enhance security. Don't make too much of it"

"Make too much of it?" I almost exploded. "This is a pervert! This is harassment! He's threatening my personal safety!"

The female manager pursed her lips, muttering in a volume just loud enough for me to hear: "Who knows if you brought this on yourself with some romantic entanglement."

"What did you say?!"

"Officer!" The lead police officer sternly reprimanded her. "Watch your words! This is a victim!" The female manager then shut up.

The police officer reassured me, stating they would immediately open an investigation, and advised me to be extra careful recently, to contact them anytime if anything happened. After they left, I felt all my strength drained, collapsing onto the sofa.

Not long after, the doorbell rang. It was the property management; they said they sent a cleaner to tidy outside my door. I cautiously peered through the peephole. Standing outside was an "auntie" wearing a mask and a cleaning cap. Her figure was quite tall, her broad shoulders almost filling the entire cleaning uniform. But my highly strung nerves were throbbing with a headache, and I didn't have the energy to think deeper. I just wanted this to be over quickly.

I said "thank you" through the door, then retreated to the living room, preparing to lie down in my bedroom. But just then

Beep! Beep! Beep! Alarm! Multiple incorrect password attempts!

The electronic lock's piercing alarm suddenly blared! I shot up from the bed, instinctively pulled open my bedroom door, and peeked out. The front door was actually ajar!

The "cleaner" from earlier was standing at the doorway. He slowly, slowly straightened his hunched body. He took off his cap and mask, revealing Mark Jensen's obsessive and fervent face! He saw me, and instead of running, he grinned, showing his yellow teeth.

"Heh heh, I've come to make friends with you."