He Had To Do Something
Martin couldn’t just stand there and watch. Something truly awful was unfolding before his eyes and he had to act fast.
He ran as fast as he could. He had to call someone before it was too late.
The phone seemed to ring for an eternity, but eventually, someone answered it. “911, what’s your emergency?” Martin didn’t even know where to begin.
As Usual
That day was supposed to be like any other for Martin Smith. His shift at the grocery store started out smoothly. He was going about his business as usual when he spotted the pair.
He didn’t think much at first. As far as he was aware, they were out grocery shopping.
It wasn’t until he noticed the man’s strange behavior that he started paying closer attention.
Concern
The girl had a concerned look on her face as she made her way through the store, the man was hot on her heels.
Ever so often she would glance at him while he stared back at her. His eyes were wide and bloodshot.
Martin couldn’t explain it, but something about the man just seemed creepy. He didn’t want to intervene, after all, it was none of his business. He wondered if the girl ever knew who this man was.
Stumbling Around
Before long, the girl was in line to pay for her groceries.
The man stood directly behind her, his body swaying as he stumbled forward. He was struggling to keep himself upright.
Martin couldn’t help but wonder if he was intoxicated. He definitely didn’t appear to be sober. When Martin looked back at the girl, she looked scared.
Terrified
Before he knew it, the girl was standing in front of him, unpacking her groceries.
When he looked up, he found that the strange man was no longer standing behind her. Instead, he waited by the exit.
Martin watched as the girl’s eyes flickered in the man’s direction. She seemed terrified as she returned to the task at hand.
He Wanted To Ask
Martin wanted to ask if she was okay.
He wanted to know if she knew the man who had been suspiciously following her through the store. Something felt off about the situation.
But before he could muster up the courage to speak to the teenager, she grabbed her bags and headed for the exit.
Realization
From where Martin was standing, he could see the creepy man.
He was staring at the girl as she made her way toward the exit. Once she stepped through the doors, he did too.
Martin’s blood ran cold when he realized what was happening. The strange man was following the girl toward a car.
A Simple Life
College student, Martin Smith, lived a fairly simple life in Portland, Oregon.
In the mornings, he would be attending classes at a local college, and in the afternoons, he would be at work.
He worked as a cashier at a small grocery store. Although he didn’t love the job, it was nice to have a little extra cash every month.
Calm Before The Storm
In the year and a half that Martin worked at the grocery store, he thought he’d seen it all. But it wasn’t until one casual Tuesday afternoon that something awful happened.
Martin was working as a cashier when the little bell above the door rang.
At first, he didn’t bother to see who had come in. He was too busy scanning items for an old lady.
The Girl
It wasn’t until the old woman left that Martin looked up from the register before him.
His eyes casually glanced around the emptier-than-usual room. That was when his gaze fell upon the girl.
She couldn’t have been any older than 17, he thought to himself. The girl was slowly making her way through the store by herself, but before long, Martin noticed the man.
There He Was
He wasn’t with the girl when Martin first laid eyes on her. But now, the scruffy-looking man appeared to follow her as she went from aisle to aisle.
Martin didn’t think much of this at first but then he noticed something.
The older man had been trailing behind the girl for quite some time. His eyes were firmly set on the ground, but every now and then, he would glance up at her.
Suspicious
Martin didn’t know how to feel about this. Was the girl aware of the man behind her?
Every time she would take a step forward, he would do the same. Martin found this rather suspicious but decided to keep his distance.
He kept an eye on the young girl. He didn’t want to make any assumptions, but part of him worried for her safety.
What Was He Doing?
This carried on for some time. Every time Martin glanced in her direction, he could see the man, just a few feet away from the young girl.
What was an old man like that doing following a young girl around?
Martin wasn’t sure if he was supposed to inform a manager or colleague about this. But as he stared, he noticed a small interaction between the two.
He Turned Away
The girl had just placed a loaf of fresh bread into her basket when she glanced behind herself.
Her eyes instantly locked with the man behind her. But as she looked up at the man, he turned away from her.
This sent shivers down Martin’s spine. But what was even worse was the expression on the girl’s face once she looked ahead of herself. She looked frightened.
He Remained Close
From then on, he watched as the girl picked up the pace. She began moving between aisles faster than before, but the man remained close behind her.
Ever so often, she would glance back at him, noticing that he was still following her through the store.
Martin thought the man’s behavior was extremely suspicious.
Panic
He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the pair. From where he was standing, it was clear that the girl was beginning to panic.
Martin knew he had to do something to help her, but he froze up. He felt like he couldn’t move.
But the more he stared at the man, the stranger his behavior became. After a while, Martin noticed the man’s odd movements. He had started stumbling around the place.
Off Balance
It was like it was impossible for the man to keep his balance. Could he be intoxicated? It sure looked like it.
He watched the young girl and old man for the entire time as they moved through the store
Eventually, the girl was in line to pay for her groceries. To no one’s surprise, the man was right behind her, despite not having any items in his hands.
Was He Leaving?
Before long, the girl stepped up to Martin’s counter, and when she did, the old man slipped past her. Was he finally leaving?
Martin sure hoped so. He didn’t know what his motives were, but he didn’t trust him.
Something about the man seemed off. But Martin lost all hope when he glanced at the exit and saw the man waiting there.
What Could He Say?
The girl began unpacking her basket before him, her eyes shifting between glancing at the items and looking at the man.
Martin wanted to say something, but he didn’t know what to do.
He had never had to deal with anything like this before. He felt like he couldn’t move, so instead, he went about his job. But then the girl said something he wished he hadn’t heard.
Asking A Dreadful Question
“Excuse me, do you think I could ask you a question about the area around here?” She asked Martin. He wanted to try and help the girl in any way he could, so he nodded his head with a slight smile.
The girl seemed to think for a while about how she would word her question. But when she finally asked him, Martin felt his hands start to tremble.
What was going on?
Directions
“If I had to get somewhere in a hurry, what’s the fastest way to get out of here?” She asked nervously, still glancing over her shoulder. Martin got ready to answer, but before he could, she spoke again.
“Oh, and where’s the nearest hospital?” She asked, her mind frazzled.
Her voice was shaky, and her breathing was shallow. It was as bad as it seemed.
Pretending
He pretended not to know what was going on, after all, he didn’t want to make her feel shy or embarrassed, he wanted to help her in any way he could. She was far too young to be left on her own right now.
Despite the colder weather outside, he was a sweating mess. He wondered if she could tell that his heart was racing at a thousand miles a second.
In A Hurry
She wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. Martin wondered if she’d shown up with a car, or if she was going to run. He couldn’t imagine that it would be easy to outrun a grown man with bags of groceries in hand.
Martin raised his head once again and glanced in the man’s direction.
This time, the man’s eyes were on him. He was staring at him strangely.
Onto Him
The man had a pained expression on his face, and Martin couldn’t help but wonder if he knew that he was onto him. He stared back at him, a stern look on his face.
He hoped that somehow, his harsh haze would scare the man off, but it didn’t. He was persistent as his eyes trailed back to the girl.
He was waiting for her no matter what.
Tearing Up
When Martin turned back to her, he noticed the trembling of her lips.
Her eyes had begun tearing up, and once again, she was staring at the man. A single tear escaped one of her eyes.
“Please, just tell me how to get out of here,” She said in a broken voice as more tears began to fall. Martin had to think fast
A Question
He wanted to ask her about the situation.
He wanted to know if she knew who the man was, or if she wanted him to walk her to her car. He wondered what would happen if he addressed the situation.
He was about to question everything but stopped himself. For some strange reason, he couldn’t couldn’t get himself to ask.
A Strange Thing To Ask
Martin knew it was a strange and specific question to ask, but he couldn’t make much sense of it.
He wanted to help in any way he could, but if he pried, she could close up, and then she’d be at anyone’s mercy.
He had to respect her privacy and just help as much as she let her. But he had no idea what the truth was.
Helping
The poor girl must not have been familiar with the city. He wondered if she lived around the area, he doubted it since she was asking for another route out.
He’d never seen the man before, but he found himself wondering how he’d gotten to their store. Was he waiting outside when the girl showed up? Did he see something in her?
Why was he following her so suspiciously?
A Route
Perhaps she had only just started driving and didn’t know many routes yet. Regardless, he pulled out his phone and showed her the route she would have to take to get to the nearest hospital.
She thanked him, but she still looked on the edge of panic. Why did she need to go to a hospital? And did it have something to do with the man?
Another Route
In a split second, Martin decided to show the girl another route. While scrolling on his phone, the girl began wiping at her cheeks. He pretended not to notice the few stray tears.
“And uh,” He started and pointed his phone in her direction, “This is a route to the police station.”
Her eyes scanned over his phone carefully before they flicked up to meet his.
Her Reaction
He quickly noticed the strange look on her face. Was it confusion or anger? He couldn’t tell. Suddenly, he felt like he’d crossed a line. He needed an explanation immediately.
“Uh, just in case you ever need to get there from here. The police station is ten minutes away. It’s just good to know,” He tried to defend and she nodded understandingly.
She seemed to think for a moment. He wanted to ask her what was going through her head.
Taking Something Out
Then, Martin’s attention focused elsewhere. Something caught his attention from the other side of the store. It was the man waiting by the door.
It seemed his patience was wearing thin, and he started digging in his pockets.
His eyes narrowed on the girl as he was digging like he was trying to signal to her to speed it up.
Anticipation
Martin’s blood ran cold as he thought about the possibilities of what could happen next.
So many things could go wrong depending on what he pulled out from his jacket pocket.
The girl noticed it too. Martin took a deep breath and tried to think how he would react depending on what the man pulled out of his pocket. The anticipation was killing him.
Rummaging
The man seemed to be struggling to get whatever it was out. Was it because it was big and bulky, like a weapon? Martin felt his own anxiety start to rise as he wondered what the man’s next step was.
What was the right course of action? Should he run out and save himself?
Or should he call the police? Then, the man finally got a proper grip on the object.
Pulling It Out
The man eventually pulled out what he was looking for.
Martin wanted to close his eyes, but he stood frozen, staring wildly. Then he saw it, something tiny and white.
The man brought it to his mouth and swallowed it. The man had just taken some kind of pill, and it sent shivers down Martin’s spine.
The Pill
Martin’s emotions were mixed. He didn’t have a weapon, but what had he just taken? The man was getting dodgier by the second. He couldn’t believe that he would just abuse substances like that, in public.
He was growing fed up with the weird man and his sketchy behavior. Who did he think he was?
He had no right to come into the store and scare people off.
What Kind Of Substance?
Martin thought about all of the things that the man could have been taking. The most obvious answer was some kind of illicit substance. But why shamelessly take it in front of everyone?
The more he stared at the man, the less he trusted him. He was sure that something bad was going to happen once the girl left the store.
He was right.
Taking His Time
Martin was mindlessly placing the girl’s items in a bag, but his eyes weren’t leaving the man, nor were the girl’s. They were both staring at him. Anger burned behind his eyes, while concern filled hers.
Martin knew that he was being slow, but it was for a reason.
He was hoping that the man would get impatient and leave. But he was only worsening the situation.
Did He Know?
But he seemed to have all the time in the world. His eyes never wavered from the girl. He would occasionally glance in Martin’s direction with a stern glare.
It was like he knew what Martin was doing. The man had a sour expression on his face. Ever so often, he would narrow his eyes at Martin, as if he was trying to threaten him.
Did he know that Martin was suspicious of him?
Trying To Understand Him
By this point, Martin was deep in thought. Wondering exactly how things were going to play out if he didn’t intervene. But he was so focused on thinking about the future that he forgot about the present.
Then he heard a sound that snapped him straight back to reality. It was the girl trying to get his attention.
She was more nervous now than ever.
Speed Up
“Uh, hey. Do you think you can speed it up a bit? I need to get out of here,” She spoke, her voice trembling as she looked up at the man once again. All Martin could do was nod.
He felt immense sympathy toward the young girl, he wanted to tell her that everything would be okay.
But what if he was misjudging the situation?
What If He Was Wrong?
What if he was wrong about the man? What if the situation looked a lot worse than it actually was? If he confronted the man and that was the case, he would get into a lot of trouble.
He couldn’t afford that.
But he could only imagine how scared she was feeling. He picked up the pace, trying his best to pack her groceries as fast as possible. The man was still staring from afar
Didn’t Blame Her
Judging by her tone of voice and expression, Martin knew that she was in dire straits. He desperately wanted to do more, but that was impossible if she didn’t ask for it.
He didn’t blame her for being in a hurry.
The man seemed to only grow more impatient as time went on, hiding his lack of sobriety less and less as time went on.
Too Late
Martin wanted to ask if she was okay. He wanted to know if she knew the man who had been suspiciously following her through the store.
Something felt off about the situation, and he felt like he had to help.
For just a moment, he stopped thinking about the consequences.
Courage
He thought of what he would say first. How could he bring it up without causing her more stress or pain?
He thought and thought, but there was no perfect way to start the conversation. He just had to speak to her.
But before he could muster up the courage to speak to the teenager, she grabbed her bags and headed for the exit.
He Had To Do Something
From where Martin was standing, he could see the creepy man. He was staring at the girl as she made her way toward the exit. He followed her every move, pressing himself up from the doorway.
He was preparing to follow the young, vulnerable girl once again.
But as soon as she stepped through those doors, he would be all alone with her.
Walking Out
Martin couldn’t protect her from inside the store. Once she was out there, it was over. When she stepped through the doors, he did too.
Martin’s blood ran cold when he realized what was happening.
The strange man was following the girl toward a car. He had to do something.
What To Do Next?
Martin had no idea what to do next. He stood frozen in place, wondering what the next best course of action is.
He thought about whether or not he should call the police but ultimately decided to leave his phone in his pocket.
But then he heard something that made him jump. He had no idea that he was going to be on the phone with 911, regardless.
A Scream
It was a single scream that echoed from the parking lot, and entered his store. Martin recognized exactly whose it was.
The girl he had served not two minutes before had screamed. He knew this was going to happen.
The man was responsible for her shriek, there was no doubt about it. He decided that today he would be the hero.
Running After Her
Without a second thought, Martin stepped out from behind the register.
He could only imagine what kind of danger the young girl was in, and wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t help.
He ran out of the exit as fast as he could. As soon as he stepped outside, he spotted the girl close to one of the cars. He had no idea what he was about to come across.
“Help”
He ran across the parking lot, and when he reached her, he paused in his steps.
Her bags were thrown to the floor as she stood frozen in place. “Help me, please help me,” She cried.
When he looked past her, he could see the man on the floor before her. He was convulsing on the ground before her. Martin couldn’t believe his eyes. “What’s going on?” He called out to her.
A Helping Hand
Martin looked at the man on the ground and the girl beside her car.
Had she done this out of self-defense? Did he try to do something, and she fought back? He had no idea what had just happened.
Regardless, he’d do whatever it took to help whoever needed it most. But the truth was far from what Martin thought.
Realization
Martin thought back to the store just moments before. That’s when he realized something that hadn’t dawned on him until now. The pills he was taking earlier weren’t some kind of illegal drug.
The girl probably didn’t hurt him after having to fight back.
Instead, it was probably a medical condition that he hadn’t told anyone about. But what was he to the girl?
Medication
It must have been medication. But what kind of condition did he have? Martin didn’t know.
Now, he’d be able to finally help, just not in the way he had ever anticipated. The girl was in tears over the man.
She was finally going to tell him the truth about what was going on, but it would catch Martin by surprise. He’d still end up being a hero.
An Explanation
The girl turned toward him as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“You have to call an ambulance!” She sobbed before crouching down next to the man. Martin was utterly confused.
“Please, he’s my dad. He has epilepsy. He began feeling ill in the store. I was going to rush him to a doctor, but he collapsed before I could,” She cried out to Martin. He had to do something.
Calling An Ambulance
Martin couldn’t just stand there and watch. Something truly awful was unfolding before his eyes and he had to act fast.
He ran as fast as he could back into the store. He had to call someone before it was too late.
The phone seemed to ring for an eternity, but eventually, someone answered it. “911, what’s your emergency?” Martin didn’t even know where to begin.
Remaining Calm
He tried to remain calm as he explained the situation to an operator.
He gave their location and told her everything she needed to know in order to get an ambulance sent out. But now, all they had to do was wait.
He explained the situation to his manager before he made his way back out. The man was still on the ground with his daughter crying beside him.
Misjudged
Martin couldn’t believe that he had misjudged the situation all along.
The girl’s father was experiencing some kind of episode, which was why he was acting so strange in the store, he stayed by their side until the ambulance arrived.
He had to make sure that the man was okay and that the girl remained calm. He couldn’t just leave them out there alone.
Stable
When the ambulance arrived, the man was given emergency attention and medications.
They did everything in their power to ensure that the man was alright, Eventually, he was stabilized, but he still had to spend a night in hospital.
But before the ambulance could take him and his daughter away, the young girl approached Martin.
Thank You
“Thank you so much for coming out here to help my dad. I don’t know what I would have done without your help. I was completely frozen when he collapsed. I’m so grateful,” She told Martin with a hug.
When he asked about it, she assured him that her father would be alright.
This kind of thing had happened to him before, and he always managed to get back on track. On that day, Martin learned to never judge a book by its cover.