I was on the train during my usual commute when I noticed a man sit directly across from me. At first, I thought nothing of it—until I realized he wasn’t blinking, not looking away, just staring straight at me.
His eyes followed every move I made.
Every time the train rocked, he leaned forward slightly, as if trying to get closer.
My stomach twisted. Something felt wrong.
At the next stop—two stations earlier than my destination—I quickly stood up and walked off, hoping to lose him. I didn’t look back. I just wanted to breathe.
Five minutes later, my phone rang.
It was my husband.
But instead of his usual calm voice, he sounded terrified.
“Were you on the train just now?!” he asked, almost shouting.
Confused, I said, “Yes… why?”
There was a pause. I could hear his breath shaking.
Then he yelled:
“Go back to the station RIGHT NOW! Do NOT go anywhere else. You have to—”
The call suddenly cut out.
My hands went cold. My heart hammered.
I turned around to head back when I saw flashing lights ahead—police cars, station security, and a small crowd.
I pushed through until an officer stopped me.
“Ma’am, you were on the 5:10 train, correct?” he asked.
I nodded.
He exhaled and said, “Good. We needed to confirm you were safe.”
I froze. “Safe from what?”
The officer exchanged a look with another cop before telling me:
“The man who was staring at you… he’s wanted for multiple abductions.”
Apparently, security footage had picked up the same man following women on trains throughout the week. When my husband turned on the news and saw the report—with a matching time and route to mine—he panicked and called me instantly.
The police showed me a still frame from the surveillance cameras:
The man’s face.
Staring.
Directly at me.
They told me that my decision to leave early likely prevented something from happening.
I still don’t know what his intentions were.
But I do know this:
I will never ignore my instincts again.
And every time I step onto a train now, I feel my husband’s warning echo in my mind:
“Return to the station now… you have no idea how close you just came.”
