#MarsDaily - Midnight Delimna

It's 2 am now and I still find it hard to sleep. Two hours ago, I decided to go out of my hotel to buy food from the nearest convenient store. I was starving. I don't have the energy anymore to order online and wait for the food to be delivered.

I'm staying in a newly opened hotel and it doesn't have a restaurant yet.

The convenience store is just right across the hotel. I was pretty confident that nothing will happen to me.

The street's deserted but I didn't mind. I reached the department store and went directly to get a bottled water from the fridge. Suddenly, out of nowhere, this random guy bumped in my back.

He immediately asked sorry. I said that was fine and didn't pay much attention. But then he looked at my water bottle and suddenly told me to get those from farthest display to make sure it's not expired.

I took this as a friendly advise and thanked him. I went to the counter to order my food, but then he followed me. This time I'm starting to feel uncomfortable already. He started asking me if i live close.

I told him I was from Cebu. He kept asking questions, about my job, what I'm doing in Manila and all. The next thing I knew he was asking for my number and facebook name already!

I told him I am using my company phone which means that if he text me everyone in the company can read it. I was lying, ofcourse. He still asks for it. Suddenly, I feel like the girl in the counter's taking too long to punch in my order. I really wanted to get away as fast as I could.

The guy then took out a cut out piece of paper and a ballpen. Why is he so prepared? I noticed that there were also other guys in the convenience store. I can sense that they know each other.

My mind raced fast. I am alone. In a place that I don't know. This is 12 midnight!

I remained calm and compose. God, I never knew those pageant trainings of staying composed despite the pressure would help me tonight.

I remained acting friendly on him, afraid that he might suddenly go berserk if he feel rejected. Just a few days ago, a girl was mercilessly stabbed by a stranger after she ignored him. The girl recalled that he was smiling at her while she bled. God forbid, I don't want that to happen to me!

"Ma'am, is this for dine in or take out? " the cashier's voice interuptted my thoughts. I quickly said take out.

I looked up at the guy to see his face clearly, just incase something would happen I could atleast describe how he looked. Crooked teeth, creepy eyes concealed in a fake friendly gesture, tall figure.

Slowly I wrote him my old number, the one I am no longer using. He then asked me to write my name. I wrote a random name. I maintained my friendly act.

Finally my order's ready. I hurriedly went out. He followed and kept calling me. I walked as fast as I could and didn't look back. The wind blew with an uncanny chill. Each step I took felt too slow.

Luckily I reached my hotel and the guards were there. I managed to go back to my room safe.

All those times, I kept hearing people telling women not to wear provocative clothes to prevent unlikely incidents. That time I was wearing a loose white shirt with my hair uncombed and that guy still chose to prey on me.

Nevertheless, I still consider myself lucky.

Maybe it's now time to take classes on self defense.