For weeks, Willow Tait couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. It started as a whisper of unease—a prickle on the back of her neck, the sense that someone’s eyes were lingering just a little too long. At first, she dismissed it as paranoia. Everyone in Port Charles had secrets, and her life was complicated enough without adding phantom fears to the mix.

But then came the messages.

They were short at first—cryptic, unsettling, sent from an untraceable number. “I see you.” “You looked beautiful in blue today.” “You shouldn’t walk alone at night.” The words felt like a cold hand on her skin, sending shivers down her spine. No matter where she went, whether it was the coffee shop, the park, or just walking home from the hospital, she felt it—that invisible presence hovering just out of sight.

Determined to keep herself safe, Willow started altering her routines. She took different routes to work. She avoided going out alone after dark. She kept her phone close, hoping to catch the next message as soon as it appeared. But the changes didn’t stop the texts; if anything, they made them more precise, more personal. Whoever was behind them knew her patterns too well.

She confided in a close friend, hoping for reassurance, but even speaking the words out loud made the fear more real. “What if it’s someone I know?” she asked quietly, her voice trembling. The thought chilled her more than the idea of a stranger—because a stranger could be avoided. But someone she knew? That meant the threat was already inside her circle, woven into her daily life.

Willow began to look more closely at the people around her. Friends. Colleagues. Acquaintances she’d always greeted with a smile. Could one of them be hiding something darker beneath the surface? She paid attention to glances, to casual comments, to who seemed to know too much about where she’d been. The answers didn’t come quickly, but the clues started adding up in small, unsettling ways.

Then, one evening, as she reviewed the latest text—“You’re safer when I’m watching”—a realization struck her. The language, the familiarity in the words… she had heard that tone before. Her heart pounded as she mentally retraced countless conversations, suddenly connecting the dots she had been too scared to face.

When the truth finally crystallized, it hit with the force of betrayal. The person who had been following her, sending those messages, shadowing her every move—was not a stranger. It was someone she had trusted. Someone who had stood close enough to earn her confidence, only to twist it into something threatening and invasive.

Now, Willow faces a terrifying decision. Does she confront them directly, risking an unpredictable reaction? Or does she quietly gather proof, waiting for the right moment to act? Every step carries danger, and every hour that passes feels heavier with the knowledge that her stalker is close enough to touch.

In Port Charles, dangers often wear familiar faces. For Willow, the real nightmare isn’t just being watched—it’s realizing the eyes following her belong to someone she once thought she knew.