The stillness of the night only magnified the unease that gripped me.

A cold shiver raced up my spine, and before I even realized it, I was running.

I didn’t stop until I reached the car parked at the curb. The driver glanced up at me—panting, wide-eyed—and let out a chuckle. “You didn’t have to sprint. I’m not in a rush, you know.”

I wasn’t either. But fear had taken over, pure and simple.

I turned to look back at ...