That Moment When My Instincts Kicked In

I was waiting for my online-booked ride yesterday when something scary happened.

It was not too early in the morning—around thirty minutes past nine. After ordering an online ride to church, I left my boarding house to walk to a nearby spot where the driver could easily pick me up. Since the driver who accepted my ride request was quite far, I decided to stop midway and wait for a while at the end of my housing complex.

My street is usually busy, but it was unusually empty last Sunday. I thought it would be fine to wait just a few meters from the T-junction that leads to the main road. It was still early anyway.

Little did I know that a few minutes later, a strange man entered the complex, walking slowly and looking unsure. At first, I wasn’t bothered. I thought maybe he was just crossing the street to get to another complex. However, when he got closer without taking his eyes off me (I can’t explain it, but I just felt it), my instinct told me to walk away quickly.

And I did.

When I went past him, he stopped. I was very scared that he would do something really, really bad, so I sped up my pace without making it obvious that I was trying to flee. From the corner of my eye, I saw his head turn backwards. He didn’t move. He just stared.

When I finally arrived at the roadway, my pulse was pounding so hard that I felt like I had just run a 10-kilometer race. I couldn’t help but keep looking back to make sure he wasn’t following me or anything. It was a terrifying experience, but I’m very grateful to be safe now. Thank God.

Now, please remember—my intention in sharing this is not to spread fear, but to remind everyone to always trust their instincts. Sometimes, our consciousness knows better. It’s always better to follow it in times like this.

Stay safe, and always trust your guts.