Trust your instinct it can save your life. I will tell you the one life-threatening story that changed the way I look at my surroundings as a ticking bomb and a tragedy waiting to happen if you choose to ignore it.
That tragic day I was walking alone at Pertama Complex Kuala Lumpur, just wandered around doing my usual window shopping thingy. After I finished my shopping I decided to go home. While going out I saw a group of guys standing nearby the entrance. They disturbed and teased me but I walked very fast and ignored them. I kind of realized that one of them started to follow me. My instinct said, "Stopped and Be Alert!". I turned my head but that guy just walked passed by me. He seemed busy walking somewhere. So I continued walking without hesitation.
This was not the real one... just an illusion of the stranger that day
Then I received a call from my friend. I continued to talk and board the train home. My instinct again telling me to look around and to my surprise, that guy was on the same train with me. I was still talking on the phone and couldn't be bothered about the stranger who by now already locked on his target.
I reached my destination and started to walk home. It's a five-minute walk. I was still talking on the phone. My instinct said, "Stopped and Be Alert!". I looked back and get startled that guy was behind me. I put down my phone. Then I hesitated, but again that stranger just walked passed by me. So I walked into my apartment area. It's a 5-storeys walk-up apartments. Again I got the shock of my life, that stranger was standing at the stairs.
By this time, I was on Red Alert but it was too late right. He just walked up the stairs, not looking at me. My instinct told me to run but I hesitated. I waited downstairs for about 10 minutes. Like I heard the sound of padlocks opened, so I thought to myself "Silly me, he must be living here", then I started to walk up. I lived on the fourth floor with some friends. But they all worked during daytime and so I was the only one at home that day as I took leave from work.
When I reached my fourth floor I straight away head to my house door to open the door. After I unlocked the padlock, I opened the door. My instinct said, "Beware!" I turned my head and to my horror, that stranger ran towards me and grab me. I pushed him with all my might and fell down to the floor. He tried to drag me inside. I screamed on top of my lungs "HELP! HELP! HELP!". My neighbors opened their doors. And he ran. I threw the padlock in my hand. It missed him by an inch. I chased him down and shouted. Some neighbors downstairs also chased him. But he ran too fast and jumped off the fence. He got cut by the fence and bleeding. But they did not manage to get him.
After that day, I caught a high fever. I just cried at home and stayed in the house for one whole week. That story happened many years back and I have since moved to a different house shortly after but I can never get over it. I still got phobia with strangers till now. And lesson of my life is... to always be alert of my surroundings, focusing too much on the phone will make you a vulnerable victim and most important of all "Trust Your Instinct It Can Save Your Life!"
Take care my friends! Yours truly, ainie
A view from my house balcony