A simple act of kindness leads to unforeseen darkness: A tale of fear, secrets, and the unknown

It was a cold night, with the thermometer reading -3°C. The wind cut through my coat, and the snowflakes stung my face. All I wanted was to get home, take a hot shower, and drink some hot chocolate. But as I approached the shawarma stand on the corner, my steps faltered.

There he was — a man wrapped in torn fabric, trembling while a skinny dog pressed against him, seeking warmth. His hoarse, pleading voice broke the silence of the night.

"Just give me a cup of hot water, please," he asked.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" shouted the vendor, without even looking at him.

The dog whimpered, and something inside me broke. My grandmother's words echoed in my mind: "Kindness costs nothing, but it can change everything." I decided to step forward.

"Two coffees and two shawarmas, please," I ordered.

The vendor frowned, but prepared the order. Blushing with embarrassment, I handed the bag and cups to the man. "Here," I murmured.

As I started to walk away, his hoarse voice stopped me. "Wait." He extended a crumpled piece of paper. "Read it at home," he said with a strange smile.

I kept the note in my pocket, ignoring it as I focused on my walk home, work emails, and the hundreds of trivialities of modern life.

It wasn’t until the next night, while cleaning my coat pocket, that I found it. The paper was wrinkled and worn, but the message was clear.

"I am the man you helped yesterday. Now you have helped me, but if you open this letter, you will never have peace. I am not what you think I am."

A chill ran down my spine. The paper seemed to pulse in my hands. I couldn’t understand. He was just a beggar, right? What did he mean by this? I tried to laugh at myself, thinking it was just another meaningless superstition, but a strange feeling settled inside me.

That night, I heard a sound coming from the street. It sounded like someone walking. I looked out the window but saw no one. The wind howled, and the silence was only broken by the rustling of the trees.

Hours later, while I was trying to sleep, the sound came again. I got up and looked out the window. Now, a hooded figure was standing on the corner, in front of the shawarma stand. I froze, watching. It was the same man.

But he was no longer alone. A mysterious figure stood beside him. Whatever it was, it had its eyes fixed on me.

I didn’t know what to do anymore. The letter... everything was starting to make sense now. I had stumbled into something I shouldn’t have. And now, I couldn’t escape.

With my heart racing, I stepped away from the window. The feeling of being watched consumed me. I closed my eyes and tried to ignore it, but fear wouldn’t leave me.

What had started as a simple act of kindness had turned into something much darker than I could have imagined.

Fear took over me, and deep down, I knew I would never be the same again.