They bloomed in the darkness like countless eyes watching me.
The next day at three-thirty sharp, I arrived at the kindergarten entrance.
Stella's kindergarten was a cozy little place with a beautiful garden, several large trees, and colorful playground equipment.
I usually arrived a few minutes early to wait for dismissal. But today, before I even reached the entrance, Stella's teacher Angela hurried out to meet me. She was a gentle middle-aged woman, always smiling, but her face showed obvious worry now.
"Ms. Jensen, could I speak with you for a moment?" Her voice was soft but tense.
My heart clenched, immediately thinking the worst. "What happened to Stella? Is she hurt?"
"No, no, she's fine. She's very good." Angela waved her hands quickly, but her eyes scanned the surroundings as if checking for something. "It's just... there's something I feel I must tell you. Please come with me."
She led me to the office and pulled several drawings from a folder. "These are pictures Stella's been drawing recently. They've got me confused and somewhat worried."
I took them, and my breathing stopped at the first one.
The drawing showed a tall man standing behind a large tree. His outline was blurry, but you could tell he was powerfully built, proportionally much larger than the other figures in the picture—the little girl, swings, slides... everything else looked so small.
And that man loomed like a giant, like a shadow over everything.
"This is..." My voice was hoarse.
"Stella says this is a man she saw in the garden." She explained. "She's drawn several similar ones this week. At first, I thought it was her imagination—children often make up stories. But there are too many, and they're all consistent."
I quickly flipped through the others. Every single drawing had that man.
I gripped the papers tightly. "Did she... did she say what this person did? Has he tried to approach her?"
"No." She shook her head. "She told me this person never comes close, just watches her from far away. But Ms. Jensen, this makes me very uneasy. I wanted to ask—is this man a relative of yours? Or... someone you know?"
I opened my mouth but couldn't make a sound. I couldn't imagine some stranger might be stalking my daughter.
"I..."
Just then, someone knocked on the door. Another teacher poked her head in. "Angela, the children should be dismissed now."
"Right away." Angela nodded at her, then turned to me. "Ms. Jensen, whether or not you know this person, we'll beincreasing security. The kindergarten's responsibility is protecting children. We can't let any suspicious individuals near the little ones."
"I understand." I struggled to keep my voice steady. "Thank you for telling me. Really, thank you."
"If necessary, we can call the police," Angela said seriously. "Children's safety comes first. Starting tomorrow, we'll increase patrols around the grounds. If we spot any suspicious individuals again, we'll notify authorities immediately."
I nodded, my throat too tight to speak.
"Also." Angela hesitated. "I suggest you be extra careful when picking up and dropping off your child. Maybe have other family members accompany you, or change your pickup routes and times."
"Okay, I will. Thank you."
A few minutes after talking with Angela, Stella bounced out, wearing her little backpack and beaming innocently.
"Mommy!" She threw herself into my arms, her soft little body hitting my legs.
I crouched down and hugged her tightly.
"Baby." I kissed her hair. "Did you have fun today?"
"Yes! I drew lots of pictures! Teacher Angela said I drew very well!"
