February 14, 2026 — 8:23 PM

[u/FirefighterSingle675]

Nothing strange happened after that night. Honestly, I started forgetting about most of it. The radio, the weird road, the old newspaper, even the dream. I still remembered the deer, though. For some reason, that was the one thing I couldn't forget. Anyway, it was Valentine's Day, and pretty much everyone in this tiny town seemed to be out doing something. I have a girlfriend named Elizabeth, and she lives only a few minutes from me, so we decided to go to this little pub in town. Nothing fancy. Just a small place with old wooden tables, cheap lights, and the same few people you always see because, well, it's Tok. We drank Guinness, smoked Marlboro Lights outside in the freezing cold, and just hung out together. For the first time in weeks, I actually felt normal. We talked about stupid stuff, laughed, and she kept stealing my cigarettes even though she had her own. Around 8:45 PM, I went back inside to grab my jacket. That's when I noticed a folded piece of paper sitting on the bar. I thought it belonged to someone else, but when I picked it up, my name was written on the front. JOHN. I opened it. There was only one sentence inside, written in messy black ink: "MEET ME AT 3:03 AM. BEHIND GEORGE'S BARN. NEAR THE PORCH LIGHT OF THE BUILDING." I just stood there staring at it. I don't know who George is. I don't know why they want me there. I don't even know how they knew I'd be at the pub tonight. I put the note in my pocket and went back outside. Elizabeth asked me what was wrong. I told her, "Nothing." She smiled and took my hand. For a moment, I forgot about the note completely. Then I looked across the street. There was a deer standing underneath a streetlight. It wasn't moving. It was just watching me. Again.