The Stalker

Well, folks, I have finally been able to locate a copy of the January 2002 edition of the Alfred Hitchcock magazine.  There is a seller on eBay from Canada of all places that had a copy.  I shut my door and told me, kids, I was taking a nap and gave my cell phone to my mother to answer.  I began reading what may be the last thing published by our Favorite Author, Dorothy Gilman.

The story is not very long but it is enjoyable none the less.  It is about a young woman and her two children who end up in a small town in New Jersey.  As the story unfolds we learn that she has kidnapped her children to keep them safe from her powerful husband.  She thinks she has made a clean getaway and has finally been able to relax and enjoy being with her kids.  Suddenly she notices a man that seems to be following her.  She has only had her phone for a few weeks when in the middle of the night her first phone call is from her stalker saying she doesn’t have longed to live.  She is befriended by a kind of eccentric next door neighbor who also happens to be born with the “gift”.  Sensing the danger surrounding the frightened young woman she offers her a place for her children to go should they need it.

On a scale of one to ten, I would give this new short story an 8 because it is simply not long enough!

Sadly, this is the only copy I have found in the last 4 years of searching.  In an earlier post, I had tried to get a copy from the magazine company but this edition was no longer available and they apparently do not have any way to make new ones.  Too bad they don’t have a digital version where they can just send out as many copies as are needed.