Encounter The Second

He was following her again — the man with the sword.

…Well, he didn’t have the sword when he was following her, he had simply started with the sword. …At least, she didn’t think he had the sword. …She hoped he didn’t have the sword…

…

…Why did she always get the psychos?

Nevertheless, the man who at one point had taken possession of a sword that she had inadvertently tripped over was once again following her on her way to class.

Creepy bastard…

The first time she had caught him had been a week after their initial encounter, huddling momentarily in an alley when she realized she had forgotten a book. Resigned that she would have to make do without the text for the day, her gaze had wandered back up into the crowd, only to be caught by a flash of grey over the movement of bodies. He had been there, just on the other side of the street, staring shamelessly. When she had blinked in confusion, thinking it to be a trick of the eye, he had disappeared. Several days later, it had happened again.

Afterwards, she had seen him in similar such situations: a glance out of the corner of her eye, a turn of the head at the opportune moment… he was there, gazing stoically from beyond the crowd where she could not reach, gone in a moment.

Eerily, Juri felt as though her lone stalker wanted her to see him. The way he stared…

A shiver ran through her as she thought of the grey eyes boring into her at that very moment. Unintentionally, her steps quickened.

It had continued on like that for weeks now, the glimpses more frequent until it was unusual not to see him on her daily walk to campus. He was careful to keep his distance.

Luckily, her reprieve came in the form of the bus. He never seemed to follow her onto her final stretch of journey, but instead would sometimes stand in the very place where she boarded, so that when she looked back she could see him watching. Though that gesture alone was haunting, she felt relief flood through her every time the double doors closed behind her.

She longed for that feeling.

Fully conscious of the body following behind her, she made a mad dash for her haven and all but vaulted through the doors, gaining a raised eyebrow from the driver. Smiling nervously, she paid her fare and wandered to the back of the bus, sighing as she flopped carelessly down in one of the hard plastic seats. Glancing out the window, she noted with satisfaction that he was not at the corner that day.

“A bike would be far more efficient.”

If it were possible to jump out of one’s skin, Juri would have made a fine specimen for her anatomy class.

He was sitting beside her, looking down at her with curious eyes, a length of black hair spilling over one shoulder in a delicate ponytail to make her own brown waves look tangled and ratty. Those grey eyes were as piercing as ever, drinking in the very essence of her.

“Oh dear God…” The words escaped her lips before she could stop them, and she watched in horror as a careful smile spread over thin lips.

“Close, but not quite.”

She swallowed, her face going pale.

Why did she always attract the psychos?

~ by eeratka on September 28, 2007.