Trust in a stranger (part 3)

1

Darkness fell as she stared out her window, and as she glanced at her clock, she decided to take a walk, hoping to see him. She grabbed her coat, aware of the cold that evening. She crept down the stairs, aware of her parents, then strolled out the door. 2

She walked down the road, holding her coat closely around her neck, blinded by the few passing cars. She reached the end of the road, turning towards the centre of town. Her hair blew wildly in front of her face, and she became frustrated, turning her head away. Her conversation with Jack had resounded in her ears all evening, but she pushed it to the back of her mind, a hope of seeing the stranger again, although she didn’t understand her fascination. 3

**4

‘Who you looking for?’ a whisper asked.5

She turned, no one there.6

‘Looking for you.’ She answered.7

‘Really?’ he asked, stepping out from behind a tree.8

‘Yes.’9

‘I’m honoured.’ He whispered, approaching her.10

She looked him up and down, he wore a white shirt, unbuttoned slightly, tucked loosely into black drain pipes, just able to overlap his clumpy boots. He had one side of his head shaved slightly, black hair either side the pale patch. He smiled slightly, his grey eyes staring into hers.11

‘Do you mind?’ he asked, holding out a cigarette.12

‘No, but share.’13

‘Ok…’ he said, passing her a cigarette to light off his.14

They kept eye contact, watching the smoke rise from their mouths, he leant back onto the back of a wooden bench, perching himself on it.15

‘What’s stirring in your mind this evening?’ he asked, glancing over to her as his husky voice sounded.16

‘A lot.’ She said, turning back to him. 17

‘You should let it out.’ He murmured, looking away, as the smoke escaped him. 18

‘I tried a new look today, do you like it?’ she asked, turning to him, attempting to change the subject.19

‘You want to turn Goth?’ he asked, still calm but sniggering slightly.20

‘Yeah, why not?’ she replied, slightly offended.21

‘I don’t know, you just didn’t look the type.’22

‘Oh ok.’23

‘Look if you’re serious, I will help you tomorrow night.’ He said, glancing into her eyes, reflecting the almost full moon.24

‘Why night? Can’t we meet in the day time?’25

‘No, I can’t.’ he said, looking down to the floor.26

‘Why not? I get scared coming out here on my own.’27

‘I never asked you to come out here.’ He said, standing, a slight frustration in his voice.28

‘I don’t understand why you can’t come out in the day time, I mean my friends think I’m making you up!’29

‘You told your friends about me?’30

‘Um… yes.’31

‘Why?’32

‘I had to, you were on my mind all day…’33

‘Oh.’ He said, deeply inhaling the cigarette smoke.34

‘Sorry.’ She said, after several moments of silence, the birds in the trees only to be heard. 35

‘I think you should go.’36

‘What?’37

‘Go.’ he said, turned away.38

‘Why?’39

‘Because you should, I mean you don’t know me, I could be a freak, a stalker, a rapist…’ he said, his head turning as he removed a knife from his pocket.40

She stared, unsure of what to do, but then he approached, the knife shaking in his hand, and she turned, running in fear and confusion. She stopped, hearing a sudden scream. Reaching the fence, she watched out of sight. He fell to the ground, tears streaming from his eyes, eye liner smudged across his face. He had deliberately got the knife out, pushed her away to save her from him, but why she wondered…41