Scratching my naked throat, I spit out the old fries that someone left unattended and try the little piece of burger instead. It's fine enough and I devour it, moving to sit in one of the chairs around the table. The mall is practically empty, seeing as it's early and a weekday, but I like it. I have shelter and food and no one bothers me.
It's been over two months since Marv died and I've been on my own since that day. I don't think much about Marv, almost not at all, since our bond was severed. I have no reason to waste any of my thoughts on her. Now, though, because there is no one to support me, I'm forced to live off the land. By that I mean I take anything people leave unattended, sometimes even things in stores if someone doesn't watch it. I actually appear to be doing well financially. The only thing that makes people think twice about my status is my hair. It's grown long and shaggy and I don't know how to style it so I let it run wild. I've gotten more than my fair share of looks thanks to my hair do and sometimes I think there are things caught in it. I really want a haircut but I don't have the money. Oh well.
I scratch my neck again, and not because my hair is long enough to tickle me there. I hate having a bare neck. It's a constant reminder that I'm a loose animal with no purpose. It's disgusting. I'm disgusting.
Chin in my hand, I watch the clock on the mall wall, near the ceiling. Tick, tick, tick. The noise is loud to me. I'm going to be leaving soon so I can make it to the coffee shop down the street in time. I yearn for a mistress and I think I've found the perfect candidate. If she hasn't been called in yet, she'll be heading to work, but she'll stop at the coffee shop first. She's so interesting to me that I've been following her life ever since I spotted her. The light around her drew me to her first, but what I saw after that made me stay. Somehow her light fluctuates, dimming and glowing with no rhyme or reason that I can see. Never have I experienced such a phenomenon. Usually the light that emanates from someone is constant, familiar, but not with this woman. One minute she glows brighter than a star and the next she's like a dull bulb. I don't know how to deal with it, and that's why I stay.
Though I'm following her, this woman has yet to truly acknowledge me. I've helped her from afar- moving obstacles out of her way so she can get to work on time, beating up people who piss her off, anything I feel she wants. It's the least I can do.
I even talked to her once, to gauge her reaction, but it didn't go well at all. She was uninterested in me, thinking I was too desperate. She thought I was cute but not worth the effort. I fell into a small depression after that, but I didn't stop helping her when I could. I had to continue.
Wiping my mouth, I stand and start for the mall exit. I run a hand through my tangled hair and squint in the bright sunlight, then begin my short walk to the coffee shop. The morning air feels nice on my skin and I can almost pretend that I'm not a loser. The fantasy lasts only a second.
After a few minutes of power walking I reach my destination and sit at one of the little tables out front. The woman I'm waiting for is already inside, waiting for her coffee. She's tapping her cell phone and leaning against the wall with her ankles crossed. She looks so cool and collected and confident. A few minutes pass, then her name is called- Seras. An odd name for an odd woman. It's lovely.
Stuffing her phone in her pocket, Seras grabs her coffee and thanks the barista before leaving. I sink back into my chair as the little bell above the shop door chimes and Seras steps out onto the sidewalk. She slips on a pair of sunglasses and sips at her coffee, already making her way back to her car. Halfway there her phone rings and she answers it with a crisp, "Crow." My body thrums with excitement at the prospect of a new crime scene to investigate and I straighten when Seras jogs to her car and throws herself inside. I don't move until her vehicle is in motion, not wanting her to see me. When I feel safe, I stand and get going, knowing where I'm headed already.
