The Wolf's Tempest

2. Just A Feeling

All day I had been fighting off the feeling that someone was watching me. I don't know what it was but every time I turned my back to the windows of the small little no name book store that I worked for, a chill would run up my spine and I'd be momentarily paralyzed by it. Of course, every time it happened, I'd turn and check and there was never anything out of the oridinary there. It was the same every time, just a few patrons of the small shopping district shuffeling down the semi crowed sidewalk to get to their next destination.

I had been brushing the feeling off all day but now that it's later and closer to the end of my shift, it's a little more worrying. The creepy feeling is still there and I'll have to leave the safety of the store soon to make my way home in the half assed lighting of the city sidewalks. Call me a paranoid cliche movie freek, but part of my brain set on worry mode and the images of severl stupid blonde bimbos getting dragged into allies and killed, flashed through my brain. Sorry, but I have enough problems of my own without worrying about being dragged into some ally and murdered by mr. tall, dark and ugly!

"Em, it's almost time to lock up. Are you finnished sorting the register?" Lars, the store manager asked.

I jumped and flinched back as he randomly appeared behind me, his voice the only warning of his approach. The gentle giant has a bad habbit of doing that, much to my displeasure. I rubbed the spot on my chest where my heart was currently trying to break it's way out with how fast it was beating, and nodded while trying to calm myself.

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry Tempest! Are you alright? I didn't mean to scare you." He panicked, moving into view and fluttering around like a chicken with it's head cut off.

It's quite the sight if you've never seen it. A six foot five inches tall, bald man who is built like a mac truck, jumping around and waving his hands because he doesn't know what to do with them.

I grabbed his arm and patted his shoulder to tell him to calm down. As funny as his reaction is to me, I don't want him working himself into a fit over something I'm pretty much used to. It's happened several times which is why I worked out a way to communicate with him.

He calmed down fairly quickly, sighed in relief and gave me a striking cheek to cheek smile. I returned it with a small one of mine and pointed to the closed and shut down register. Giving him the okay sigh, I stepped around the counter and made my way back to the employee lounge, which was really just a corner in the storage room, and grabbed my stuff from the tiny cubby with my name on it.

I stepped back into the main room and made my way to the door where I hit the bell twice to let Lars know I was heading out and started the walk home.

The hairs on the back of my neck were at attention as my feet hit the cool sidewalk outside of the store and the door closed silently behind me. Deciding against listening to music as I normally would, I start my trek home in silence. The feeling that I'm being watched has lessened but the paranoia is still there and with the flickering streetlights and slight chill to the air, I know that I'm basically a sitting duck for a stereotypical movie murder. Maybe I'll be dragged into a nearby alley by some ruffian and be rescued by some super hot hunk. Pfft, yeah because that's my life right?

The light, barely audible tap of footsteps behind me pulled me out of my thoughts and sent a jolt of panic straight to my heart. The breath caught in my throat briefly and my brain attempted to lock up but I forced the panic down and prayed that the tightening in my throat would lessen. Rather than turn and look at the person behind me, I picked up my pace and prayed that they would veer off in another direction. I nearly let out a cry of fear and frustration as the steps sped up and continued right behind me.

Fully aware that I probably looked like a crazy person, I took off in a dead sprint, hoping that my pursuer was again, just a figure of my imagination and paranoia. My heart took off like a bat out of hell, hammering against my chest as tears pricked the corners of my eyes.