Plagued

Chapter Two

"What did he do this time?"

All that's left behind were piles of letters. A few roses preserved in the safety of numerous novels around her room. Bridget just stared blankly at the empty space, recalling the way her laugh echoed the room. She walked in and glanced around Sophia's desk. On top was a letter that read:

Dear Juliet,

Long have I watched you become more beautiful by the day,

As the distance between us shrunk my hunger for you grew,

The thirst for your flesh weakens me by the knees,

Your scent draws me deeper into your clutches,

And that's where I desperately want to be.

Your Romeo

The rest of the letters were covered with speeches of intimacy and love. He knew everything about her; it reached a point where he described what she wore to sleep that very night. As days stretched on, chills ran down Sophia's spine. Her mind alert as paranoia crept in, slowly and hungrily.

In his eyes, the skies were as dull as usual. People simply lacking the beauty he ached for. Silence swept the bus as the clock ticked the morning away. Rhys was always the odd one out of the pile; that fact comforted him, defined him. He was invisible, ignored by the eyes and minds of everyone around him. He preferred it this way.

Wire after wire, a light bulb after another. His work went on as it normally would. Running here and there, a ladder developing into the role of his business partner. He stood tall, over the others, reaching for the ceiling. Pause. "Beautiful." He sighed.

The figure just stopped and stared, she tilted her head slightly in curiosity. "What are you staring at?" she heard Bridget say with a snicker. "Is he staring at us?" she replied staring back at him. Without thinking, she naturally smiled back with a big wave as a response.

He couldn't breathe, "Is she waving at me?" he spoke as blood rushed swiftly into his heart raising his once orderly pulse.

Her office had a panoramic view of the city. Sophia always admired the sight especially at sunset. She loved how the colors danced together, swaying into conflation.

She stood up before the glass wall and waved once again to the stranger, excited for a response.

He gave a hopeful wave in return. "She might be waving at someone else though." He murmured. Rhys could see her delighted grin and watched her as she raised two thumbs in the air in approval. In disbelief, he held his breathe till he almost turned blue.

"Oh well, there goes my break. Thank you for the lunch Soph." Bridget said as she slowly got off her chair. Sophia turned around and responded, "My pleasure darling. See you later." She sat back down on her seat and went back to work as the other closed the door. She laughed a little, remembering the man's face of incredulity. "He must have thought I was crazy" she whispered with amusement.

"I'm home!" he shouted as he walked in. There was a twinkle in his eye, a smile that rarely sat across his features. Several heads turned in recognition, "Welcome home."