Wish Upon A Sunset

Groovy

Emma

Molly and I cringed back against the wall as the man lunged forward. I had braced myself for an attack and waited for him to hit one of us. Old memories threatened to overwhelm me and I forced myself to stay in the present. I could sense Molly's body react next to mine and her hand gripped my wrist.

He leapt towards the door and forcefully shut it, shaking the wall behind me. With a heavy breath, he turned and scowled down at us.

"What were you doing in there?" He snarled, and I could only stare into the dark reflection of his sunglasses as my parched mouth worked to make a sound.

While trembling next to me, Molly cleared her throat and responded to him with false bravado, stating, "W-we weren't in there. We hadn't gone in there yet." Her tone was defiant as she continued, "But why can't we go in there? Isn't that the public laundry facility?"

He was standing too close to us and I could smell his stale breath when he growled at her, "No, it's not! This area belongs to me! Stay out of there!"

"O-okay," I said, and it was only then that I realized his focus had been solely on Molly. Despite his hidden eyes, I sensed his attention shift towards me. It was uncomfortable and set my nerves on edge. "We won't go in there. Promise. We were just curious about my new home." I tried for a smile and hoped it didn't look as unnatural as the one I gave Molly earlier in the car.

"New home?" he grumbled. His eyes, barely visible through the dark lenses, scanned my body, a wave of goosebumps erupting on my skin in revolt. "Are you a new tenant?"

There was no point in lying now. If he lived here, he would see me. "Yeah, I am. And we were just heading to my apartment." I tugged on my arm where Molly still had a death grip.

"Come on. Let's go." I said to her and took a step toward the stairs.

The stranger stepped in front of us and his tongue darted out to moisten his lips in a contemplative manner that turned my stomach. "Well, now, that makes a difference. Don't want to get off on the wrong foot with my new neighbor." His chuckle was devoid of amusement, his breath tickling the baby hairs on my forehead as he leaned in far too close for comfort. I fought the urge to recoil, my skin crawling with revulsion. "I'm Arlo..." he trailed off, his unspoken demand for my name hanging heavy in the air.

"Emma," I said reluctantly as I took another step towards the stairs, Molly right behind me. "Nice to meet you, Arlo, but we really need to be going."

For a moment, it seemed like he might bar our path again. But, mercifully, he stepped aside with a parting remark that felt more ominous than friendly. "Nice to meet you too, Emma. See you around."

I mustered a brittle wave without turning back, refusing to meet that chilling, lightless stare again. My knees threatened to buckle with sheer relief as I hurried up the stairs, taking them two at a time, with Molly's footfalls echoing close behind. After a brief check to ensure Molly was still with me and Arlo wasn't, I almost burst into tears of happiness upon reaching the second floor and locating my room number. Only then could I take a deep breath.

My hand was trembling as I looked for the keys in the bottom of my bag. "Ah-ha!" My fingers closed around them and I unlocked the door, throwing us both inside and slamming it shut. In the darkness, I searched the wall for a light switch.

"God, that was weird!" Molly mumbled as she too looked for the lights. I could hear her hand brushing along the wall next to me.

"Tell me about it! That guy gave me the creeps! And what do you think he's hiding in that laundry room?"

"Honestly, I don't want to know. Oh, here it is!" The lights came on, bright and garish, and I could see Molly's exuberant smile. She sure bounced back fast.