Pulse (On Hold)

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

*Emerald’s P.O.V*

The weekend has gone by in a blur with only one thing on my mind: my mysterious stranger. You’d think I would have been fretting over the robber breaking into my house and wondering whether I had made a mistake by breaking up with Jared. But those things haven’t even crossed my mind up until now.

I guess you could say I’ve been very obsessive over those crimson eyes that have managed to fascinate me so entirely. I just can’t stop thinking about that man and it’s frustrating!

Whenever I try to focus on anything else my brain goes completely blank. But when I think about him my thoughts are unnaturally vivid. It frightens me how enthralled I am!

My mind just keeps producing these clear images of beautiful red roses to destroy what’s left of my sanity, and what’s worse is that they’re in my dreams so I can’t escape their rapture.

Will I ever know why that man attacked me? Or what possessed him to let me live? Can I allow myself to hope I will ever see his face, breath in his scent or touch his bruised lips? Ugh! Now I’m thinking about his lips? Curse you crazy hormones!

There’s just no way in hell that man could ever be unattractive, which only makes him all the more interesting. If he looks as good as he smells there’s no telling how I would react around him.

But really there’s no point in wondering because the chances are I’ll never even see him again. So is it wrong for me to be disappointed?

“Are you even listening to me?” Renee yells loudly in my ear, effectively cutting off my train of thought.

“What?” I mumble, tiredly.

“Spaced out again, huh Em?” Renee asks, raising one thin eyebrow.

“Yeah I guess so,” I say, as I take in the spectacular view of the trees swaying in the wind, their leaves rustling and crunching together.

“Come on girl!” Renee whines. “It’s only the first day back at school and you’re already distracted by something.”

“I’m sorry,” I sigh. “So what were you saying before?”

“There was a man.  I saw him lurking around the school gate, keeping to the shadows. So did a few other people. I don’t feel safe here anymore, Emerald,” Renee says, fear seeping into her voice.

“I understand that it’s hard for you to move on with your life after what happened, but you have to find some normality,” I tell her.

Ever since Renee was taken advantage of, all her rationality has ceased to exist. Anything scares her now. I doubt she’ll ever be able to look a man in the eye let alone date someone again.

“So you think I’m making this up?” Renee accuses, her cheeks flaring red with anger. 

“Of course I believe you.”

“Then will you trust me when I say he was looking for someone?” Renee asks desperately.

“What makes you say that?” I question, quite intrigued all of a sudden.

“It was like he was on the prowl, Em. But he never found who he was looking for,” Renee says, quite sure of herself.

“Where were you when this was happening?”

“I saw him through the window of classroom 64 in period four,” Renee sighs. “Not long before lunch started. So whose to say he’s not in the school grounds now?”