Venom (Completed) ✔

One More Stranger

I look around, seeing just the dark, lifeless streets surrounding me. Only a few lampposts are shedding light where it's necessary and the leafs from bushes and trees are waving softly caused by the wind. But no Mason. Why did he leave me alone, again? I grab the handlebars of my cycle with both of my hands and take a few steps before getting on my bike again. Riding down the tiny road meant for cyclists in a small forest, I think of when I was a child. This is the route I feel save on, the route I've used with Getea, my babysitter when I was young.

But at the very verge of  the forest I see someone, cramped on the knees. I narrow my eyes, trying to look clearer and cycle slowly closer towards the person.

"Sir?" I get off my bike and lay it down on the ground when I'm in front of him. But he only looks to the ground, groaning softly. The only thing I can see is the dark color of his hair, covering his face. "Are you OK?" 

I back up a step and look around. No houses. Just a quiet, long, tiny road in the middle of the forest where lampposts are like fifty meters parted from each other.

Suddenly he looks up slowly, his eyes looking confused in mine. I shrink back impulsively. For a few seconds I stiffen completely, processing the guy right in front of me is exactly alike the man of that horrible dream.

"Are you wounded?" He begins, sounding not even close to someone who's supposed to be in pain like he showed me seconds ago.

I stare anxious in his eyes, feeling my heart starting to pound faster with the second. How is this even possible?

"Well, are you?" He places his hands next to him and raises himself from the ground, not losing me from his sight as he does so.

"I um. I have to go." I respond, taking a few steps backwards. "My parents. They um, they expect me to be home by now."

As I grab my bicycle from the ground I notice he still has his eyes upon me, surveying me completely. I get on my bike faster than normal, feeling that same 'being chased' feeling as when I run up the stairs at home, in the middle of the night as I think someone's running behind me too. I press my feet firm on the pedals and try to get away from this man as fast as possible, feeling my hands trembling slightly on the handlebars. When I take a quick look back, I see the road, empty, silence and lifeless as if I was hallucinating. He's gone. In just three seconds? How?

Looking back to the road in front of me again, my eyes widen and I make an impulsive emergency stop. "What?!" I squeal panicked.

He grabs the middle of my handlebar with one hand as he fuses his eyes with mine. "I wasn't done talking yet. Please, sit." He commands, pointing at the tree trunk right next to the road with his other hand.

Gritted teeth, I stare into his emerald-blue eyes. How is this even possible, it all feels so real... WHY AM I NOT WAKING UP?!

I carefully release the handlebars and step off my cycle, looking fearful at him. He quickly looks at the tree trunk and then immediately back at me, crooking his head slightly to the direction I have to go.

Not waiting any longer, I walk around the cycle, looking down to the ground and head over to the trunk, sitting down. When I look up to the left, the direction I came from, I notice a small light from afar. A cyclist...

The powerless feeling that was filling my mind leaves slowly as an upside down sandglass and makes space for the relieving feeling of safety.

But the guy breaks my moment of hope, suddenly appearing a few feet in front of me. I startle, sucking in a deep, short breath and grab the tree trunk underneath me firmly tight.

"Don't startle." He starts, his hands in front of him and open, showing me he's holding nothing dangerous. "First, let me be perfectly clear that I was not planning to hurt you."