Deadly and Dangerous

Chapter 4: A meeting at the diner.

I woke up on the couch feeling a sudden breeze hit my skin, which made me shiver involuntary. I got up off the couch and wrapped my arms around my shivering body and made my way to close whichever window that was open. As I rounded the couch, my heart-rate skyrocketed.

 It wasn't a window that was open but instead, it was my apartment door. I quickly rushed outside to see if anybody was there but there were no signs of movement, until a strange figure stepped out from an adjoining corridor. As I looked closely at the figure, I recognized the same features as the man from the subway station - Tall, broad shoulders with piercing green eyes with a few wrinkles on his face and a slightly scew nose.

I started hyperventilating and as I was about to run into my apartment and call the cops, he suddenly stormed off down the corridor. I was too paralyzed with fear to even blink. I didn't even realize that he's been gone for nearly ten minutes. I quickly made my way back to my apartment and made sure that the doors were locked. I switched on all my lights and grabbed my baseball bat and started checking out my apartment - to see if everything is fine.

I didn't find anything odd, so I switched off all the lights as well as the TV and I ran back to my room and hid underneath my comforter. As much as I tried to fall asleep again, I couldn't. I was too busy thinking of that man staring at me in the corridor. So many questions ran through my head: Why was he here? How did he unlock my apartment door? What did he want with me?

Three hours passed by and it was now 06:00 am. I decided to clear my head and to get out of the apartment. I put on my gray sweatpants and an adidas jacket and grabbed my IPhone and earphones and headed out for a jog.

I started off with a slow jog, but I soon channeled all of my frustrations into my jog and was soon running instead of jogging. I ran for 2 consecutive hours before coming to a stop at Central Park. I was sweating buckets and breathing heavily when I decided that I should just take this casually. I inhaled and exhaled a couple of times before I started walking the rest of the way home.

 I was looking at the pigeons feeding, when suddenly I was pushed from behind. I instinctively put my hands out infront of me to protect myself from the fall but I didn't think it properly through, and landed on my left wrist. I tried to hold in the whimper of pain, but I was sure that at any moment, I was going to burst out in tears.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay? I had no idea that I was going that fast!" Hold on, I recognize that deep voice.

"Serena, wait is that you?" I turned my head to look at 'Mystery Man' and saw that he was sweaty and confused. "What are you doing out running? I thought you had work." He offered me his hand which I gladly took.

"I work the night shifts, so I have the whole day to myself" I said holding onto my sore wrist.

"I'm so sorry about that. Is your wrist okay?" He asked, taking hold of my hand and placing it in his and observing it.

I winced in pain as he tilted my hand backwards and forwards, and I pulled my hand back quickly. "Ow! That hurts!"

"Come on. Let's get some ice for that. I know a place not too far away from here."

"No, it's fine. I was on my way home anyway." I smiled nervously at him.

"Please, I insist. It's the least I could do." He's damn right!

"Alright fine, but just because you nearly bull-dozed me." I let out a small smile and he chuckled. His laugh was addictive. I could listen to it the whole day, but that was besides the point. My wrist really hurts right now!

He walked a very familiar path and I soon realized that it was the way to the diner. He opened the shop door and a bell sound went off from directly above it. He found a booth for us to sit at and already ordered a bucket of ice and 2 soda's.