The Watcher

~*~ A school project gone horribly, horribly right. Enjoy?~*~

The Watcher

            She stared out at the lake, watching the sunlight dance across the water. The sun was sinking lower and lower on the horizon.

            A slow breeze blew her hair in her face, obscuring her view. She pulled the fiery strands away from her eyes and tied her hair back.

            Too soon the sun disappeared on the horizon and she was left sitting alone in the dark. The concrete bench upon which she sat grew cold without the sunlight to warm it.

            He pressed forward a bit, staying behind the tree, watching only her. She was mesmerizing the way she sat so still for so long. He was hypnotized by the small movements she made. The way the cool breeze blew her hair, tied back in a ponytail. He wished she would untie her hair again. The way it cascaded down her shoulders was beautiful to him. He wanted to be closer to her.

            He stepped forward not bothering to check his steps. He cracked a stick under his foot.

            Her head whipped to the sound. She looked at a tree some yards back where the sound came from. Someone or something stepped on a fallen branch. She tried desperately to discern the shadows from one another. Her efforts proved to be futile. All the shadows blended into one another. She brushed her paranoia off as a squirrel.

            He stood perfectly immobile, hoping she wouldn’t be able to see him as he saw her. The moon was coming up and she was bathed in moonlight. He felt drawn to her. He needed to be closer. He watched where he placed his feet this time. He couldn’t make another mistake.

            She was facing the lake again not paying attention to the growing cold. The moon was up now and she could see again. She loved this time of night. Everything was quiet, but not eerily quiet. It provided the perfect time and place to sit and ponder one’s own existence in the world.

            He went silently behind her and said, “Excuse me, ma’am? Are you alright?”

            She jumped at the sound of his voice and spun, slowly, to look at him. “I- I don’t have any money. Please don’t hurt me.” She stammered, afraid of the man. His russet brown hair fell into his emerald green eyes, making him look unlike any thief she’d ever seen. He was about her age, although much taller. He was watching her with eyes full of concern.

            “Oh, no, I’m not a mugger. I saw you sitting here and I was worried about your safety. You shouldn’t be out at night alone. Bad people hide in the night.”

            “Are you making a self-reference?” She asked. Something about this man seemed off putting to her. Perhaps it was the way his face was so open, almost too open and trusting. Or possibly it was the fact that he too was out this late by himself. She’d never been disrupted in her evening strolls before.

            He let out a throaty chuckle and said, “Of course not. I didn’t mean to alarm you; I was just concerned is all. Sorry, I’ll be on my way.”

            She watched him go with guarded eyes. There was no way she could stay and think any longer, her mind was too befuddled for the calm serenity that emanated from her favorite place. With careful, silent movements she slipped her arms back into the sleeves of her jacket and she did up the buttons.

            The walk home proved uneventful, she was not disturbed again. She kept silently to herself, liking to muse her thoughts in her head rather than aloud for unseen ears to hear. She was so wrapped up in her inner turmoil that once again she was unaware of the danger lurking just under a hundred yards behind her.