Public Enemy

☣003☣

As I sit at the table with bloodshot eyes, Grandpa asks me if I had a nightmare like he always does. 

This time, I just shake my head. After last night, I don't feel right, and now with this other entirely new dream... I can't bring myself to get into it, only to potentially be brushed off again. The sliver of pride I has left had been damaged as it is.

"Is that so?" He replies, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Yeah." I mutter as I get up and proceeded to trail closely behind Annie as she clears her dishes and heads down to the shop. I was worried he would corner me into talking back there like he sometimes does when I won't tell him things. Thankfully though, he didn't. He simply sat there, sipping his coffee and watching me closely as I left. 

After a while, Annie pulls me aside while I'm mulling around in the back room, looking for some sort of menial task to distract myself with. 

"Zero, are you okay?" She questions, holding onto my shoulder and staring at me with concern. "You seem a little... off."

I stare at the floor, unable to look her in the eyes. "I'm fine, just a little tired. That's all."

"Are you sure?"

"Uh huh"

"Zero, I see you every day, I think I can tell when something's not right!" 

"Annie! I'm fine! Stop it already..." 

Jingle, jingle.

The two of us exchange looks like always, and I find myself venturing out into the store, taking it as an opportunity to get out of her little interrogation, but I'm quickly stopped in my tracks as soon as I glance at the entrance.

There, stood the man who had followed me the day before, I'm sure it's him. His pale blue eyes pierce through me as they immediately lock onto me. The keychains hanging from his neck and belts, softly jingle as he approaches where I'm standing.

"Can I... help you?" I stammer, hiding behind a shelf full of various small, vintage electronics.

He shifts his gaze around the store, and then focuses back on me, biting the piercing in the middle of his lip. It's clear he wanted to say something, but for whatever reason, he isn't spitting it out. 

When we lock eyes, for just a split second, I see that boy again. Suddenly something clicks right then and there and I realize that this man is, in fact, him.

Both of us stand in silence for a moment, trying to figure out how to approach the situation. I wonder if it's possible that he sees the same things I do in my nightmares, as crazy as that sounds even to me.  

"I sure hope you know why I'm here, or this is gonna be real awkward." He finally breaks the silence as he stands stiffly with his hands in his pockets, flashing me a fleeting grin.

I laugh nervously. "I think so." 

Even though he's not threatening in the slightest at this point, I still feel intimidated by him. Perhaps it's the fact that he towers over me, or maybe because he looks a lot like the people shown in the commercials for District One with his flashy, and just downright strange clothing choices. 

"I'm not about to bother you at work, so what time do you get off? I think we should have a little chat." He states rather bluntly.

I keep my voice down, unsure if I want anyone to hear the conversation, worrying a little that someone already has. "I get off at 5." I answer, "I can meet you outside in the alley."