Hades

Chapter one: I have a stalker

The first time we met was when I saw him staring at me from across the train station. He was a pale boy, with dark messy hair and and even darker large eyes which seemed to peer straight into your soul.

I had carefully tired to avoid eye contact with him and I expected him to do the same, but all he did was stare. I grew quite uncomfortable about this so I proceeded to move from the bench I was sitting on. I looked towards him one more time to find him giving me a sly smile, then all of a sudden he vanished.

I looked around stupidly for him for a while, but couldn't find him anywhere. It was just your imagination, I had told myself, but a little voice in my head told me otherwise.

As I sat on the train home from school, not once did I stop thinking about the hooded boy with the dark messy hair. Even when I reached my humble suburbian home which capacitated both my parents, my two younger brothers and I, I did not stop thinking about him. It was only when my mother interrupted my thoughts, did I finally realize that maybe the boy was staring at me because I was doing something stupid at that moment.

"Clarice, darling, would you mind a visit to the shops?" My mother asked me. "We're running out of milk."

"Of course, mother."

My mother was a short-ish lady with blonde curly hair which was quite a striking contrast to my brown hair which I had inherited from my father. My mother was a slightly chubby lady, as she loved to pamper herself with sweets and chocolates.

I grabbed my coat as it had become remarkably chilly for night was falling, and head out to buy some milk from the shops. I walked down the street which was littered with leaves as it was the middle of autumn. I reached the little grocery shop which was two blocks down and bought the milk. It was on the walk back when I saw him again. The sky was quite dark and he stood with his hands in his pockets, his hoodie over his head, standing behind a tree staring straight at me. I looked away and began to walk faster, but when I looked back, he was still standing there staring at me. I looked away and began to walk again. I looked back at him one last time, but he was gone.

***

Dinner that night with my family was ordinary. My father and two brothers conversed about school and what they were learning. I tuned out for I was thinking again about the hooded boy, but was still brought back into the conversation.

"Honey, are you alright?" My mother asked. "You've been awfully quiet."

I tried to give her a smile. "I'm fine."

"Darling, if it's anything that's happening at school, you have to tell us."

I shook my head and brought my plate over to the sink. My parents have always wanted to help me with any difficulties I was having at school, but I never seemed to need their help. So if I told them about any problems in which I were facing now, even if it was small, they would make the biggest fuss over it.

"You're done eating already? Come on darling, have some more."

"No thanks, I have some homework to finish."

"Maybe your father could help you."

"Yes, maybe I can help," My father chipped in.

"No thanks, I'd rather do it on my own."

***

I sat on my bed doing my chemistry homework when my mother came knocking on my door.

"Come in," I told her.

She came into my room carrying a glass of milk and a plate of cookies. "I made you some."

"Thank you," I said as I walked over to her and she passed me the food.

"It's alright honey, if you need anything just call me."

I smiled at her then she left the room.

***

The school bell rung and I was being bumped down the corridor again. I got to my blue locker and opened it. As I exchanged my Biology textbook for my maths book, I felt a pricklin feeling at the back of my neck that someone was watching me. I whipped my head around to see the boy with the hoodie standing there again. I quickly shut my locker and ran away.

I didn't see him for the rest of the day, that was until I was walking home. I caught him again, staring at me from behind a tree. I inhaled deeply, then I marched towards him.

"Look, I don't know what you want from me, but whatever it is, I feel like you should just ask me, straight up, no beating around the bush. Er... literally."

I was feeling quite mad at him, but he only gave off a confused look.

"What's the matter?" I asked. "Cat got your tongue?"

He finally said, "You can see me?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, I can't see you. You are invisible."

He seemed to flinch at those words, but quickly recovered and asked, "You can hear me too?"

"Do I look like I'm dumb to you?" I asked feeling annoyed. "Now I'm asking one more time, what do you want from me?"

There was a pregnant pause, then he finally said, "I don't want anything from you."

"Then why do you keep following me around?"

"I...I find you interesting," he told me. "You're different. Very different. You don't talk to anyone at school...Why don't you talk to anyone at school?"

"That's private information!" I exclaimed. "And even if I am different, what gives you the right to follow me around everywhere?!"

"I'm sorry Clarice, I didn't mean to come off like this I only--"

"How on earth do you know my name?"

"I--I," He was trying to tell me something but he didn't seem to be able to say anything.

"Who even are you anyway?" I asked him.

He stared at me for a long time with his sad brown eyes. Then finally, "My name is Hal. I am Hal...Calvin."

I laughed. "Your name is Hal Calvin?"

He hesitated. "Yes..."

"I don't know," I said shaking my head. "You don't seem to sure."

"I-I'm definitely sure," Hal said with creased eyebrows.

"Okay," I smiled. I had no idea what had gotten into me. This guy had been stalking me for the last couple of days. But I could not stop myself from saying what I next said.

"Well, Hal," I started, "How would you like to come over for dinner at my house?"