Fascination
Chapter 1- First Encounters
Progressing slowly down the side of the dark road, the petite figure continued trudging along towards an unknown destination. Misery and exhaustion was visible in every step but still the person pushed on into the night only pausing momentarily to curse when the very clouds above seemed to open up, allowing a downpour to pound down on the earth...and the road's seemingly only occupant.
Wrapping her jacket more firmly about her small frame, the girl pushed on a while, silently questioning her actions. What the hell am I doing? This is nuts. The woman stopped on the side of the unusually deserted highway and turned back to peer back the way she just came. After a moment of silent debate, and a bit of dwelling on memories, she set her jaw firmly, raised her chin and shook her head. There was no way in hell she was going back. Not until she was really ready.
Bulma turned and faced the path ahead of her. Long, dark, and empty. She wasn't ready to go back, not after only being gone for a day. But -could- she continue?
Lightening flashed threatening through the sky, causing her to jump slightly. She could debate this issue later, once she was somewhere a bit safer than the middle of nowhere in a storm in the middle of the night.
Glancing once more behind her, the determined girl was about to continue her trek until her sapphire eyes caught sight of headlights coming up the road. Bulma really didn't like the idea of hitch hiking but the howling wind and thrashing rain was beginning to beat down on her even more fiercely than before.
No. Hitchhiking was too dangerous. That and wasn't the reason she left because she wanted to prove to herself she could manage on her own? The girl turned and continued walking only to have her attention returned to the car coming up as it slowed. Correction, it was a truck; a black truck. Well, that was a bit less conspicuous than a white van....
The hooded girl stopped in her tracks, looking into the window of the vehicle as it eased to a stop. After a moment of sitting there the window rolled down. "Are you just going to stand there or are you going to get in?" The driver asked in an accented and rather irritated voice. Due to the fact that it -was- night time and the inside of the truck was dark, the young woman couldn't see the driver very well.
She remained unmoving, not encouraged by the man's less than pleasant tone. There was an audible sigh. "Look, I don't bite. Now will you get in and out of the storm before you get struck by lightening and I have to wait for an ambulance?" The gruff voice was gentler this time, though still held an air of exasperation.
As if on cue lightening flashed across the sky and a great deal closer than it was before. Bulma glanced up and down the road once more before stepping forward and opening the door. By the time she was in and the door firmly shut, the window was back up.
Bulma had been too occupied getting into the truck that she hadn't had time to look at the driver while the lights were temporarily on. She glanced over cautiously then, hoping to get a better look of the man.
He was already looking forward again as he pulled the truck back onto the road and continue down the highway. His profile was strong yet held a hint of elegance. Hard jaw and chin, long and pronounced nose, though not too much. That's pretty much all she could see of his face.
Bulma might have been able to see his eyes, but they were a bit obscured by his bangs. His hair, now his hair was definitely interesting. It seemed to be swept up in a crest, reminding her of a suspended flame.
So intent on taking in what features she could see, Bulma didn't realize that she was now looking at him blatantly. Nor did she notice when he glanced at her quizzically, once, twice, between each looking back at the road. "What?" He finally demanded.
