Wraith

Dark Stirrings Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Olive put the matter from her mind, but the next evening as she was heading home something else happened that made her wonder if she was right. She had just turned in to her road when she became aware of being followed. For a moment, she hesitated. Whoever was doing it was trying to be stealthy and she was suddenly aware of how dark it was and the fact that she was all alone. But if my tail means trouble they'll get a big surprise when Wraith turns the tables on them. Her footsteps slowed and she frowned slightly. But I don't actually have my mask on – it's still in my bag – and I can't really get it out now while I'm being watched. If I want to keep Wraith secret, doesn't that mean that I have to react like Olive and hope that Siren has both started her patrol already and is close enough to provide assistance?

She hadn't made a decision before matters were taken out of her hands as her stalker suddenly rushed forward and smashed a bat at her head. She was already moving however, turning and stepping to one side as the weapon arced down. It slammed into her shoulder, but she didn't really notice. Careful to move at as close to Normal speed as she could manage, Olive faced off against her attacker while she ran through the martial arts courses she had attended. After all there was no need to pretend to be completely helpless when it would be easy enough to discover that she had indeed taken those courses; so long as she kept herself from executing some of the more esoteric moves that were a part of Wraith's repertoire.

An instant later there was no need to use any of her moves. The Captain made a leap off a nearby roof and landed upon Olive's attacker, knocking him out cold. She gaped for a second and then slowly relaxed as she realized who her rescuer was. How he had gotten there so fast when she hadn't been aware of him nearby, and why he wasn't in Memory Lane would be questions to ponder later as she remembered her manners.

"Thank you, Captain."

He looked up from where he was tying up her assailant and accepted her gratitude gravely. "You're welcome, Olive." He stood and cocked his head. "Why are you out so late?"

Olive frowned; what business of his was it what she was doing? But she couldn't see any harm in answering and so she shrugged and answered. "I had a late seminar."

"You're at Megalopolis South University?" He started walking with her toward her house, carrying the bound and unconscious attacker over his shoulder. "I thought that they were providing coaches for off campus students."

"You mean because of the girls who were attacked? They were, but there have been no new incidents over the last couple of weeks so the administration has relaxed a bit. I think they believe that when his victims were freed the Abuser responsible decided to go elsewhere, so the coaches were discontinued at the end of last week."

"I see." The Captain walked a few more steps in silence and Olive wondered what he was thinking. Then he spoke abruptly. "Maybe you should have your father come get you from the University if you're going to be walking home in the dark."

Olive whirled on him. "I'm not a child to be collected after school."

"You would have been mugged if I hadn't shown up."

"I'd have been fine; I was about to kick his butt."

"Really?"

"Of course; Dad made me take a bunch of martial arts courses when I was younger. Normal doesn't mean helpless." Olive stomped the next couple of steps even as she added to herself; and because I'm not actually Normal, I'm even less helpless.

The Captain sighed and rubbed a hand over his mask and down his face. "Sorry, of course you aren't. I didn't mean to imply that you were. I'm just concerned. I've no idea what I would have told your father if I'd been a few minutes later and this mugger hadn't missed that first blow."