His Unwavering Gaze

Chapter 3

Unwrapping the package, I tilt my head to the side, taking a few steps back to admire the object in full view.
I have been riding my bicycle for a significant part of my life and I could attest to the fact that what was right in front of me was so foreign yet so captivating.

It took the form of something I would need to harbour three months of my pay check in order to purchase. As though its presence in my house were illegal. Staring at the sleek, metallic body made from an exotic metal of aluminium which assures its strength and durability. Cut and welded into perfection with the most exquisite frame of titanium I could envision. All neatly finished with the finest rubber casing polymer for the tyres.

All this knowledge of the make of the bicycle were not spontaneously spewed. I acquired this proficiency from my experience with cars and previous education. Despite my prevailing circumstances, I completed education in Secondary school and started a degree in Engineering at University with the aid of a scholarship given to me. However with the inability to cater for the heap of bills that would most likely be piled atop my head after university, I dropped out.

Steering from that thought, how and what could something so prestigious be doing in my mere presence. Most bicycles are commissioned to be ridden by humans however this bicycle took the form of an object that would work contrariwise.

Heck my outstretched hand was even too stunned to touch it.

'Whoa, that is an unusual sight to see!' I'm graced by my brother's presence and voice as he ventures to closely observe and fiddle with the object.

'Who in their right minds would send you such a remarkable object. Perhaps they mistook our address for someone else's.'

I turn around to nudge Joe lightly and chuckle. 'You meanie. I don't think this delivery was a mistake as per mother's enquiry from the dispatcher, it was delivered specifically here. And strangely in my name.'

'Well I also heard from mother that your bicycle got stolen, and for this to be given to you right after spells out suspicion in block letters.' Joe points out.

'Perhaps it was a mere coincidence.' I counter, now becoming slightly aware and beginning to regard Joe's reasoning.

'Coincidence my left toe!'
'Mind your language pipsqueak.'

'Just face it Luna, you have a stalker now. And you may never know, maybe their binocular vision could be spying on you right now.' He makes a hole with his hands around his eyes, moving around me with amusement and squirming quickly out of my grasp as he runs down the stairs.

I shudder as my brother's previous words resurface my thoughts.
But brushing it off I move inside my shared room to change into something comfortable.

I couldn't fuel my thought process at the moment. My mind was too knackered to overthink as I could still feel the effects of the accident and a long day's work.

I raise the shirt of my pyjamas and my suspicions are confirmed as a purplish discolouration right above the left side of my hip glares back at me in the mirror which I was inspecting it through.

Taking out the first aid kit from one of the drawers of the dresser, I nurse my wounds. Tightly squeezing my lips together through the pain and finishing off by placing a big plaster to cover and tidy up my bruise that was beginning to blister.