There were few things in the world Lira hated more than public outings. It wasn't that she hated them really, but more so she wasn't sure how to interact around other people. Especially on the crowded streets of Manhattan. More often than not, she would lift the hood of her sweater as far over her eyes and she could manage, and make her way through the hoards as quickly as she could. It was an endeaver she loathed, and tried to avoid at all costs. Although avoiding the crowds was a task that had proven time and time again to be next to impossible.
As usual, Lira pushed through the people around her, hardly being noticed. She took comfort in this one small detail of herself; she was almost never noticed. Being lost in a group of people was somewhat of a specialty. The sun had begun to set, casting an orange glow across the concrete giving off the illusion the city was full of colors. It was a lie Lira found no sort of comfort in. She slowed, eyes raising slightly to glance across the sea of faces. Most of them had covered their eyes with an expensive pair of designer sun glasses, which made Lira even more uncomfortable. If the eyes were covered, one couldn't see what the other was thinking. The eyes are the windows to the soul. The old saying was filled with truth, or so she had noticed over the years. Once someone is lied to enough times, one begins to learn how to read faces and the emotions hidden within the rest. Which was probably one of the few things Lira was good at. Returning her gaze to the sidewalk, she pressed on, regaining her quick pace.
Seconds later she hit something solid. Falling to the ground, she frantically grabbed at her hood in an attempt to keep what she had covered of her face hidden. Once people see the face, they feel inclined to talk. Even if it was nothing but an apology. That was the last thing she wanted. But, despite her attempts, her mask slid backward just enough. Hesitantly, she glanced up at the man standing in front of her. She bit her lip hard enough to send a trickle of blood onto her tongue. He frowned down at her, extending a hand.
"I'm so sorry." He said softly. He bent down slightly, covering the sun that had been beaming into Lira's eyes, his siloutte now lined in an orange and red glow. Lira reached out and grabbed his hand and he lifted her slowly. He was much taller than her. Maybe about a foot or so. His deep blue eyes bore into hers, and despite her best efforts, she couldn't tear herself away. His face was gaunt, which matched the rest of his lanky build. But the strangest look about him, was the hair that was white as snow. It stood out against his pale skin, covering most of his forehead and stooping just below the brow. "I'm really sorry." He repeated with a voice smooth as silk. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Lira retorted, rather bluntly, as she dropped his hand and letting hers hang awkwardly at her side. She gripped the edge of her pockets, hoping it would mask the excessive shakiness of her hands. But the shaking seemed to transfer to the rest of her body. She shrugged her shoulders, shoving her hands into her pockets before balling them into fists and digging her nails into her senstitive flesh.
"What's your name?" The stranger half smiled, regaining an upright position. He paid special attention to where the sun was, making sure Lira wouldn't be blinded. He looked proud, confident, everyting Lira wasn't. When Lira gave no response, he stepped towards her, closing the already small distance between the two. He forced eyecontact, and despite Lira's best attempts, she couldn't pull away. He began moving closer to her, making Lira's heart race against her chest. He maintained their gaze, until the tip of his nose brushed against hers. Suddenly, he ducked to the right, leaving Lira blinded and confused. She raised a hand in front of her eyes to block the sunlight, heart still pounding.
"You should really be more careful. This looks valuable."
He stood, extending his hand. Draped over his palm was the necklace that she had placed in her pocket that morning. It was nothing extraordinary, just a small golden locket. To anyone but Lira, it looked nothing more than a trinquit one may aquire at the dollar store. But to her, it held all the weight of the world. Quickly, she snatched it from his hand and shoved it back into her pocket, keeping it hidden in the confines of her closed fist. "T-thanks. I g-guess." She stammered, stepping backwards. She suddenly felt wrong. Like being infront of this man was a disaster waiting to happen. The cool touch of the locket was somewhat soothing, and she gripped it tighter, hoping it would bring some sort of relief.
"I... I should really be going." She pushed passed the stranger, walking as fast as she could without pulling too much attention towards her.
"You never told me your name!" He called after her. Lira's heart galloped, pushing against her rib cage, threatening to break free. "Wait!"
His voice held a slight coyness to it. As if he were holding back laughter. "Leave me alone, please... Go away." Lira whispered to herself. She was practically running through the sidewalk now, weaving in and out of the crowds. She could hear the stranger behind her. It was as though his footsteps were the loudest, despite there being thousands of people walking besides her. Somehow she knew he was following her, gaining quickly. He could easily outrun her. There was no question about that. Frantically she looked around, trying to find a quick escape. The subway was near by, but that wouldn't be much protection. None of the stores around her would be much help either. To her right was the highway. It wasn't as busy as usual, the traffic was still moving but slow enough that Lira could cross with ease.
Without thinking, she ducked through the people standing between her and the road and stepped onto the street. She had never jay-walked before, but she had seen others do it plenty of times. It had to be safe.
Breaking into a run, she started across the road. Behind her she could hear the screaming of more than one person. At least 3? She couldn't tell. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, drowning out the noise around her. Slightly turning her head she saw a flash of white. She stopped in her trakcs, and spun around just in time to see the truck.
It struck her hard, sending her over the hood of the vehicle and crashing back down onto the pavement. She faintly heard the screams of those around her before the pain over took her senses. She tried to scream, but the pain wouldn't let her. The truck that had struck her, squealed off as people began circiling around her.
"Someone call an ambulence!" The voice stood out, and her heart fluttered as the white haired stranger stood above "Don't worry." He said softly, lightly touching her arm. "I'm here."
