𝘚𝘖𝘕𝘋𝘌𝘙 ⁽ʲ ᵐᵒˡⁱⁿᵃ⁾

𝘍𝘖𝘜𝘙𝘛𝘌𝘌𝘕

Elise was too overwhelmed to notice the way the darkness took hold her of as she stepped outside.

She wrapped her arms around herself to form some semblance of a jacket – which she’d forgotten in her anxious preparation – but refused to turn back as she set forward on the sidewalk. She was anything but alone while she clung to the front entrance of the bar, but as she drew further away from the facility, she did from the crowds as well.

Cheering, laughing, the clashing of tens of conversations slowly faded. Soon it was replaced by the soundless swooshing past of cars and wind growing heavier by the second pounding on her eardrums. Silence was exactly what she needed, or, this sort of busy illusion of it. It was the buzzing of society. Life around her, but no need to interact. It was relaxing; a reassurance of her presence in reality. The cold seeped into her bones, shivers racked her body and worked alongside the humming of the world. Her lungs burned as she took a sharp inhale.

“That’s quite the band you got there.” She jumped a few inches away from where the silhouette of a man was leaning on the brick wall of an old untouched restaurant. They were stood in the very middle of two light posts, and the power of most of the surrounding buildings was shut off due to the nearing of midnight hours. Elise struggled to make out his features, all that really caught her eyes was his peculiar choice of clothing.

She eyed the top hot, the cloak that hung off his shoulders and stretched just below his knees. She debated walking off for a moment, she learned how to interact with city crackheads at a young age, but her feet were stuck in place. As if an energy were convincing her to stay. It was odd: how had he managed to recognize her under the blanket of the night, why was he so far from the restaurant? Unless this had been a premediated interaction.

“Thanks…” She glanced around, heart rate betraying her and beginning to rise. Up and down the sidewalk, they were the only two beings in sight. She twisted her body back to the direction she’d been walking, stepping a few paces forward.

“The Phantoms, that’s… funny. How do you do those holograms? Quite impressive, if I do say so myself.” His deep voice carried with the quickening wind, but she still caught his words just fine. She stopped. The ties on one of her buns began slipping, it bounced with the force now battling it but she didn’t make any effort to salvage it. The wind still slammed into her back as she responded, Elise didn’t turn to face the man now behind her as she spoke.

“Julie does that, I don’t know how it works.” She swallowed, stepping forward just slightly. “Listen, dude. I need to get going, thank you for your intere-“

“Hey!” Her voice skyrocketed octaves as a searing pain burned into her forearm. It felt as if she’d been grabbed by something 300 degrees, she yanked her arm forward and whipped her head around, wincing as she pulled her other hand to rest it overtop the pain. She didn’t realize the way her phone had flown from her hand until she heard the smack onto the concrete. Her hair fell free now, it whipped her face and she had to shake it out of her eyes. By the time she could see clearly, the man was gone. She spun around desperately, searching for any sign of the mysterious stranger. But it was hopeless; she was alone.

She directed her eyes back to her arm. A bright red mark was imprinted on her, she squinted her eyes and trapped her bottom lip between her teeth. She groaned, and at the worst possible time her mind went blank. She continued to stand in the middle of the sidewalk, staring at her arm and standing as if she were made of stone. What could have possibly caused such an injury? It almost looked like a handprint, wrapping around like the man was gripping her tightly.

Her head pounded. What was she supposed to do next? She supposed she should seek medical attention – AKA, the kitchen drawer full of bandages and various brands of anti-infection cream at her house. Because how exactly would she be able to explain this to someone with any real expertise? The man had to have been a ghost, his strange clothes and little disappearing act. But why could she see him? She’d always assumed she could see Sunset Curve because of their connection to her father, did she have any connection to the stranger who’d just mutilated her?