Collide: Part 2 - The Man with the Smile
- ThisIsRyssa
- Apr 30, 2020
- 2 min read
It’s so bright outside.
Sunlight breaks through the heavy curtains.
I don’t want to get out of bed.
I can’t handle being around people.
Not today.
Aizlyn closes her eyes.
She takes slow deep breaths.
There’s a little pressure on her chest.
A soft paw touches her face.
She opens her eyes to see her beloved feline companion.
“Good morning, Anubis.”
Pur pur pur.
Aizlyn tosses the covers reluctantly.
Pushing down the nausea,
She makes her way to the bathroom.
Dreading each step.
She turns on the shower and sits in the tub.
Hot water running over her.
Washing away demons from the night before.
Scent of lavender pulls her back from beyond.
Calming her.
Towel fastened tightly.
She stares at her closet.
“Black. It’s going to be black today.”
Black jeans.
Black MCR band tshirt – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.
Black combat boots.
She checks the time.
It’s 7:30am.
Aizlyn feeds Anubis,
Grabs her leather jacket, portfolio, backpack and keys.
She’s out the door,
Headphones on.
She hits play on her phone.
Blocking out the rest of the world.
The Ghost of You. How appropriate.
She looks up and sees a man approaching her.
Please don’t look at me.
Aizlyn prefers to be hidden.
She moves as far away as she could.
Hugging her portfolio tightly against her chest.
Slow deep breaths, hun.
A woman pushing her child in a stroller overtakes her.
Aizlyn stops.
Dead still.
Bottom lip quivering.
The anxiety building.
She moves again.
Faster.
She passes many faces.
Fighting her way to the other side of the bridge.
Stranger after stranger,
After stranger.
Almost there.
The twenty minute walk to work is never pleasant.
She reaches the other side.
At the crossing,
She pushes the button. Hard.
Impatient.
Scared.
The signal goes off.
She bolts across the road.
She crosses the threshold of her office building.
I made it.
She takes a moment to catch her breath.
Aizlyn wasn’t late.
She was desperate to get away from the crowd.
Finally reaching the elevator,
She summons it with the worn button.
She removes her headphones.
She hears footsteps.
Oh no.
Please don’t notice me.
“Morning! How’s it going?”
It’s a man.
His voice is pleasant and warm.
He sounds so animated. Is he smiling?
Aizlyn looks up.
The corner of her mouth pulls slightly.
An attempt at a smile.
I’m so tired.
“Oh…um…it could be better.”
I’m too exhausted to lie.
She looks down at her boots,
Her hair comes free from behind her ear.
“Oh that’s really gr…..wait…”
Ha. Was he about to say “great”?
He wasn’t listening. Figures.
No one hears me anyway.
She could feel his eyes on her.
She tries to hide behind her pitch black hair.
She doesn’t want him to see.
No one should see.
Why is he still staring at me?
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