"So... , What do you think of this one?"

         "I like it," Layla says, before she walks to the living room window. "I'll take it," She says over her shoulder.

         "Alright! Give me a minute," The Agent says. "Here's the lease, you may sign here."

         Layla signs then hands it back.

         "Great! Here's the... key, the first month rent will be taken from your deposit."

         "Okay."

         "You'll love this city, it was the right decision to move here."

         "I hope so," Layla smiles, "Thanks Sophie for bearing with me today."

         "You're absolutely welcome, this apartment is great and in a very nice block, you'll find everything you need within feet away."

         "Good to know since I wanted to ask you about a place to eat , I'm starving!"

         "There's a good restaurant just around the corner, you'll just have to cross the street."

         "Excellent!"

         "Alright, I'll leave now, call me if you faced any problem or had a question. Have a lovely day!"

         "You too."

         She walks Sophie to the door, closes it behind and rests her back against it. With her eyes closed, she takes a deep breath and smiles. Her bag was lying on the floor. She takes it to the room and opens it on the bed, taking out a new top and a small purse. She changes and then looks at the mirror to adjust her hair. She takes a lipstick from the purse, wears it and smiles at herself in the mirror.

         She leaps out of the room then to the door and looks back across the apartment before she opens the door and leaves.

         The elevator is taken so she takes the stairs. Once she is in the lobby, she finds the mail man by the mail box. He was blocking the way.

         "Excuse me."

         The man looks at her and holds his gaze.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

         "Do I know you?" she confusedly asks.

         The man keeps staring and says nothing.

         "Can I pass, please!" she says in a louder less friendly tone.

          The man moves slowly while he keeps looking at her without blinking. Once there is enough room for her, she runs across and out of the building.

          The sun is too bright that she has to stop in front of the building for a moment as it hurts her eyes. She looks back to check if the man followed her out, still confused by the whole situation, she walks to the corner and turns, the restaurant is over there across the street, OLD TOWN, in capital red letters.

          She crosses the street and goes through the door. It is too dark as her eyes adjusted to the bright sun outside. She sits at the window booth and picks up the menu. A moment later the waiter comes, a huge old woman, she looks familiar, she reminds Layla of Sarah's mother. The woman stands there and says nothing.

           "Are you going to take my order?" Layla exclaims.

           The woman doesn't reply.

            "Alright! I'll have the grilled steak, fries and salad," Layla says with a smirk, "And a lime soda please."

            The woman writes down the order and turns away.

            Something isn't right; she is confused by how strange people have been acting. She looks through the glass window, trying to find something to take her mind off.

            The waiter is back with the order. She places the plates harshly on the table. Layla looks up at the woman, surprised by how fast the food was prepared, then down at the dishes, she knows those plates, those artworks, these are the plates her mother used to have back home.

             Layla looks around in confusion; she examines the people sitting in the restaurant. At a table across, sit four young people, they are staring at her. She knows those faces; they are that group from her primary school, Mike, John, Molly and Jasmine. They used to beat her up, push her around and steal her food. She looks behind and finds her old teachers, the ones she despised, sitting next to each other. The math teacher who beat her, the English teacher who used to shout at her for no reason and the high school history teacher who harassed her. At another table sit her old neighbors with whom her parents used to fight a lot. Her abusive boyfriend at one table, her used to be best friend at another, the one she found out to spread all those rumors about her in high school. She looks at the kitchen and sees Sarah, her high school friend, and back at the waiter, it's definitely her mother.

              Everyone is looking at her, everyone is familiar.

              Her heart is beating fast out of her chest, she rushes off the table and towards the door, she pulls it but it won't open. She hears the chairs moving against the floor, she looks back, everyone is up and staring at her. She hits hard on the door glass but it won't break. She screams her lungs out, HELP, but her scream has no sound. She sees James through the door, her high school friend whom she had feelings for but was never brave enough to tell him about, walking across. She screams his name and no words come out. She looks behind and everybody has left their seats and moved towards her, staring at her, no blinking, getting closer and closer. She is suffocating, she feels like drowning. She looks back through the door kicking and screaming helplessly. James has stopped; he looks at her, smiles, turns back and continues on his way. She follows him with her eyes, wide open in despair as her power fades before she collapses.