I took one look behind me. He’s tailing me! Is he going to kill me? What did I ever do to this guy?

I zipped around the corner, took a right, then a left. I pushed hard on the ground until my calf muscles were ready to explode.

I took a quick breath as I stood in front of Andres Grocery, wishing the bright lights would scare him away. Should I scream for help? Nah, I thought, shaking my head. I can't go crying for help; that'll only get me into trouble.

He lingered by a lamppost at the edge of my sight, waiting. Waiting for what? What was his deal? What was his game? I scanned the area; no one else was around.

I could've ducked into the store, but then I'd be on edge, waiting for him to pop up again.

After waiting for what felt like forever and feeling a bit silly, I gained courage. Being near a store I could dash into if things went wrong helped. I turned around to confront him.

“Hey, you! Why are you following me? What do you want with me?” I trembled, but not with fear. I shook with indignation. In this lawless town, who knows how many grody creeps there are?

He must’ve chosen to stalk me ever since our eyes met. Another Tracy that feeds on another person’s fear.

He didn’t answer. After some seconds, he approached me with slow, catlike steps.

"Answer me!” I shouted to get rid of some nerves. “Why won't you talk?"

I shifted the staff to my left hand, freeing up my right hand to act like a puppet, demonstrating how talking works. "That's what your mouth is for. Talking." I opened and closed my mouth like a fish out of water.

He stayed tight-lipped.

"Are you deaf? Mute? Or just playing dumb?" My frustration bubbled over. Yes, I might've sounded rude, but hey, talking to a stalker is pretty weird. Not talking is even ruder I guess.

"Do - You - Un-der-stand - My - Wor-ds?" I exaggerated each word.

The hooded dude didn't seem bothered.

He just strolled toward me like he owned the place.

Nope, not a single word registered with him. I rolled my eyes.

Stopping arm's length away, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. His mischievous black eyes sparkled, and it hit me – he had me exactly where he wanted.

He reached into his cloak again. I stepped back, ready to scream at the sight of a weapon.

As he delved into his cloak again, I took a cautious step back, fearing a weapon. To my relief, he slowly withdrew... Nothing. It was like witnessing an empty magician's trick, a deliberate move to avoid scaring me. Then, he lowered his hood, unveiling a brilliant smile.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Now that I could see the person’s androgynous full face, it was both handsome and beautiful. Maybe it was a girl. The slim face with gentle features and hair like a vibrant rainbow, each curl showing off colors from vivid red to shiny purple, made me wonder if I'd guessed the gender wrong. Let’s just say it’s a he. Cheeks glowing, flawless skin…To top it off, his eyebrows were manicured and his lips were rosy red with a hint of luster to them. He looked like a doll. Wait, he also had pointed ears? He did have the most unusual ears, and they were indeed pointy, just like Mr. Spock’s ears. Were elves a thing now?

But he seemed so... human? Confusing. Humans have flaws, right? Other than the ears, he was too perfect. Was it movie makeup magic?

I think I forgot to breathe for a sec, as I gasped for air.

With his smile still so wide and beaming, he dug into his robe and pulled whatever was on his shoulder and held it out for me. Was that... my pack? My lost-and-never-expected-to-see-it-again pack. So that was what he wanted to show me from under the hood! I was over the moon!

I went for it but he held my wrist with his other hand. He gripped me with direct skin-to-skin contact and a force so strong, something no one but Grandma would dare not to do ever since I turned purple. My skin burned in his grasp and the heat spread to my cheeks.

He moved closer, placing his other hand on my shoulder. I didn't resist. His touch was safe and comforting. For the first time in years, someone touched me without treating me like a purple freak.

He let go and raised both hands to my forehead. I shut my eyes, expecting something crazy. Nope, just a gentle touch. I opened my eyes to find him deep in concentration. He was deep into something that I didn’t get or understand. We stood like that for what felt like an eternity. I coughed with embarrassment. Or something in the air. Okay, it was out of embarrassment, we looked so weird and awkward.

He opened his eyes, a hopeful deep look that turned into disappointment. His smile faded when he didn’t find what he was looking for in my eyes. Clearly, something was supposed to happen but it just didn’t.

Maybe he was considering a do-over, regretting that whole forehead thing. I wished for a do-over too, one where I didn't act like a total goof.

He smiled again, gesturing at my pack with an open palm. I looked puzzled. Was he waiting for payment? Did I need to inspect the contents? He just kept smiling, sincere and reassuring.

Opening my pack, I found my dagger where it belonged. I smiled back, relieved. At least I still had my ticket to a better future, something to help my grandma. That was my hopeful wish.

I nodded as I mouthed, "Thank - You."

I searched deeper for the Tengu feather. Just as if Pom-Pom Hair could read my mind, he twirled the black feather by the hollow shaft, showing it off. I didn't even catch when he took it from his robe. He pretended to sniff the feather and wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Alright, not a fan of the smell. I can see that," I said with a shrug. "But it's mine, so you don’t have to worry about that.” When I tried to grab it, he lifted it higher than my short arms could reach. Ugh, I hate being short.

Frowning, hands on my hips, I threatened, "Do I need to hang on your arms till you give it back? Cause I'll do it, you know."

But he wasn't paying attention. His gaze shifted to the direction of the mines where a stray cat strutted toward us like it owned the street. Pom-Pom's face turned serious. Maybe black cats were a bad omen for him too. The stray cat locked eyes with Pom-Pom too. Pom-Pom reluctantly handed back my feather, placed two fingers on his forehead, then on mine. With a gentle push, he urged me away from the mines.

Once he let go of me, I turned around. He was already halfway down the street, zooming away. He was the fastest graceful thing I'd ever seen.

Each strange encounter was topping the last. Even the crow-man and the orc didn't come close. I started walking home, thinking that the wonders in my life were just starting. This was my new normal, and I couldn't escape it. Pom-Pom Head wasn't bad. I wouldn't mind seeing that perfect figure again.