“Hm… She sure is taking her time,” the man with the cross muttered, wandering about the withered garden with his hands in his pockets.

Sabrina had told him she had something to discuss with her boss, so maybe she’d gone home already, hoping he would give up and return as well.

As if he’d admit defeat that easily.

Bored, swinging back and forth on the ball of his feet, his gaze fell once again on the small pile of books next to the robust oak. On an impulse, he leaned down and picked up the one at the top. The old, pocket-sized tome opened on a specific page as though this one had been read a hundred times before, a thought also evidenced by the clear wear and fingerprints on the edge of the page.

The man narrowed his eyes. It seemed to be… a short poem?

I saw a man pursuing the horizon;

Round and round they sped.

I was disturbed at this;

I accosted the man.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"It is futile," I said,

"You can never -"

"You lie," he cried,

And ran on.

He remained still and breathless, eyes glued to the page for an indefinite amount of time. Though he wasn’t sure why, he felt as though he’d found something extremely valuable, something perhaps more revealing about the young Gym leader than any of their short, superficial conversations up to this point.

Only the sound of distant footsteps dragged the man from his trance. Feeling Sabrina approach, he turned around and placed the book down where it once rested, as swiftly and surreptitiously as he could.

“Sabrina,” he said suddenly, eyes wide, fearful. His heart was galloping.

The Gym leader stopped in place, alarmed.

“Huh? What’s with that fac-?”

“Let’s flee. Please, we have to get out of this place. It doesn’t matter where, just…!”

It looked as though Sabrina had been slapped. She unconsciously raised an eyebrow, confused, but a spark of… something, unmistakably crossed her eyes in that moment.

“...”

A frigid wind ran down the length of the garden. The man didn’t speak, refusing to meet Sabrina’s eyes. Gulping, she parted her lips to-

“...He, hehe. I was joking!” The man laughed all of a sudden, sticking his tongue out. “Got you pretty good there, huh?”

“Don’t… joke about that stuff, asshole!” she exploded after a few seconds, slamming her fist against his chest.