My Misadventures

39: Christmas is a win

This chapter is 2233 words :0 I hope you enjoy! Sorry for the hiatus. Also, there's no song this chapter idk play some Christmas music while you listen lol
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I wander the aisles, looking for something that jumps out at me or reminds of him in any way. No luck so far. Damn, Christmas shopping is harder than i thought it would be. I shouldn't have waited until the last minute.

I enter an aisle with less people in it, and take a moment to relax. I need to not whiz past in a panic, like I tend to do when places are too crowded. Deep breaths, we chillin.

I use my spider senses to scan the area araound me. There are so many people here, it's making it difficult to get a good image. But one person in particular takes my attention immediately.

I urgently turn the other way and begin walking. The guy I'd sensed follows me from afar, going down the same aisles and keeping me within range of sight.

I fumble my phone out of my pocket. Thank god for speed dial. Caleb answers on the third rings.

"Caleb, he's here." I whisper, voice caught in my throat.

"Who?"

"Honua." I grip the phone. "He's following me around the store."

"I'm coming to get you." He says. "Keep me on the phone no matter what."

"Okay." I pretend to read something off of a box of crayons. I pay attention to my Spidey sense, making a mental map of the area and noting people coming in and out of the grid.

"Are you sure he's following you?" Caleb asks.

"It would make sense if it was a coincidence, but the thing is: he's not from this town. He has no business in a local grocery store." I look over my shoulder as someone rounds the corner. "He's not alone."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh no." I train my eyes on the crayon box, searching the newcomer with my Spidey sense. I bite my lip, voice coming out a scared whisper. "I think this guy is Drifter."

"What?!"

My vision is swimming with tears. The body type, the intense glare, the way he shifts his weight when he walks... "He's coming right for me."

"Get out of there, Skylar."

I'm frozen in place, anxiously waiting for the newcomer to make a move.

"Sky, answer me bud. Get out. Turn and walk away. Keep your head on and don't panic."

"I'm panicking." I can hardly breathe. The suspect is almost upon me. I tune everything out, and concentrate on his movements.

The path he's taking is going to narrowly miss me, but give him the opportunity to touch me. To kill me. Will he go for the throat? My skin hurts just thinking about it. I concentrate on his face, trying to burn it into my memory just in case.

As if in slow motion, he finally arrives. Just as I feared; he hesitates. He's directly behind me, stalling. Sweat beads on my forehead and neck as I stare blankly at the wall. He looks me up and down, and my lungs refuse to fill. This is it. I can already feel his hand curled around my neck, and his sword between my ribs.

I wait. One heartbeat. Two. Three. Then he looks back towards the direction he was going, and continues on his way.

My Spidey-Senses are going nuts. My hands are trembling, and my legs are shaking. I watch as the mysterious man waits his turn, then rejoins the flow of foot traffic. He quite literally disappears into the crowd, steps becoming indistinguishable among the chaos.