The Person Beside Her

Chapter 2: Mysterious Woman

Winter vacations were about to be finished, but her addiction to visit the park every midnight did

not. Maybe, her addiction did not end because the memories and environment influenced her in such a way that her heart and mind denied coming out of it.

Back to present

Her gaze had now left the fountain in front of her. She glanced at her back again and again. Somewhere, she had started to feel uneasy. Even though she sat for hours on the same bench the entire winter vacation, but never felt the way she was feeling that day. She felt a presence around her. She stood up to look if someone was present around her. Her eyes roamed all over the place anxiously. She sat fidgeting her fingers when she found no one around her. She sat with her legs wide open, gaze fixed on the ground, her elbows resting on her thighs, and her fingers intertwined kept on her temples. Her gaze struck the ground until she heard someone calling her name. She looked up only to see the mysterious woman. She stood up; she denied but her innermost self somewhere told her that she had seen the woman.

Flashback

It was 9 pm in the ight when Eleanor walked past the crowded market. She walked down the dark alley. She stopped and turned back. She felt someone following her. She nervously glanced at her shoulder and saw a woman wearing a black hoodie smirking at her. As she took her steps forward she felt the woman did not stop her steps. She was terrified and ran as fast as she could and reached her home where she lived with Adrien's parents. After that day, neither she walked past that alley nor did she see the woman.

Back to present

She was hella scared. She breathed heavily with drops of sweat arising on her face. Without giving it a second thought she started taking steps backward. "Eleanor, where are you going? Come, sit here let's talk.", said the woman in a deep voice.

Eleanor stopped on her tracks.

"There is no need of being scared of me. I am Adrien's father's close friend. I heard about Adrien's sad demise. I know dear, it broke your heart. But move on. Adrien's parents have no one precious but you in their lives. If you stay like this, it'll spoil your future. I too lost someone important in my life." said the woman with teary eyes.

This time, Eleanor's heart melted. No one ever talked to her in the way the woman did. Previously she was scared to death but now, she felt a connection with the woman as she saw tears in her eyes. Eleanor sat beside her, rested her head on the woman's shoulder, and cried her heart loud to the woman. After a long conversation, the woman said, "Eleanor go home, it is already 1 am now. Come I'll walk you there." Eleanor agreed, stood up, and walked out of the park with the lady. Silence surrounded them, winds rushed past them. After walking some distance, they reached her house. Eleanor wanted to thank the woman for her kind words. She turned back but saw no one. She now had a different feeling rushing in her body. But, she shrugged her thoughts off assuming that the lady must have gotten too late to reach her house.

5 days were left for the winter vacation to get over. In those 5 days, Eleanor visited the park in the evening instead of visiting at night as advised by the woman. Every day, she communicated with the woman and returned to her home latest by 9. Every day the woman walked Eleanor to her house and disappeared as they reached there.

Her winter vacation was about to end. She had to go to college the next day. Eleanor was sitting on the bed while hugging her knees thinking about something. The way she woman talked to her seemed that she really cared for Eleanor. Everything was clear to Eleanor except one thing.