Amnesty Gray

Amnesty Grey - Epilogue

Epilogue

“Bye Katie! I’ll see you tomorrow!” 

“Absolutely! I can’t wait til we graduate!” I laughed, turning away from Katie and waving. Smiling, clutching my bag in excitement, I thought about what would life be like after tomorrow... after the first day of the rest of our lives. 

What would I become? A journalist, a dancer, a surgeon, a philanthropist, a physicist?

Who would I become? The famous Amnesty, the humble Amnesty, the intelligent Amnesty, the thoughtful Amnesty?

Amnesty the mother?

Oh God, children! Would I have children? How many? Who with?

As I neared my house, I looked to the porch of the neighbours’ house and saw Daniel leaning on the railing. He smiled and waved to me as I passed, and I blushed and waved back. Would I be Amnesty the wife? Daniel’s Amnesty?

As I progressed down the path I saw Daniel turn away from facing the road and back into his house, and out of the corner of my eye I saw an unnatural shadow form around him. I twisted my head to get a better look at it, but by then Daniel was already gone, the door slamming shut behind him. I frowned and walked on.

There was at least a five minute walk between Daniel’s front door and mine, and I was enjoying the peace and quiet of my musings when, halfway to my house, I noticed someone following me.

They were good, I must say, but somehow I just managed to feel someone watching me, their intent clearly written in the pattern of their footsteps, which was a completely odd thing to feel, I know.

But I continued walking for a bit, then rounded a corner and ducked behind a bush. When I heard the footsteps quickly catch up to where I was, I stepped out from behind my cover to confront the stalker.

But there was no one there. I looked around, confused, for I was completely certain that there had been someone following me. I’d heard the footsteps behind me...

Something brushed against my arm and I whirled around, my nerve endings ablaze in anticipation of a fight. But again, there was nothing in front of me.

A soft chuckle echoed in my ear, and the feel of warm breath against my neck startled me again, and I spun in the opposite direction, my heart rate peaking.

But there was nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I turned around and ran for home, concentrating on the pavement ahead of me so I didn’t run into anything.

I was about twenty metres away from my house, and I could even smell the inviting scent of my mom’s cooking when I saw a man hovering beside the post box at the end of my driveway. I skidded to a stop instantly, and stared. The man was bending down in front of my post box like he was inspecting it or something. I slowly crept forward, and as I neared him he turned his devastatingly handsome face towards mine and smiled. I stopped again, wracked by emotions that I hadn’t ever felt before nor did I understand. The man straightened up from the post box and chuckled. I was only a short distance from him when he spoke, so I heard him perfectly.

“Nice brooch,” he said, his mouth twisting into a smirk before he turned and sauntered away. I looked down at the small black pearl brooch on my cardigan, confused, then looked back up at him, but he was already gone. I shivered in the summer heat and turned to go up the driveway to my house, when I glimpsed an envelope stuck inside the post box. I frowned, wondering if it had been the mysterious man that had placed the envelope there. I slid it out, and brought it up to my line of vision as I continued up the drive way.