"Just a few more feet..." I told myself. I had been walking for two hours now, and I was exhausted.
The water fountain stared at me tauntingly. It was about 20 feet away. Could me feet make it that far?
I managed to haul myself over to it. The water ran down my throat, cool and refreshing. It cured the dryness in my throat immediately.
I stood up, and turned to walk away. I heard something behind me, it sounded like a twig snapping.
"Sounds to loud for an animal, " I thought. I turned.
There was a young man, about my age, maybe a year or two older, standing in the bushes behind the fountain. He was staring at me.
I stared back.
We kept eye contact for a couple seconds. He looked shocked that he had given his position away so easily.
Then he bolted and ran away, back into the woods.
"Weird," I thought, and walked back to my car.
"Hey hun, where ya been?" My mom asked me as I walking into the house.
"Just went for a hike on the park trail."
"How'd it go?" She asked, some concern in her eyes. There had been a string of burglaries on the trail in the past few months, and even a couple murders.
"It went fine, mom. I'm alive, aren't I?" I laughed.
"Yeah, well, I still think you're crazy for going anywhere near that trail." She frowned.
"Well, I always have been a daredevil." I smirked at her. She walked over across the living room and hugged me. She seemed upset.
"Mom? You ok?" I asked as she squeezed me.
:Oh, sweetie," she said, releasing me. "I'm fine. Just relieved you're ok."
"I looked at her puzzled. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Oh, no reason...just that rail makes me nervous, is all."
"Ok...well, I'm fine, so no need to worry." I said smiling. I turned and ran up the stairs to me room. I took a quick shower, and threw on some jeans and a tee shirt. I looked in the mirror. I had long, dark brow hair, that fell over my shoulders gracefully. I'd always had great hair; never any problems like split ends or dandruff or anything.
My pale fair stared back at me. I had Dark blue eyes, framed by thick black lashes. I wasn't skinny, but I wasn't overweight, either. I have a pretty good body, if you ask me.
I threw my hair into a ponytail, and flopped onto my bed to do my homework. I still hated doing homework, it was the last two months of my senior year-what's the point? But my mom had made it clear that if I didn't keep my grades up, I'd loose my scholarship.
I pulled out my calculus. Ugh. I hated math. If I was going to be an artist, what would I need math for?
I heard a car door slam outside. I rose and walked over to the window.
Ok, that's creepy! The same guys from the woods was leaning his back on his car across the street, and starring at me through my window!
"Mom!" I yelled. I'm not normally a jumpy or paranoid person, but I knew this wasn't normal!
"What is it?" she said in alarm as she ran into my room.
"There's a guy starring at me!" I pointed out the window. But he was gone.
"What guy?" she asked.
"He was there just a minute ago!" I told her. "He was also in the woods! He was starring at me while I was getting a drink of water."
"What?" she asked. "Have you ever seen him before today?"
"No! I have no idea who he is!"
"Ok, if you see him again, let me know, and I'll call the police. He may be a stalker." She said, sighing as she walked out of the room.
I was still a bit freaked out, so I decided to call Marsha, My best friend from school.
"Hey Ellie!" she answered her cell. "What's up?"
"I'm a bit freaked out, just needed to talk to you." I answered.
"Oh my gosh what happened. What's wrong?" She asked immediately.
That's me, alright; I can try to disguise how I feel, but it always shows through in my voice.
"Well, I went for a hike on the rock brook trail, and-"
"Wait!" She cut me off. "You actually went there?" She asked in disbelief. "Dude, are you crazy? That's suicide these days. Do you have some kind of secret psychotic death wish or something?"
"No! Shut up, will ya? I was absolutely fine until I stopped for a drink of water at the entrance of the trail. I heard something snap behind me, like a twig or branch or something, and I turned to look. There was a guy around our age starring at me from the bushes!"
"Freaky dude...." She said.
"I know right? And then just now he shows up leaning on his car across the street, starring at me through my window! I called for my mom, and when she looked out the window with me, he was gone!"
"Ok, that's just freakin weird and creepy!" she said. "Have you called the police yet?"
"Nah, but mom says we will if he shows up again. I mean what am I supposed to say, 'Hi there's a guy following me but I've only seen him twice in my life'?"
"Yeah, that should work!" she said, as if it were obviously the solution.
"Marshy, " I said, using her nickname that only I was allowed to use. "One event is an occurrence; two is a coincidence; three is a data point. Until I see him another time, have no case for the police."
"Yep, You're crazy" she said giggling. I laughed along with her.
I finished my home work, and ate dinner with my family. Then went back to my room, lit a few candles, turned off all the lights, turned on the fan and pointed it at my bed, curled up in bed with a soft fleece blanket, and put in a "Laverne and Shirley" dvd. This was my favorite part of the day: just me, by myself. I could relax, and have a laugh.
I fell asleep after about three episodes.
I had a strange dream: I was in a world of white, and that creepster guy who was following me was with me, but we were friends. He held out his hand to me, and we glided around on a frozen lake. We seemed happy. (What the heck??)
All of a sudden, I fell through the frozen lake. It was freezing in the water! The blackness enveloped me, and I couldn't breathe.
I woke up sweating and crying.
What was that about?
I managed to fall back asleep after watching a few more episodes of my show on my tv.
"Ellie! Wake up! You'll be late for school!" I heard my mom shouting up the stairs. I inhaled the scent of waffles, bacon, and eggs.
I loved this about my mom: she loved to make meals for people. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, you name it! She would do all she could to make it look and taste great.
I climbed out of bed, and went to the bathroom to wash my face and all that.
I got dressed-jeans (my favorite) and a emerald green polo with my favorite silver necklace with an "E" pendant, with crystals along the long side of the E. It had been a 16th birthday present from my parents. I put in the silver hoops to match it.
I didn't usually wear it to school, but there was something comforting to wearing this necklace, and after last night's nightmare, I needed the comfort.
I went downstairs, ate my breakfast, and hugged my mom goodbye. Dad had already left for work by now.
I started up my car, and pulled out onto the road. Ten minutes later I was parking in the student lot.
I still had about 15 minutes before the bell rang, so I went to Marsha's locker.
"Oh my god," I said walking up to her. She turned away from her locker mirror, where she was applying lip gloss. "I had a strange dream about that creepster guy last night! It was scary...especially since in the dream we seemed happy together, and there's no way I could ever hang out with someone like him; someone who stares at girls from bushed and then follows them home."
"Ok, NOW will you call the police?" she asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"No way! Telling the police I had a dream about a creepy guy doesn't work out in my mind, sorry."
:Whatever. Ohhh, hey! Travis is looking at you again! Don't turn around!" she caught me right before I turned my head to check.
Travis Duncan was out best basket ball player, and had been giving me looks for weeks now. I always smiled back, I mean he wasn't bad looking or a jerk or anything, but still...
The bell rang, and we raced to first period: English. We both had the same teacher, Mr. Callahan.
We got to our seats just before the final bell. We had seats next to each other. We took out our binders and pens and waited from him to put the assignment on the board. But he didn't; he seemed to be waiting for something.
Then the door opened, and someone walked in. I didn't see who, because I was busy writing a not to Marsha about Travis.
"Class," Mr. Callahan called our attention to the front of the room. I still didn't look up, I had one more sentence left in my message for Marsha.
"Class, this is Mr. Ryan Waters, he is new to the school for the remainder of the year. Please make him feel welcome."
No one said a word. I kept writing, still not looking up. What did I care if we had a new kid? We only had 2 months left till graduation, it wasn't like I was going to become best friends with him.
"Mr. Waters, you may have a seat next to Ellie over there." He said.
I saw a guy dressed in blue jeans and a black shirt sit down next to me in the next row. I looked up to see what this Ryan looked like.
My eyes almost bulged out of my sockets; a gasp rose in my throat, but I stifled it before it became audible.
It was him!