Mae
Mae wandered down the walk way, hands stuck firmly into the back pockets of her jeans as she strode towards her destination. It had been awhile since she had taken any time to herself, usually busy with chores and work, but today she felt like a bit of a change. Her shift at the coffee shop didn't start till 7pm and there was a long day of pleasant nothings to be had, even if that did end in her having to sit all evening till 11, listening to badly written poems read by a bunch of hippies.
Crossing a quiet street, without checking if oncoming traffic was approaching, Mae skipped over the kerb and glanced up at the sky. Not a single cloud offered the promise of shade, as the blistering sun shone down on her head, turning the tarmac in some places, sticky under foot .
Smiling at the heat however, Mae felt herself relax a little, her shoulders slumping down as she watched a couple of kids playing hopscotch on the opposite pavement briefly, before turning down an even quieter street. Tall well-trimmed privet bushes lining the walk ways on either side, dulled the sound of everyday life from beyond its boundaries.
The sudden lull almost caused Mae to shudder, as her pace quickened slightly. It was even colder down this street, long shadows being casted by the greenery which loomed up over head.
Mae knew that it was silly to be even slightly worried about walking down a street, but there was just something about this place which sang out danger. Mae, however, tried to keep her pace even, resisting the urge to almost jog down the street as her mind wheeled over all the possibilities of what could happen.
Of course there was always the possibility of Mark showing his handsome, toxic features at any moment. This possibility only increased with the fact that Mae had not seen him over 4 weeks, which was a both a god send and a bad omen.
Whenever Mark dropped off the radar, Mae just knew he was planning something. He was never the subtle type and Mae had always been the type whom liked to keep her enemies within her sight. Of course she also dated this one too but that was an exception to the rule, after all you had to keep your enemies closer than your friends right?
Feeling the hair on the back of her neck prickle, Mae shuddered and quickly glanced over her shoulder to make sure everything was clear and on seeing that no one was on her tail, Mae relaxed a little. It was only when she turned back around that the dark haired girl froze, mid step.
Leaning against the lamp-post, hands slotted into his jean, was the man himself. Hair spiked stylishly, white t-shirt pulled over numerous muscles and the perfect smile. Not many would realise from first glances alone that this guy was no better than the rats which scattered through the sewers below their feet. In fact, the rats were actually an improvement.
Mark grinned, flashing his teeth as he eyed his target whom had frozen like a frightened rabbit, as he pulled himself up and strode towards her.
"It's good to see you, Mae."
"Breathe some air Mark, the lack of oxygen to your brain is making you delirious. " Mae almost spat, her voice sounding braver than how she felt. Of course Mark would show up, the moment she had some time to herself to enjoy life, Mark would appear, a smear stain on such a promising day.
Mark laughed and continued towards her, same grin pulling his lips back, before he stopped just a few centimetres in front of her, his thick Cologne pooling off him and clogging mae's nose with deep musky scents. Frankly, it almost choked her and as she moved to step back, Mark grabbed her arm, squeezing it slightly and making Mae once again freeze.
"Heard you had some time off today. Thought it would be nice to spend some time together." Mark smiled once more, but this time he flashed just a little too much teeth, making it come across as a grimace as his hand tightened again around Mae's arm.
Mae could feel her skin bruise under the pressure, pinching too, as Mark's fingernails began to dig into her flesh and it was here that panic started to set in.
She was stood down a silent street, not another soul in sight with her only company as Mark.