“if only you could see”

February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 December 2009 January 2010 May 2010 June 2010 September 2010 October 2010 January 2011 March 2011 April 2011 May 2011 August 2011 August 2012 September 2012 October 2012 November 2012 August 2013 November 2013 December 2013 January 2014 June 2014 July 2014 August 2014 May 2015 May 2016 June 2016 July 2016 December 2016 June 2017 July 2017 June 2018 November 2020 December 2020 April 2021 November 2021

Today, as I was walking my usual path from class to class, I happened upon the strangest sight. Something so stark and unusual I had to take a second look. A girl. She wore a jacket that hung off her frame. Her black hair was past her shoulders, and somewhat stringy. In her left hand a book swung back and forth. Surely I would have noticed this ghost of a girl before. I looked around, and I saw the usual crowd. The couple making out under the stairs. The smoker flicking away the last of his dying cigarette. The enthusiastic band nerds. Those people never stood out, never made me go out of my way to think of them as something better than mere scenery. But this girl was different. She had a quick pace, so I had to walk even faster to keep up with her while at the same time keeping a distance so she wouldn't figure that I was following her. As I watched her, and the people around, they didn't seem to notice her. Several times she narrowly made her way through the crowd unharmed. Why didn't anyone notice her? I shoved through the same people she avoided to try and keep sight of her. Then she turned. And two green eyes locked with mine and I froze. Stopping in the middle of this traffic was never good; several people ran into me, and muttered curses as they passed. I wondered if she was really looking at me or not, so I chanced a glance behind myself, and it was nothing special. The backs of those passing by, indistinguishable from one another. When I turned back around, she was gone. I continued, hoping to catch sight of her again, maybe a trace of where she went. Nothing. I sighed, let down by my own foolishness. The bell rang, which brought me back to my senses. I had to run to class so I wouldn't be even later than I already was. I took my seat in class, opened my binder, and stared at the sketch on the first page. A vague figure with stark eyes, staring back at me.

Labels: fiction junction