LC Satusi Prologue

 

Part 6

The following day I had to do what I had been avoiding all the time since it had happened; telling Shawn about the stalking Sike and I had realized on our ride. The whole things was getting on my nerves, and it was a conversation I wouldn’t have wanted to have. Alas, it wasn’t only about myself, but of him as well.

Winter festival was going on, slowly starting to get more packed with people, as winter was slowly coming to its end. There were all kinds of odd activities, not only ice skating anymore.

Though ice skating was what we did, as I had gotten good enough to go from the ring to the frozen pond. I wanted Shawn on a good mood until I’d tell him, as I knew my suspicion of Axisca again having messed something up would surely make him sour.

I was mostly stuck in my own mind the whole time, as we skated our time until we headed to walk through the park, looking at all of the people and talking about what activities were the most creative from humans.
   Shawn suggested we’d take a photo of us together at the photo booth before we’d leave, and that seemed like a safe timing to address the difficult issue.

“Speaking of photos…” I started, sighing to myself.
   “What’s wrong?” Shawn frowned. “You’ve been so quiet the whole day. Are you feeling alright?”
  “Something happened on our ride yesterday, with Sike”, I admitted to him then.

When I finished with my story, Shawn was, as I had guessed, upset. Though not only about the reason I had thought he’d be.
   “Sisu, you waited a whole day until you told me?” He stared at me.
“It was only one photo”, I shook my head.
   “Only one photo you found”, he corrected me. “Axisca isn’t something to mess around with, Sisu. We know they have a case on you, and you didn’t think to tell me right away that they've been after you again?”

“It was only one day, and nothing even has happened”, I answered him, but Shawn seemed angry by it.
   “Nothing we know”, he snapped. “I thought I made it clear how much of a threat those people are. And you still wait around with such information.”
   “I wanted us to have that one day-“
Shawn threw his hands up, as if done listening.

“Save it, Sisu”, he scoffed, starting to walk away. “I need to think about this.”

I stared after him – think about what? Axisca, or me? I hesitated, wanting to shout after him to clear it all up, but he was soon gone to the crowd of people who passed by to go to an activity or another.

I wandered a little way after him, but there were quite a lot of people, and I wasn’t sure if it’d be better to have a moment to ourselves now. I didn’t want to fight… Had that been a fight? Human dynamics were still so different, disagreements alone…

I didn’t want to be here anymore. I didn’t know where Shawn went like that, but surely he’d come to our house when he had cooled his temper. I sighed to myself, feeling upset and unsure too, but tried not to show it.
   I started heading out of the winter festival site, towards the closest exit, when a woman stepped on my way.

“I wouldn’t go through there if you’re heading out”, she said, shaking her head. I had never seen her before, but she looked like one of the festival goers. “The crowds are blocking that way pretty badly.”
   “Oh”, I only said, frowning as I peered past her.
“That way is much faster”, she smiled slightly and nodded to another exit of the park. “As soon as I find my daughter I’ll go through there too – you haven’t seen her by chance? A girl in a white coat?”
   “I haven’t”, I shook my head.

“Thanks anyway”, the woman smiled and started heading off, though I saw her stop searching not far off. I didn’t want to end up in any more crowds, so I did turn to take the other, next closest exit.
   I couldn’t stop thinking of our argument. Now the only thing I wanted to do was clear the air with Shawn. I had meant nothing bad by not telling him straight away.

I walked in my thoughts, wondering if he had already went home or if I’d make it there first. I wondered what I should say. It had all been miscommunication and misunderstanding, wasn’t that what most problems started with?

I headed over the road, not wanting to be caught in any traffic any more than any crowd. Some snow was still falling steadily. Had I ruined the festival night from Shawn like this, even though I had tried not to ruin yesterdays date by not telling him?

“Such a stupid thing”, I muttered to myself, kicking the snow with my shoe as I walked to an empty passageway.

I had gotten off the street and was almost halfway to the passage when  I noticed a lone grey car parked by the sharp fencing that was put by one of the buildings.

Some snow had accumulated over it as if it had been waiting for some time but that wasn’t what had caught my attention – I had seen that car. That was the car that had been around my work and at the house. And more than once.

“Took you long enough to leave, Sisu”, someone said from behind me.

I spun around to see a man – human man, a stranger, who somehow knew my name. I was about to say something when suddenly he was on me, pushing me down so hard the snow around us dusted in the air.

I caught myself by my hand, hearing a snap from my wrist and sharp pain through it. The strange man wasted no more time though.

I felt his hands grab me from behind and try to drag me to that car and my mind shouted at me to act now or it’d be too late soon.

I shot a kick straight to his most precious possessions, struggling to get out of his hold. The man cursed and his grip wavered enough for me to wrestle him off, starting to run the moment I was able. I was not getting caught.

I ran out of the passageway, past the car as fast as I could to the woods. I could hear the man shout something angry after me and curse again, but I didn’t look back to see how he was recovering.

The woods were where the car could not follow, and though with the snow my steps could be tracked, I had gotten myself enough time to lose him. I was fast. And I was getting away.

I only halted when I was out of breath, which was long enough that I actually felt safe to stop. I looked back where I had come from, but the woods were silent around me, and there was no sight of anyone, not of anything.
   I concentrated on catching my breath for a moment, then to my wrist. It was still sore, but it wasn’t broken. I could already move it properly. I pressed my hand against my aching head.

My mind was racing, as was my heart. I had been attacked. In the City, surprisingly almost out in the open. I could still feel those hands on me. I could only imagine what could have happened had that man managed to get me in his car. That man had to have been from Axisca, he had known my name.

I continued home, in calmer pace now that was clear no one had caught up with me. The woods were vacant aside from myself, and my adrenaline was slowly starting to die down, leaving me longing for sleep. Though first I had to talk with Shawn.

.

“Sisu?”
   I woke up the moment Shawn got home. Considering how tired I still was feeling, it hadn’t been long between from the time I got here.
   “Here”, I only called, swinging my legs over the bed.
Shawn hurried in the bedroom, something alarmed in his eyes.
   “Are you - ? There was talk in the police radio that someone had seen being attacked in the City. The witness spoke of blue skin”, he said, assessing me and looking hesitant to come too close.

I told him the full story of what had went down, and he told me what the police scanner had stated. Apparently after having heard no one was caught at the scene anymore – not the attacker either – he had hurried here to see if I was home, thinking something horrible had happened. As it almost had.
  “I got the guy off of me”, I sighed to him as it was my turn to tell how I had gotten home.
“How?” Shawn stared at me. I smiled a little.
  “By aiming at what all men value most”, I shrugged my shoulders. Shawn’s eyes widened a little.

“Well – can’t say he didn’t deserve that”, he decided then, shaking his head. I definitely agreed with him.
   He looked away. “I should have been there”, he cursed then. “I wasn’t angry with you – I was frustrated that this is something we have to worry. I only wanted a moment to myself so you wouldn’t have to deal with my bad mood. I wasn’t going to leave the festival site without you, I went to call a colleague to pull the footage of the cameras by that road you told of, to see if the photographer could’ve been caught on one of those. And when I came back and you were gone...”
   “I don’t blame you”, I frowned, not wanting him think that. “I blame that man. Besides, my temper isn’t a sight to see either at times.” I smiled again. “I’m happy we can talk about these things though.” Miscommunication had caused our stupid fight, so naturally communication corrected it. I couldn’t help but pull Shawn in for a kiss, still so relieved our fight had been resolved.

My smile fell slightly as we pulled away and I thought of something. Again I would ruin the mood. “I actually think it was more than only that man”, I admitted. “Some strange woman advised me to avoid the crowds by going to certain direction. I think she must’ve been from Axisca as well. Though she was pretty convincing, even talked of a daughter she was searching.”
   “It’s a tactic to make people more trustful”, Shawn nodded seriously. “If you see them as parents of children you subconsciously feel more safe with them, are more likely to listen to them without suspicion. And women are considered to be more trustworthy than men.”
   We decided some amount of paranoia was called for from now on, as we made sure to set the security system for the house well for the night. I hadn’t even seen that man clearly. Only that he had been wearing black and had black hair. How predictable.
   I hoped he was still badly sore.