Luffy x isakai Girl

Day 6: Shadow

     I parked the car in the town parking lot. I figured my mom would have an easier time doing farm shopping with the bigger truck, so I opted to let her use mine. Besides, driving the little junky Honda had a sort of novelty to it anyways. The beater car was how I learned to drive, as well as was my childhood car. And there was just something nostalgic about taking it out to town for a little shopping spree. 

     I still didn't know what I was going to do for a gift for Luffy, but I still had time to figure it out.I was thinking it had to be something fun and entertaining. It's not like I had to give him anything too expensive or crazy looking. Just something simple and fun.

     As I got out of the car, I noticed a shadow shift out of the corner of my eye and looked around. There were plenty of cars parked in this area. A sea of colors in the parking lot. But, I could have sworn I saw something moving. I wished my senses were still enhanced from my time on the Sunny. Maybe they still were a little, but not enough to catch whatever that was. It was weird. Not a single bit of movement now that I was looking. 

     I shut my door and locked it, still scanning the parking lot for any sort of disturbance. I wandered out and peered around a few vehicles. Why am I being so paranoid? For all I knew, it could have just been a car passing by, or a cat skirting around a vehicle. I shrugged and moved on, throwing my bag over my shoulder and walking up toward the shops.

   No matter where I went, I kept feeling like there was something moving just outside of my view. I kept looking over my shoulder like a paranoid little girl who was scared of the dark but really had to get some water in the middle of the night. It was weird. I never had this feeling before. Even though I never saw anything out of the ordinary, I couldn't help but feel like I was being watched.

    I stopped at a coffee shop and ordered a simple coffee - just a little sugar and creme. I sat down facing the door as I waited, hoping I could put my mind at ease. Either that or catch the one who was stalking me in the shadows. Man, I sound paranoid. I tapped out a beat on the table, anxiously waiting for my coffee so I could continue about my day. I tried to be nonchalant as I eyed the door, hoping nobody was going to walk through it. 

   Come to think of it, would I walk into the same coffee shop if I was following someone? I frowned as I thought about it. Doing that might make it too obvious. It's more likely that they would be sitting outside somewhere, acting nonchalant as they read a newspaper or something inconspicuous like that. But when I got my coffee and stepped outside, nobody was in sight. I glanced around, scanning the area before breathing a sigh of relief. It must be in my head.

   I popped into the shop next door, only to walk right back out again. Not a single thing worth looking at in there for Luffy. When I turned on my heel to return outside though, something shifted again in my peripheral. I jumped and squinted off in the distance that I saw it. Nothing. Well, not nothing. There were some girls passing by, but they were enthralled in their own conversation. I wasn't even on their radar. What is happening here? I had never felt this kind of presence before today. I really wished I had Luffy with me. He would have been able to tell better than I could. I sighed and kept moving.

   Shop after shop, failure after failure, creepy feelings after creepy feelings, I continued my search for a funky funny gift. No matter where I went, the shadow followed. I dropped my phone at one point and, as I went to pick it up, I felt a chill crawl up my back.

   "Hello?" I called out, a little too loud. A couple passed by in just that moment, the lady giggling at me as they passed. I grit my teeth. My instincts were trying to warn me about something, but what? I moved along to the next shop and found myself a little anime shop. When did this get here? I had technically been gone for a rather long time, but how did I not notice this shop the last few times I had been to town. I grinned as I made a B-line toward the perfect gifts. Thats right. There were more than one. Man, Luffy is going to be so psyched.

    As I left the little shop, tucking away my prizes in my bag, I got the heeby jeebies again. This time, I distinctly saw a shadow drop down an alley. I gulped, looking around to see if anybody would hear me scream if this went south. There were a couple people off in the distance, but nobody I recognized. Regardless, I stepped forward toward the alley.

   "Hello? Is someone there?" I said, creeping a little closer. "I know you've been following me. You may as well come out." I stepped a little ways away from the alley before peering around the corner, just in case someone was waiting to grab me. My heart started beating faster, and I instinctively reached for a sword I no longer had. Shit. What am I doing? I have no way to fight anybody if this is one of those things. I gulped and stepped all the way over, looking down the alley. Fuck, I took too long. I didn't realize the alley wasn't a dead end. If there was anybody, they must have fled down the path and somewhere out of view. I bit my lip, wondering if my curiosity was worth the risk. I looked over my shoulder... Shit, what do I do?