The Girl & The Hound | Winter Soldier

TWO

❝SILENCE IS THE MOST POWERFUL SCREAM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELL FOR ANYONE.❞

❝THEN WHY ISN'T ANYONE HERE?❞

Sawyer barely slept that night with the tormenting thought that someone had broken into her apartment. Especially since she was unaware, which only dramatically increased her paranoia of living alone. Yet, with nothing out of place or missing, why else would someone break in?

She sat on her open doorstep as the night lapsed into dawn, the morning's downfall drawing in and blanketing the streets with puddles and rainwater. She listened intently to the sound of the pattering raindrops with a cup of tea warming the tips of her fingers, allowing the steam to warm her cold face as she sat against her door frame. With a makeshift baseball bat beside her for precaution, she watched extortionate cars blur by, their windscreen wipers vigorous as the rain hammered on the glass.

The city never slept, similarly Sawyer felt the same at that unearthly hour. The city was always brimmed to life with all walks of life and never had there ever been a dull moment, but Sawyer's excuse for not sleeping was the feeling her nerves were weighed by.

She had placed a bowl of water and food outside her doorstep in hopes to lure the hound back but as time lapsed, it was to seemingly no avail- except for the few pesky rats she was bound to attract. She frowned as she watched the rainwater slowly merge with the dogs water bowl, dripping and splashing into her failed attempts of attracting a homeless dog.

She brought her mug to her lips, taking a small sip from her brew before allowing herself to relax against the doorframe furthermore. If it hadn't been for her nerves playing havoc with her mood, she would have relished in the peace but nonetheless, she was still on edge.

As she took a second sip, her attention was drawn to the sound of footsteps. Anxiously, she instinctively touched her baseball bat beside her for reassurance as her heart hammered against her chest. As time grew slow with anticipation, a man eventually jogged past, head down whilst he listened to his earphones.

She silently sighed in relief, retrieving from grabbing her bat. Shuffling in her place, her mind began to grumble at her inability to brave even just a jogger passing her apartment. She couldn't find it in her to trust people anymore and without a doubt, people frightened her.

Her mother had pestered that she'd never move away from home despite her adoration to travel. You will always be a home bird, she'd tease. Determined to prove her wrong, she moved across the world. But not even that changed the fact that her heart raced when passing a person, having to cross the street incase they pull out a knife and stab her to her gory demise.

Shuddering the thought off, she traced patterns on her mug with her fingers for warmth. She laid her head back, staring up at the ceiling of her doorframe before she felt a pair of eyes staring into her. Lowering her head back, she furrowed her eyebrows before trying to catch the culprit across the road, out of the corner of her eye discreetly.

Instantly, her mind interrupted her from doing so as it retorted her paranoia was becoming unbearable and baseless. So, shaking her head, she pinched the bridge of her nose and clenched her eyes shut before opening them, almost in an attempt to wake herself up more so that the anxiety couldn't take advantage.

She drew in a breath and eventually rose to her feet, her mug in hand as she stood up straight. Reaching for her door, a yawn grew on her as she locked it before relaxing into the security of her home. However still unable to shake her uneasiness, she decided to run a bath to warm up and wash away her bad thoughts.