Happily Ever After?

~Chapter 4~

I look up at the man and try to put on a smile. I feel like I look afraid and I hope he doesn't notice. He looks down at me and smiles. But his smile does not bring me any relief. It does not look kind, it looks malicious. "You don't have to look so afraid," he tells me. My tongue seems to be stuck in my throat so I just keep looking at him. He scowls then and says, "it's rude not to reply to someone when someone talks to you. I was just going to give you your wallet. You dropped it back there." I look down to see his hand outstretched, my wallet in his palm. I take it, say a quick thank and scurry away from him. Quickly paying for my groceries, I leave the store. I have to stop myself from running to my car. When I reach it, I throw the bags in the trunk, and get in.

I start the car but make no move to leave the parking lot. I can't believe how stupid I was being. He was just going to give me my wallet back and I could hardly look him in the eyes. But why did he stare at me as intensely as he did if he was just giving me my wallet back? He was just making sure my face matched with my I.D. I'm sure. Yeah, that's why, I'm sure.

I leave the parking lot, and head home. I can't get this man out of my head. He gave me such a creepy feeling in the store. I've never even seen the man before. He must be new  to town. I wonder what his name is or what he is even doing in this little town I call home.

As I wonder all these things about him, I keep thinking of our encounter. He was just giving me my wallet back but why does it feel so wrong? Like there is more to this than what I'm seeing? Goose bumps run up and down my spine as I come to the realization as to why it felt wrong to me. I didn't bring my wallet to the store, only cash. If I didn't bring it, how in the world did he get it?