Alice - WIP

Chapter 6: A Lunch Date Gone Wrong

      As the days came and went, Alice has not noticed the bystander following her in any shape or form. What she doesn't know is that the bystander is continuing to follow her, but has improved their movements. The bystander has made it into a career for themselves by this point. Every move Alice made, the bystander was present, where she went. And today was another date night for Alice and Shaun, but in the form of lunch. They did not realize how close they worked together and decided that when they could not meet up for a dinner date then to make it into a lunch date. They would take turns choosing a restaurant when this came around for their lunch date. This time, it was Shaun's decision on the location of their date. He decided on a salad bar in which he asked Alice if she would enjoy that and she agreed to quickly.

     Shaun went to pick up Alice at her job and called her when he arrived. It was a walking distance, so no vehicle was required. As he arrived by the front entrance of her job, a conversation broke between them of their childhood growing up. Shaun started explaining his upbringing first and an ordinary one it was. Alice thought that to herself and grew a little worried about hers and what Shaun would think of hers. She hit every topic he brought up, from hobbies to friends and enemies. She explained to Shaun that she loved to draw and roller skate after her homework was done and that her parents were nice and sweet to her. They never really punished her nor gave her a curfew, but a certain point in her infancy she does not remember well of. She explains to him even more that she does not remember anything from ages two to five and that it bothered her, especially now with this notebook coming into her life recently. Shaun asked her how that has been going and she said that it was coming along and she was still waiting on the results from the lab. She sighed as she delivered that answer to him and his response was a kiss on her cheek and that everything will come back soon.

    They arrived at their destination and ordered their salads and find a seat. Alice went back to the topic they were in and continued to let him know of what she has been feeling and how things in her atmosphere have changed. He was not comprehending what she was telling him.

"You know how you can just tell that something's in the air? You know, like a six sense of sorts?"

"Hmm, yeah I think so. But what do you mean with that?"

"Well, before this person, this bystander, was following me for a good moment there and then suddenly they stopped. I don't understand that."

"Huh, well how do they look like? Or did you not get a glimpse of them?"

"It was a woman, but she was wearing baggy clothes. As if she didn't want me to figure her out. Not sure why."

"You think she's the one who left you the notebook?"

"Maybe, but I don't want to assume anything yet. I don't want to think that... maybe... she's, my sister. Like I said, I don't remember anything about my childhood between those ages."

"I promise you that I will be by your side when you figure all this out. That is, if you would like me to be."

"Yes, Thank you! I'm just hoping that I'm right and that they stopped following me."

    They continue eating their meals and discussing the memories that Alice brought up she had while reading the notebook and trying to put the pieces together almost like a puzzle. None of them fit and nothing was beginning to make sense. Alice was hoping she was going to get the results from the lab sooner than any other testing kit available at any grocery store. Alice received a chill down her spine and it left as quickly as it came to her. She started to look around her and Shaun noticed her actions. He reached for her hand and squeezed it gently, trying to get her attention with it. She turned back to look at him and he gave her a smile, a smile of comfort and protection. She returned the smile and the squeeze. 

     As they were ready to finish their lunch date and head back to work, the bystander was not that far from the couple. The bystander threw a small crumbled paper towards the couple, but landed passed them towards another couple dining in. In mere seconds the small crumbled paper was catching a flame of fire in the other table and it grew rapidly. The couple got up from their seats and yelled, "FIRE!" causing a loud eruption from everyone around them. Alice and Shaun stood up from their seats and aimed for the exit, along with everyone else in the restaurant. As people were starting to bump each other near the exits, Alice caught a glimpse of someone running away from the incident. The person stopped and looked towards the restaurant and the crowd forming and looked right at Alice. They met eye to eye and Alice turned pale while squeezing Shaun's hand. She stood still as a statue and continued to grow pale only staring in one direction. The bystander let that glimpse last for a couple of seconds and continued to run away after.

      Shaun kept shaking Alice from her trance in order for them to leave the restaurant, but to no avail. He decided to look at the direction she was looking at and he saw nothing; no one. He stood right in front of her and continue to shake her and finally she snapped out of the trance she was in. "I saw her," she whispered to Shaun. He stared at her for a brief moment and then proceeded to push her towards the exit they chose. Once they were outside and a safe distance from the restaurant, Shaun stopped Alice and asked her what she meant. She explained to him that the bystander was near the restaurant and she looked like a reflection of hers, but more underprivileged than her. She felt as if this was provoked by her, this whole situation they were in. Shaun did not know of what to think of this and so he walked Alice towards her work and told her not to worry. They arrived at her work and he continued to console her until he needed to be back. Once he departed from her, she started to think and walk towards her station. She did not know of what to think of with this whole situation. The rest of the day, she felt uneasy and not herself. She worried about getting home and maybe encountering the girl along the way. If she's capable of causing havoc with fire, then what else is she capable of?

      Once Alice's work day was over, she drove home as quickly as she could and parked her car close to her home. She was lucky enough to find a parking spot near her front door. She sat in her car for a brief moment and glared all around her, hoping not to see the girl anywhere near her. She knew she could not stay in her car all night in fear and so she got out of her car in her own pace and took deep breaths at every step she took. Clutching her belongings closer to her chest, she knew she could not start living this way. She took one last deep breath as she looked up at the sky and saw a full moon. She glared at it for a moment and a tear dropped from her eye slowly. She made a wish, a prayer, a statement to whoever can hear her from up above to give her peace and finally figure out who this girl is and if she has anything to do with the notebook that was left on her doorstep. She walked into her home and secured her door, ending her day.