The next morning, I sat on a bench outside of my apartment building. I hadn't slept well, but the smell of freshly baked goodies wafted through the air and reminded me of a time when everything was simpler. A time before strange women died and rose again in my car. And where was my car? I looked up and down the street, trying to spot its familiar black shape. Nothing.

I watched the people and the cars on the street go by. A group of kids walked past. They were dressed in their school uniforms. They looked at me and laughed as they passed.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

They looked back at me and continued to laugh. They kept walking until one of them turned around and called out, "Hey, Evan. What are you doing here?"

"I live right here," I said.

"So what are you doing sitting on a bench?" the boy asked.

"I'm just thinking," I said shyly.

At that they all laughed louder and then walked off, giving me a mocking wave over their shoulders. I watched them go until they were gone and then I pulled out my phone. My body was tingling and my mind was racing but I couldn't pull myself to open my email. I bit the inside of my cheek in frustration before shoving my phone back into the pocket of my jeans.

"What's wrong?" a voice asked from behind me.

I jumped and then turned around to see a girl with brown hair wearing a pink shirt and blue jeans standing there.

"You were looking for me?" She asked.

I nodded nervously, "Yes." Then motioned to the seat on the bench next to me, "Please sit down."

She took a seat and smiled, "how can I help you?" She asked politely. The girl's skin was as white as snow and her teeth were straight and shiny. She had a beautiful face with large dark brown eyes.

"I'm looking for something," I answered.

"Anything specific?" she asked curiously.

I nodded, "Yes," and then took a deep breath. "I made a friend last night. But then I lost my car and she no longer wanted to be with me. I need to find my car. I need to know more about her."

I looked at the girl to see if she understood. Then continued, "I have email and social media on my phone but I don't know where she is."

The girl tilted her head to the side and watched me with a puzzled expression before asking, "Is that all?"

I nodded again before answering, "Yes."

"Do you want me to help you?" she asked with a smile.

I smiled back and said, "Yes. I would really appreciate that."

She nodded before asking me for my email address so she could help me search for the girl on Facebook.

"How did you make a friend last night?" she asked as I handed her my phone so she could look it up in her database.

"I don't want to talk about that," I replied, trying to be evasive.

"Okay," she said before turning her attention back to my phone.

"Do you want me to help you find your car?"

I shook my head no and then said, "Yes."

She nodded before answering, "I'll do what I can."

I thanked her and then took my phone back from her. I looked down at my screen to see the girl's profile picture and then sighed in relief. She looked beautiful and her smile was so contagious that I had to laugh because of it. "She's real," I said before shutting off my phone.

"Yes," replied the girl as she typed something into her database.

"Wow," I said, smiling, "thank you."

She smiled back at me before winking, "you're welcome."

I was about to walk away when the girl called my name again. I turned around and she said, "would you mind if we continued our conversation in private?"

"What do you mean," I asked curiously.

"Well," she began, blushing slightly and looking down for a moment before looking up and locking eyes. "We don't know each other, but I'd like to learn more about you."

"Oh," I said, not knowing how else to respond.

"It's just that, it seems like you're having a hard time right now and I don't want you to be here by yourself."

I smiled and nodded before stepping back toward her. "You know I'm looking for a different girl," I said.

"I know I'm not that girl," she replied, smiling and shaking her head. She leaned in a bit closer to me. "Why don't you come with me?"

This made me flush for a moment as my heart started to pick up its pace. "I don't know," I replied honestly. "Maybe later." I paused, "after you find my car."

She smiled and nodded again before taking a step back, looking me up and down once more before turning and walking towards the street. I watched her walk away for a moment. She was strangely beautiful, but I was searching for someone else.

If she couldn't find her, though? Perhaps...

Regardless, I had to get to work. The astronomy office was just up the block, and I could still get there before nine-o-clock. I didn't want to be late again. I might have to start at a new company if I was let go for being tardy. And if that happened, I wouldn't get my raise which was due next week.

I walked briskly, weaving in and out of the brunchtime crowd. There was something about this day that made me feel extra alert like it was a special occasion. The door to the office building opened automatically for me, and I strode quickly across the marble lobby to the elevators. I had just pressed my finger on the button for level thirteen when a voice came from behind me.

"Hi."

I looked over my shoulder and saw the thin man. I recognized him right away. Why was he following me?

"Go home, I don't need you here," I said automatically.

"What?" he asked. He was wearing the same thin suit and looked confused. I didn't give him a chance to speak again as I smashed the elevator button again, but still, he followed me into the elevator and tapped my shoe with his cane.

"I said go home!" I told him angrily.

He ignored me, and I noticed the blood had drained from his face. What was wrong with this guy? There was a light coating of perspiration on his upper lip. He looked like he might collapse at any moment. He held up one hand, palm out in front of him, making a noise that sounded like 'pshhh' as he did so. I took a step back in alarm.

"Don't be afraid," he said.

I looked at his palm and saw the veins standing out like cords on the side of it. A drop of blood fell from his lip onto the floor at my feet. I took another step back and bumped into the elevator wall behind me. He gave an exclamation of pain and dropped to one knee. He was still holding up his hand.

"Don't be afraid," he repeated weakly.

I felt a wave of revulsion sweep over me. "I don't need you anymore," I said.

"I know you think that, but–" He broke off with a choking noise, and his face turned a dreadful color, then, "You don't know what you've just now started."

"I don't care. I've had enough. Get out of here before I call the police." He seemed not to hear me.

"You know they can't do anything to me," he whispered hoarsely. There was a desperate cunning in his eye that almost made me afraid again. "I tell you, you don't know what you've started. I can make you sorry for this–I can!"

"I don't care," I said again, as steadily as I could manage. "You can do nothing to me. And if you try to get me to do any more of your dirty work–"

"I'll ruin you and your whole family," he interrupted fiercely.

"You can't do a thing to me–not a single thing!" I was tired of it all now. I seized my hat and started toward the elevator door as it opened onto level thirteen.

He sprang up and blocked my way. My gesture of annoyance must have appeared more like fear than anything else. He stepped back abashedly, muttering something about a misunderstanding. Then he glanced down and swore softly. "I don't know what you think you're doing," he said perplexedly. "But this isn't going to end the way you think it is."

I pushed past him, "I don't care."

Chad, the receptionist for the astronomy office looked at me quizzically as I walked through the lobby from the elevator. "You ok, Evan?" he asked, and I nodded. His eyebrows raised slightly as he glanced at my crumpled shirt, but he didn't say anything more.

"Hi, Mrs. Van Tassel, how are you?" I said cheerfully to the short, plump woman who sat on the bench in the lobby.

"Oh, pretty well, thank you!" she responded in a perky voice that seemed to belie her matronly figure. "I just stopped by for a minute to tell you about the lecture on Mars that's going to be given this evening. It shouldn't start until eight-thirty, but it may run over a little. I won't stay to listen myself; you know how I get with lectures! Just wanted to give you the word in person since it's such short notice!"

I smiled at her, and she waved an airy hand at me. "Well don't let me stop you now! I hope you enjoy the lecture! And stop by my office tomorrow and we can chat about it!"

"Of course, thank you," I replied. I nodded and kept walking toward my cube.

The way I was feeling, and what I had to get done, I knew that could wait.