Zach

***

It’s raining as I walk home. Hood up, hands in pockets, I sigh as the water comes down heavier.

“Just my luck.” I mutter.

Now that i think about it, many of my days have been full of sighs. Life has been so...so… I can’t even find the right word. Yeesh.

Ugh, my glasses are so wet. I take them off, rubbing at them with my fingers. Once on my face, they are again soaked.

“Damn.” Well, looks like I’ll be blind either way. I might as well put them in my-

Oh no. Really?!

I drop to my knees, searching the sidewalk. Purple and black sneakers step into my blurry area of vision. I flinch and quickly look up to see my glasses in an outstretched hand.

“Thank you.” Looking up further, stare at a rather blurry blob of a person.

“You’re welcome.” The voice sounds soft with a hint of deepness.

I put my glasses back on and-

Watch as a red sweatshirt clad back walks in the direction of my house, shifting a soggy backpack up closer to their neck.

Well, I have to walk that way anyway, right? So, I follow the curious subject, keeping a good distance away. I cross to the left sidewalk. They turn on Dust street, the same one as I. Very curious. Could they possibly be my new neighbor?

“I see you and I advise you to stop following me.” says the figure as the rain slows its fall.

“I-I go this way.” I stammer. Guess my sneakiness didn’t work.

“You live on Mouse avenue?”

“I live in the apartment building on one seventeen.”

“What?” They shout as a car passes in the road between us.

“The apartment building on one seventeen!” I glance at Red sweatshirt as they continue walking. The only sound between us is the passing of cars.

Great. I scared them off.

I squirm in my hoodie and look over again. I rub at my glasses, pausing my walk to look for the curious figure. Did they go down one of the many alleys?

The hair on the back of my neck stands on end.

“What’s your name?”

I turn and I’m face to face with a blue-eyed, wavy-haired girl.

Getting lost in the mesmerizing gaze, I murmur, “Zachamo Wille.”

She raises an eyebrow. “As in brother of Sami Wille?”

I nod, being pulled deeper into the depth of her eyes as the rain stops. Blinding pain shoots through my body and I only have the chance to let out a short cry before blacking out.