Two days later, Cyndi was walking along the pavement with her umbrella in hand, not willing to give up on her new job search yet, even on the weekend. It was still raining, dragging her spirits lower than being buried six feet under. Though she had to admit, she’d never been buried six feet under before. Her attitude wasn’t going to improve either. In fact, her mood won’t improve until she found a new job. Only Claudia knew she was seeking a new job. That was why she was still lying low at work and still had to put up with her boss’s attitude. Another unfruitful day, she came home to greet wet floors everywhere like it had been since weeks before. As she was heading for the elevators, she saw the creepy silhouette that had been haunting her dreams since whenever talking to the landlord. Folding her umbrella, she steered clear of the elevator and made her way to the staircase to only bump into a tan raincoat moving down the steps. Scared out of her wits, she grabbed desperately onto something with her outstretched hands, wanting to steady herself again—and it was indeed in vain. It was not until the pair of hands belonging to that tan raincoat reached out to grab onto her shoulders, steadying her that she managed to catch her breath again.
“I’m sorry, Miss,” the peaceful voice said, still having a hold on her shoulders and righting her again.
It was then that her umbrella fell from her hands though she was already steady on her feet. She finally saw the face that belonged to the raincoat and was more than shaken by that person’s presence. Only showing traces of wrinkles on his face, he reached down to fetch her umbrella and returned it to her, pressing it into her hands.
“Be more careful the next time,” he said, sending her a smile that could melt an iceberg. Then he was gone from sight.
“It can’t be,” Cyndi gasped, reaching for the rail to steady herself as she turned to watch the other person making his way out of the building. While she was at it, she turned to sneak a peek at the other weirdo to see if he was still talking to the landlord. She had to step back to prevent from being seen since he was facing her at the moment—though at a distance. She did not know she was shivering until her umbrella fell from her grasp again. Scrambling on the floor, she snatched up her umbrella before rushing up the steps, determined to get away from the scene before anything else happens.
An hour later, she had already showered and felt resurrected again. Her head much clearer than before, she decided it was just a coincidence and possibly her eyes playing tricks on her after a day of endless searching. Once again, she decided to brush off the fact that the person who just helped her looked creepily like one of the maniacs in her dream. No, nightmare. He wasn’t the one with the deep voice. He was the guy who said nothing. But she recognized his face, just slightly. But it couldn’t be. It can’t be.
Another hour passed by, and she abandoned the Classified section altogether. Instead, she turned the idea in her mind once again, pondering which apartment that raincoat guy occupied.
© Thursday, August 4th, 2011
Posted: Friday, June 1st, 2012
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