The End And The Beginning of Me 02

I waited to one side as he disappeared into the building. After the door closed behind him and enough time passed to let me know he must be in his apartment by now I approached the door resolving myself to press the first button I see and just saying "Pizza". It always works in the movies.

As I got to the entrance I noticed it wasn't closed properly. Relieved I didn't have to talk to anyone I slowly pushed the door and walked in. The long dark corridor was empty bar a medium sized mirror at the entrance with a small light above it that barely managed to illuminate the tiny niche the mirror was placed in.

I took my first step towards the end of the hallway when I was slammed against the wall. The force knocked the air out of my lungs and I felt like my ribs must have cracked. I was trying to get past the pain and refill my lungs with air when I felt a hand squeezing my neck barely allowing any air to get in or out. Instinctively I raised my arms and unsuccessfully tried to remove the hand that was firmly placed there.

Once I managed to focus I saw him standing in front of me, anger and curiosity(?) filling his dark eyes. My chest was heaving from the effort of breathing but his grip didn't relent. He looked at me intensely for a few moments that seemed like forever and then moving his head closer growled in my ear "You've been following me for the last few days." It wasn't a question but he seemed to be waiting for something. "You've been following me for the last few days." He said again putting more pressure on my neck. I tried to say something but I couldn't make a sound so I just nodded silently and the extra pressure subsided.

"You didn't make it very hard for me to know you were following me did you?" I quickly shook my head. "Did you think I didn't notice?" I was so rattled by this situation that I was practically frozen. My mind drowning in a million thoughts and panic was settling in. The pressure on my neck increased for the second time "Did you think I didn't notice?" I nodded and the pressure subsided. "Don't make me repeat everything! Understand?" I nodded again.

"You were so close behind me that you were practically a second shadow. How could you think I wouldn't notice?" How was I supposed to answer this with no voice?

Look at me! Look at me and tell me how could I not! My mind was screaming at him but no voice could escape the prison of my throat. I felt his grip tighten and my consciousness slipping away when in my desperation I remembered the mirror that was hanging at my side. Tears started running down my face as I quickly turned my head towards the mirror and back to face him, repeating this another time or two before darkness engulfed me and I passed out.

As I slowly came back to reality I opened my eyes and tried to rub my sore neck only to find that I couldn't move my hands. My eyes were scanning the room and I realized I was tied up to a chair in what I can only assume was his living room. I couldn't see him anywhere so I started wildly tugging at the restraints. "It won't help" His voice came from behind me "I love tying up silly little girls and I am very good at what I love to do." He came around and stood in front of me holding a glass of water in his hand.

"Drink!" He said moving the glass so it now touched my lips. I was thirsty but I wasn't about to drink anything from the man who choked me almost to death. I saw his eyes darken when my mouth remained closed and his free hand shot quickly forward grabbing a fistful of my hair and pulling back forcing my mouth to open. "You can drink or I can pour the water down your throat. Your choice" I lowered my eyes hoping he'll take that as a sign that I will drink on my own.

"Good girl. You're smarter than you look" he said and for the first time I saw something other than anger. I think I could see amusement in his eyes. But that didn't last long. As soon as I finished drinking the water from the glass he held at my mouth his eyes darkened again.

He went to put the glass away, came back with another chair in his arm and put it down with the back facing me and as close as he possibly could. Then he proceeded to straddle the chair resting his arms on its back and staring directly at me. It's been such a longtime since anyone actually looked at me that I couldn't stand seeing his gaze and I lowered my head to avoid having to look straight at him. "No you don't" He said as he grabbed my jaw and forced my head up. "I want to see your eyes. Is that clear?" I nodded slightly.

"I think you'll find your ability to speak has been returned to you. You will use your voice to answer my questions. No more gestures. Unless you prefer my previous mode of interrogation. Understand?" I instinctively nodded and saw his eyes tighten "Yes" I said quickly in a voice that was still a little hoarse. "Good"

"First question: just before you passed out you were trying to tell me something what was it?" Oh fuck! My heart started to race and my head dropped again. The thought of actually telling him what it's like to be me was so hard. I almost preferred blacking out. The audible silence that followed his question was broken by him forcing my head up and saying, almost barking "Don't try me! You will not be warned a second time!"

"First question: just before you passed out you were trying to tell me something what was it?"

"Um... you asked why I didn't try to hide when I followed you. I was trying to say that there is no reason for me to hide. I'm the invisible girl. Don't look at me like that" I said as his expression changed. "I'm not crazy I'm just invisible. Just another nobody walking down the street. Going by unnoticed and thus unseen. I didn't think you noticed me."

"OK. Second question: is this anything like what you imagined our first meeting to be?"

"Um... Not really. I didn't imagine us meeting."

He looked genuinely surprised by my answer. "Why not?"

This time my sense of self-preservation was overridden by my pent up anxiety, shame and embarrassment and I just exploded. "Didn't you fucking listen to me before? What's the point of asking me questions if you won't listen to the answers?! I'm the invisible girl, what could I possibly get out of imagining a meeting with you when I didn't plan on one to ever happen? What would be the point!?"

"Then why follow me around?"

"I wanted to know more about you. I wanted to get to know you a little that's all. I'm sorry it turned out this way. I'm not in the habit of stalking people. I really don't know what came over me."

"Hmm... I'll tell you what, I will let you get to know me better but in return you will have to do the same for me. Otherwise once I let you go, if I ever see you near me again I will call the police. If you are lucky..."

"What? But... I mean... why you would want to get to know me. I'm not interesting. I told you, I'm just an invisible girl."

He looked me straight in the eyes, smiled, and as he got up from the chair he said "You were"