Persephone in a Sense

After walking around the town a little finding nothing to do, I decided to go ahead back to the place I was staying. I began walking down the street in the direction of the place when I passed a bus station and something, rather, someone caught my eye.

It was the guy from the store. I recognized him by his hat.

I contemplated whether or not to follow him onto the bus that was pulling up towards the curb for a minute. I could always, easily, find him again. But going back to that abandoned place would bring nothing but boredom, and I had plenty of time for that later. Before I knew it, the bus stop had cleared and the doors were about to close. I quickly hopped over the bench and ran through the doors just as they closed, tearing my shirt a little.

Cursing under my breath, I examined the tear whilst standing in the middle of the bus isle. In a matter of seconds, I lurched forward and grabbed the two seats nearest me on either side. How rude, to just start the bus with some people still looking for a seat. You know, sometimes this being invisible to everyone thing is really, really hard.

I gripped the sides of the seats, making my way down the isle in search of a free seat. I scooted into one a few seats down and on the opposite side of where I saw the kid from the store sitting. I attempted to face the front, acting like a normal passenger might, but I couldn’t help but turn and watch the guy, who was sitting beside another man with much longer hair and glasses.

The bus passed more stores with useless names. Restaurants. Town Houses. And I kept watching them. He stayed slumped down in his seat while his friend clearly tried to ignore whatever he was saying. Then, he looked.

He looked and I smiled. He turned to his friend and whispered something. The two continued quietly bickering until I clearly made out that he said, “No! He’s sitting right there! Jesus, Andy! I know you wear glasses but he’s right there!” His friend looked back at him skeptically replying, “No one’s there, idiot”

I smiled wider as he stared in my direction, a little in shock it seemed that he could see me but his friend couldn’t. He must have thought I was some sort of illusion. Something he was making up in his head.

Then he looked away, and purposefully avoided my glance the entire rest of the ride. Eventually, I lost interest in staring as well and looked forward, plotting my next move in this little game I’d set up for myself. Soon, the bus made an impromptu stopped on some road I hadn’t yet visited, and my little friend slipped off with his own friend. Having nothing else to do, I followed them.

It’s a little creepy, maybe. But it’s also fun to watch him freak out.

I walked a few feet behind them until they came to a place called a “Gas Stations” where people put fuel into their cars. They exchanged a few words I was too far behind to hear, and the long haired man walked into the Gas station, leaving the man from earlier outside on a wooden bench, waiting what seemed like nervously.

He didn’t notice me yet, so I sort of felt like I had the element of surprise. But was it really right of me to just go on up to him and start trying to have a conversation? Surely it would frighten him. Maybe scare him off for good. But what could he do? He was the only one who saw me.

’Soul Mate’

Yes, I would have to talk to him. The first step is confrontation. Or maybe it’s not, but it will be from now on. At least in my book.

I took a breath and walked towards the bench while he kept his eyes focused in the other direction. Carefully and quietly, I took the seat beside him and waited for him to look around.

It took a moment, but finally he looked at me; and gasped.

“Why, hello…” I began. “We should really stop bumping into each other like this.”