Those Eyes of His

The sound of a key being inserted into a lock and turning was heard, and the door creaked open, revealing a girl with extremely long hair and a grim look on her face as she entered the apartment. It was eleven forty-five in the morning, and Alexa had finished her classes for the day. She wasn't in a good mood, and she hadn't been in one all day. On her way to class she had constantly scanned the environment around her, and when the professor droned on and on and on about the specific kinds of verbals, she tuned out the monotonous voice of the professor and kept thinking about the man with the magnificent stiletto, wondering if he was coming for her and whether she would be his next victim. Heck, she didn't even know if the man existed or not! Alexa was peeved, the nightmare ruminating in her mind and constantly bringing up vivid memories and images from her slumber.

Pondering about all these things, Alexa checked her refrigerator and noted a few errands she had to make. She would have to walk to the grocery store, and stop by the library to drop off a book that, if not turned in any earlier, would be the cause of her library fines. And she wasn't about to start that. She took her borrowed book and her purse, and once again closed the door and locked it, then turning and leaving the apartment. She would head for the library first, since it was closer. And on her way there, she began to think of the previous night's dreams again, the dream about the two men and the stiletto.

The stiletto. The bejeweled stiletto. Beautiful and ugly, being stained with the blood of its victim. Its blade was characterized by a diamond. A single solitary diamond. At the base of the blade. A silver double-edged blade that cut through the poor victim as easily as a strong and well-focused laser would burn through paper which may as well set aflame. What a beautiful stiletto...it looked more like a wall decoration than to be used in actual cutting off of heads, but the way it gleamed so brightly in the crescent-lit night, the diamond sparkling so conspicuously...

It was then that Alexa bumped into someone, causing her to drop a book in her hand, and letting her purse slide down from her shoulder to her elbow. She yelped and stood back, moved her purse back up to her shoulder, and stared at the tall, dark figure in front of her. As the intimidating figure loomed above her, Alexa managed to squeak out a small "Sorry!" and bent down to pick up her book.

The dark figure stepped on the book before Alexa had a chance to retrieve it and spoke with a deep and mysterious voice. "What were you thinking of as you tried to crash into me? Make me lose my balance and take what you think you could? Try to get information out of me?"

Alexa was stunned at being denied her book in public. She slowly stood up looked around. This is embarrassing...

The figure noticed she was not replying immediately but turning her head this way and that. "What now, calling your 'friends' out of their hiding places to tackle me down?" The figure's voice began to rise. "You intentionally bumped into me so you could use me, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU! Just admit it; you were obviously trying to steal something from me, and it was only by my Holy Blade that you didn't."

Alexa was confused but scared. "Wh-What? I am truly sorry, sir, but I don't know what-"

"Oh, that's what they all say! You just happened to be caught in the act!"

"But I just wasn't-"

"But you 'just weren't'! Just weren't what? Just weren't trying to steal my identity!" The figure, now revealed to be a man, spat.

"But sir! I was only-"

"Only what? Only going to 'pilfer' away everything you get from me?"

Alexa stared fearfully at this man with messy hair and piercing blue eyes, glaring at her. Alexa was not completely sure how to react, but she elected to abandon the book under the man's foot and dash straight to the library. And maybe retrieve the book, if it was still there. Better to pay a small overdue fine than to stand out here in public with a man that she didn't even know berating her with his words. Alexa took off running, tears threatening her eyes.

The man with piercing blue eyes stretched out his hand to catch her before she escaped, but then contracted as the man took his foot off the book, onto the concrete next to it, and squatted close to the ground, holding his head and moaning. Alexa had not gone more than five yards when she noticed this. Despite the open hostility that he displayed towards her, she couldn't help but wonder what was going on, even though this man had been extremely rude to her. Despite every intention of grabbing the book and running for it or just simply running for hit, she walked slowly to the book, picked it up, but stood standing next to the man currently in the shape of an irregular sphere. She began to speak tentatively.

"Are...are you alright, sir?"

The man continued moaning for another ten seconds or so. Alexa grew nervous about standing there with a man that could easily take her. Perhaps it would be wiser to leave. A LOT wiser. I don't even know why I'm standing here. But her body refused to move. She had not the willpower to turn her back on a seemingly suffering person right here, in front of her. Had she the heart to turn her back? She tried, but she could not. It was simply too much for her to handle. No matter the hostility, she couldn't leave him if she really did cause something in him to make him this way. It was a girl thing, no doubt. Of course, there were exceptions, but did Alexa appear to be an exception today? No, not today.

When the ten (or seemingly ten) seconds had passed, the man finally stopped moaning and looked up at her, and the first thing that Alexa noticed about this man was that his eyes weren't quite the piercing blue as she had first perceived; in fact, they were more of a gray color. Alexa began doubting her ability to see colors. Were his eyes ever a sharp blue? But...I could have sworn that his eyes...his eyes...

His eyes indeed were not a hostile, piercing electric blue, but currently a deep shaded gray, with a hint of blue but was otherwise monochromatic. His eyes, once a brooding blue, now seemed an innocent gray. And the rest of his face corresponded with his eyes. "Umm...hi?"

Alexa stared into his eyes. She didn't know what was so attractive about his eyes, but she was, understandably, still confused at the sudden change in attitude. Her mind was so absorbed into pondering what had changed into the man that she did not even notice his small greeting.

The man noticed that the girl standing over him was not responding, so he tried again. "Uhh...who are you?"

Alexa suddenly snapped to her attention and noticed that this man, before berating her, was now asking her who she was. Who am I?! Alexa suddenly grew angry. "Look, Mister, I don't know what's your problem, but just because I bump into you doesn't mean you can ruin a book that I simply borrowed from the library, or come up with such irrational statements about me. You don't know the first thing about me and you already assumed that I was trying to spy on you or something! And now you have the audacity to ask me who I am? You've never even met me before (Alexa was very sure of it), and I'm sure that I've never seen you before!"

The man looked taken aback as Alexa finished ranting and took several deep breaths. He looked so hurt that Alexa averted her gaze from his eyes and lowered her own, still indignant. After a moment of silence she finally said, "In short, I am astounded."

"I'm sorry," a deep, sincere voice that reached her ears told her, "but did I really yell at you?"

Alexa immediately glared at the man, who then cowered back, as if he were trying to become one with the concrete. Her voice was strained but calm. "Yes, you did."

"Well, I still have no idea what I have done, but if it made you cry, then I sincerely apologize for my actions." The man, no longer cowering, now stood up and looked genuinely apologetic.

"I'm...crying?" Alexa then realized that the tears that were once building up in her eyes had spilled over, leaving two trails of salty water down her cheeks. She also realized the was sniffling. Oh great, she thought, now I look terrible in public. My day just went from bad to worse. Alexa lowered her head in an attempt to wipe away her tears.

"Here." The man's hand reached into a pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, offering it to the surprised girl.

"Thanks." Grateful, Alexa took the handkerchief, wiped the tears off of her cheeks, and handed it back to him. Suddenly she grew curious again. "But what do you mean by you don't know what you did?"

The man gave a sheepish grin. "I don't remember anything that happened before I said 'hi' to you. I have a slight headache, but otherwise I don't know why I was squatting on the ground or why I'm here." He paused. "And to be honest, I don't know where I am, either."

Alexa stared at him. He doesn't know where he is? How could he get sudden amnesia? "Just a minute ago I bumped into you and you yelled at me. How could you not remember?"

"Did I really do that?" the man asked, an astonished look on his face. Indeed, he didn't look like the sort that would. Not with that kind of personality. The man pondered for a moment, then peered at Alexa's face. "You look familiar," he murmured. "Are you sure we've never met?"

"Positive," Alexa replied.

The man pondered some more while Alexa remained uncomfortable. She finally spoke. "Umm...I have a few errands to do."

"Oh!" replied the man with an apologetic tone. "Please forgive me for holding you up." The man stepped aside. "Ah, I forgot. Where's my manners? My name is Seth."

"I'm Alexa."

"Then I'm sorry for troubling you, Alexa. I am in your debt. Here, have a card." Seth pulled out a card and signed his name and a phone number, then handed it to her. "If you are in need of help, feel free to call me."

Alexa took the card and doubtfully stuffed it into her purse. "Er...thanks."

Alexa and Seth parted ways, Alexa gone to drop off a well-abused book at the library and then to the grocery store, and Seth in search of streets that might indicate which direction his dwelling might be in.

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