Goosebumps raised the hairs on her arms to stand on end. It was chilly but not cold enough for her skin to react like this. A whisper of fear breezed across her mind and was gone. What was going on? She was in a well-lit, crowded public place minding her own business stuck alone in a secluded corner, ignored by all. What could cause this paranoia rising within her? No one was watching her as far as she could tell. She was doing nothing wrong, just listening contentedly to the canned 90's music pumping through the lobby. She caught the eye of a girl across the room and offered a quick half-smile. The girl nodded and turned back to her french fries. The rain poured down harder outside and the wind tugged against the heavy glass doors. Thunder struck nearby and the lights flickered. Perhaps the storm was getting to her, perhaps it was the unnameable anxiety she'd been feeling all morning, either way she rubbed her arms and willed the goosebumps to fade. She wished she had brought her sweater, at least then she could have smothered the chill.
A blinding flash of light filled all the windows and the thunder struck with a shattering crack, the employees shrieked in fear of the storm but she jumped at something else, something more subtle. The lightning had all but masked the looming figure's approach, but she had caught the dark shadow against the light. Sliding down in the booth she tried to make herself as small as possible. The door opened and the figure slid in, his rain-slick coat slapping against the glass.
To be continued...
