A Strange Child on a Normal Day

Just the prologue for UnTimely. It's slightly short but feedback is still welcomed.

It was a chilled evening, hints of the winter season soon on its way in the crisp air. People shuffled past on the streets, some walking with an air of importance, others with an aura of simple routine. Little puffs of breath floated up to the colorful sky, like smoke joining its origin in a wildfire. The surrounding clouds were dark and looming, showing what was soon to come. A small bus stop was empty except for a lone child, patiently waiting for a ride.

Their fragile hands were folded delicately over shivering legs, trying to conserve as much body heat as possible. Most people paid no attention to them, either truly not noticing or acting as though they didn't have time to question what the dirty child was doing without a guardian.

Eventually, a young woman sat beside the adolescent, and after a few prolonged moments of awkward silence between the two, the woman coughed. The child lifted their pale face, blue eyes shining with intelligence and fear. They looked male, but the overgrown hair and grime made it hard to be certain. Their face seemed older than their body, which was understandable considering the portion of skin that the scraps of cloth the child seemed to call clothes weren't covering had the skin clinging to nothing but bone. Even the dense woman could tell the child hadn't had a true meal in years.

"Why are you here alone, child?" The woman asked after a stretched moment of an analyzing staring contest. The child tilted their head in a dog-like manner, a look close to annoyance was painted on their face.

"I won't call the authority, don't be hesitant." She tried again, talking with the warmth of a new fire and softness of a mother's heart.

"I'm waiting." They deadpanned, looking up at the sky through the clear protective roof above the bench, trying to make it obvious they didn't want to talk.

"Who are you waiting for?" She spoke slowly, as if the child was too idiotic to understand. The child ignored her, leaning slightly forward and looking left to right.

Then the kid stood up, turned around, and waved goodbye before walking into the empty road, disappearing into thin air. Naturally the woman's fragile mind couldn't handle it, and she sat shocked and in disbelief. A downpour slowly started, snapping the woman out of her trance like state. She pulled out the plain umbrella from under her arm, walking into the downpour slowly. She must have been too tired after an exhausting day at work, she concluded.

Still in her daze, she decided to walk home. Maybe the chilling rain would help clear her head, as her feet followed the familiar path to her apartment, following the general crowd. She checked her phone occasionally, oblivious to the world around her.

Finally, she reached her small apartment, immediately throwing off her coat and abandoning her umbrella. During the time of her walk home, she came to the decision that she should go immediately to sleep. The thought had somehow sprouted in her mind suddenly, but she was strangely intent on following her plan.

The next day was like any, and as the sun woke the woman up, she followed her routine not thinking of anything out of the blue.

Author's Note

The prologue for UnTimely, hope you enjoy!