Chapter 2

A Chapter by DaveMc

Their family had survived for centuries, and lived in peace with their surroundings. Until one day. The two brothers where torn apart by love and betrayal. A love child was born and hidden for years

Chapter Two

Morning came around again, this time though Stuart was sat bolt upright in bed. He had a look of bewilderment on his face, as he was reeling from last night's encounter. He still could not quite believe his luck, after seeing her, that she would just disappear into thin air, the way she did. His alarm clock started to buzz, and he thrust out a lazy arm in the general direction of the clock, not looking as he did so, he knocked it onto the floor. He got out of bed and continued with his normal routine, though he didn't feel so normal today. After leaving his apartment, and getting half way down the building in the elevator, he suddenly realised, that firstly, he forgot his music player, and secondly, he forgot to check his messages. Although more upset over his player, he chastised himself for being forgetful, and to snap out of it for the day ahead.

Stuart arrived at work with the usual amount of paperwork on his desk. Barry, as normal, came into his office to give him his normal pep talk.

“Right then Henneman, big day today. You need to get your stuff done by 1pm, and then deliver it to the big boss up on 32.”, addressing him by his surname today.

Stuart thought to himself,

“He is being nice, and surname too? Must be important!”.

“Yes Barry, no problem. I'll have it done”, he answered.

Stuart got his head down, and put last night out of his mind. He got through his paperwork quite quick, and went off to get a coffee. As he got it, one of his work buddies, Alan, came up behind him, and tapping him on the shoulder, he said,

“There's a crowd of us going out for a drink tonight buddy, if your up for it?”

“OK why not? Might be fun”, Stuart replied.

Although he had nothing against going out with these people, he tried to avoid work contact outside as much as possible. As he walked away, he started to come up with a good reason to get out of it, so he could go back to the station tonight to try and see her again. As he got back to his office, Barry barged in,

“You finished yet?”.

Stuart nodded, as he swallowed a mouthful of coffee.

“Then get it up to 32 now!! No time for coffee breaks”, Barry demanded.

Stuart put his coffee down, and gathered up the papers, and headed off towards the elevator. The car arrived, with only a couple of people in it, to his relief. As he stood at the back of the car, he wondered what was so important with these papers, and in a day dream, did not notice the woman who got on at 28. As he continued to day dream, she kept glancing over at him. It was only when the car stopped at 31, did he realise who it was. By this time she had left the car, and glanced back at him as the car doors closed.

“That's her!”, he thought.

The elevator started to move, and Stuart pushed his way to the front, so he could be first off at 32, much to the annoyance of everyone else in the car. The doors finally opened, and he rushed out. First thing he did was to deliver the papers. He ran down the corridor, nearly missing one open door, and nearly bumping into someone as a result. He burst into the office, and threw the papers down on the desk,

“Really sorry, I've gotta go. Someone I really need to see.”, he said hurriedly.

The people in the office sat quietly, in amazement at what just happened. Stuart didn't hang around to see, or hear anything that was said. Quickly he ran towards to the stairs, so he could get down to 31, and find her. He flung open the door to the stair well, bangs echoing everywhere, as he jumped down the stairs, two at a time. He got to 31, and started to run around looking frantically for her. Everyone on the floor started to look at him and they started talking between themselves, as Stuart had a madman's look about him. He started to ask anyone if they had seen this woman, as he was describing her they shook their heads, not knowing what he was talking about. There was one woman, at her cubicle, who was very worried about this erratic behaviour. She picked up her phone and called security. Stuart carried on searching, high and low. Quickly though security arrived.

“What seems to be the problem, Sir?”, one of them asked.

“What? No, er... I mean nothing is wrong, I am just looking for someone.”, Stuart replied breathlessly.

“Is this person a threat to the building?”, the other said.

“No, I don't think so anyway. It's just that I saw this woman last night and........”, Stuart realising what he was saying and soon stopped.

“I see, Sir”, one guard said sarcastically.

“OK then if you would like to come with us, we can get this resolved quickly”, he continued.

“I've got to get back to work on 23”, Stuart said, trying to avoid being taken away.

“Don't worry, Sir. You will be back at work soon enough”, and they led him away.

After a couple of hours of further interrogation, and several lectures on erratic behaviour, and it's effects on others, Stuart was allowed to get back to his office. On walking back there, he noticed several people where pointing and stirring at him, chatting between themselves. He realised that word of what happened had got around, and fully expected to see Barry waiting in his office for him. Sure enough as he arrived back at his office, Barry was pacing up and down, impatiently.

“What the hell happened up there on 32?”, he barked out.

“Well, er.....”

“I don't want to here it, jerk off”, Barry cut him dead.

“This had gone all the way to the top now. The main boss on the top floor wants you in his office first thing tomorrow. You need to explain why you where running around like a terrorist, and why you threw paperwork at my boss.”, he went on.

Barry then walked over to Stuart, stood toe to toe, and noses nearly touching,

“And I'll tell you something else, s**t for brains. If I get it in the neck, then sure as hell you are. You are gonna wish you where never born”, Barry said poking him in the chest as he spoke.

Barry left the office, slamming the door on the way out, so hard all the windows shook. Everyone outside the office was stood up, looking over at Stuart,

“And you lot get back to work”, he could Barry shouting at everyone.

Stuart just sat at his desk, head in his hands, wondering how this woman, who he only saw for a few seconds today and last night, could cause so much trouble. As he was contemplating that thought, Alan came into the office.

“Hey buddy, what the hell is going on with you today? You got Barry well and truly wound up out there. What happened up on 32?”, he said

Stuart paused for a second before answering him.

“Don't laugh, but last night I saw the most amazing looking woman at the station. When I was going up to 32, I swear that I saw her getting off the elevator, so I went looking”, he answered.

“Oh my god. All this over a woman. Dude, you have to stop working all these late nights. They are messing with your head.”, Alan replied.

“Get lost, that's got nothing to do with it. I just wanted to say Hi to that woman, that's all”, Stuart said agitated.

“Seriously dude, forget tonight, go home and get to bed early. If a woman is going to do that to you, man, then you need to get a grip”, Alan's views on relationships is that the man wears the trousers, and is in charge.

“Whatever, man. Just leave me alone”, Stuart said getting up to go over to the window.

Alan stood up, arms spread out in the air,

“Just trying to help man”, he said dejectedly.

He turned and walked out the room, as he did a couple of people came over to ask him what had happened. After a few seconds, a couple of them laughed, and walked away. Stuart continued to glare out of the window, and down onto the city below, as if he was still looking for her.

“I will find you, and I know where as well”, he muttered to himself.

“I will be at the station tonight, and I know you will be there too”, he continued.

Eventually, he settled back down to work, and bided his time until he could go, and find the mysterious woman.

7Pm rolled around ever so slowly it seemed, but at last it was time to go. Stuart gathered his things, and made a hasty exit. Just before he thought he'd got away without comment from Barry,

“Don't forget tomorrow morning. Your getting your a*s kicked up on the top floor”, Barry shouted so everyone could hear.

Stuart just gave a nod in acknowledgement, and proceeded off to the station.

He made his way down to the platform, and sat on the bench. He went to his pocket, then realised he left his music player at home. His eyes rolled up, as he realised this, and muttered to himself,

“Come on then, mysterious woman, show yourself”.

Time past slowly. He kept looking at his watch, then looking up impatiently. He got up and paced about, like an expectant Dad. Then he sat down again, rubbed his face, and ran his hand through his hair. Getting more agitated with each passing minute, he couldn't keep his thoughts to himself any longer,

“Where are you?”, he said out loud, arms waving up and down.

As he sat there, waiting and contemplating that something interesting had finally happened in his life, out of the corner of his left eye, he saw someone stood, with their back to one of the pillars. He slowly turned his head to see who it was.

“It's her!”, he thought.

He was about to get up and go over to her, when she motioned to him to stay put. Stopping, and slowly returning to his seated position, he did what she asked. As he did, he noticed the rather large gun she was carrying.

“Oh my god, she's a stalker, and is going to kill me with that gun, s**t!!”, Stuart thought, beginning to worry.

He sat, perfectly still, not wanting to look over at her, but found it too irresistible not to. As he looked he could see her, still with her back against the pillar. As he started to think,

“What's she............”, suddenly a gun shot rang out, taking several tiles off the pillar where she was standing.

“SHIIITTTT!!”, Stuart screamed, fearing for his life, he dived down onto the bench, in case any gunfire was heading is way. He slowly looked up, and over to where she was stood, surrounded in broken tiles. He realised that the gunfire wasn't meant for him, and that she might be after someone else, or someone might be after her. Then, she got a couple of shots off in reply. The tiles on the other pillars up the platform, near the creature, shattered and flew off into a million pieces with each bullet impact. Once he was brave enough to look up at her, he realised she was stirring down the platform. He traced the direction in which she was looking. Slowly he turned his head to see what she was looking at. At first he couldn't see anything then, he squinted his eyes, so he could see better. What he saw sent chills down his spine, and struck fear into his heart. He could see, what seemed to be cat's eyes, but they where six feet up off the floor.

“What the hell is that?”, he mused.

Then, slowly out of the shadows, a pale face appeared, to accompany those hideous eyes. Stuart couldn't believe his what he was seeing,

“Oh my god! What the f**k is it?”, he thought unable to speak the words.

Fear stricken, and with several beads of sweat running down his forehead and face, he plucked up the courage to look back to see if the woman was still there. She was, but she looked worried. She averted to her gaze away from Stuart. He didn't know why, but this was more scary than anything he had already saw tonight, up to now at least. He looked back down the platform, to see where the thing was. Startled, he saw that the creature was looking directly at him, and seemed to be smiling. Then, manic laughter could be heard all around the station. She realised that the creature had spotted him. Fearing that it might attack, and unable to stop herself from shouting out,

“No!!! Leave him alone”

Stuart, alerted by the shout out, looked across at her. He then sat back, up right on the bench, and braced himself, for he didn't know what. For that split second, which seemed never to end, Stuart gazed at the pair of them. They both looked straight at him, in some sort of stand off, both ready to pounce. It seemed like it was going to be a race to see which one could get to him first. Stuart realised this, as his hands gripped the bench tightly, knuckles going white. He closed his eyes, resting his head back, as if he thought it was all going to end here and now.

“C'mon, get it over with, quick!”, he prayed.

Suddenly, he felt a vice like grip around his chest, he thought he was having a heart attack. He felt helpless, unable to move, and dared not to open his eyes. Then, the sudden rush of wind engulfed him, and he could sense he was being whisked away somewhere, but by what, he didn't know. He could feel himself going limp as if he was going to pass out, and then it all went very dark for Stuart. That's the last thing he remembered.