The second crossing was one block farther on.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsoFF6eQ0y
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhS9hSZJDr6
A bus passed me on the way there, throwing a sheet of water over the pavement. I stepped beneath a shop awning and wiped my face with my sleeve.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaYqS090Qg
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0W7pPT11kp
When the bus had gone, I could see the next streetlamp.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4TSzP2NDw
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpw02BX3aVG
The gentleman stood beneath it.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRP1PcfPo3t
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dRYZPK1wY
Same black coat. Same pale waistcoat. Same tall hat, almost touching the light.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYw7AKeXWa
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9is4WAfKhs
I stopped under the awning.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9C20uneg4
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5bBZZhJQo2
There had been no footsteps behind me. Nobody had passed me.
To reach that corner, he would have had to walk straight past the shop where I stood.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkCNqBbApg
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqpcum6LaV
He faced across the road, his gloved hands folded behind his back.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gpzkYBMNv
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBsRD0HLeo
I took out my phone.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHesIRAWmW
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZjH41ckDj
My wet thumb opened the weather app. I closed it, opened my contacts, then stared at the names.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkgMkbrx9I
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lk2FUkVMX
What was I going to say?78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZvKqLwzyb
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrPuzIqyiJ
There was a very tall man outside. He was wearing a hat.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNeQ710SYkW
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCxPec5ynz
The screen dimmed.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiFrWOJ2FK
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBY6D84qvFP
Ahead of me, the gentleman moved one shoe aside, leaving plenty of room on the pavement.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE58jEB0TDj
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYFt9vOzDr
As though he had noticed me coming and was being considerate.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ1Xlfu05JU
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlDNi6c0PR
I put the phone away.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDt2Nvttofe
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4GngHVG7Y
I told myself to cross the street before reaching him. But the crossing signal was on his corner, and traffic was still coming through the rain.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyCexj9dIC
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6Ss8uqreq
I walked towards it.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRwDI6xRuU
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIAPNSvnag
This time, I watched his reflection in the shop windows.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJY9IzpoE1O
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0qjulOBxX
At first, the glass showed his long body beneath the lamp.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PLb3EQRPQ
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDLBF3rDrm
Then I reached a dark window where the reflection was clearer.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsPErV0rUf
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfVzKSmwAb
His body faced the road.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOP8eQxhCv
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPBCTAKk4m
But his head was facing me.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj56r220x0N
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzEnEhMBwy
I looked away.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6m73m0Yu7P
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRNtLNPIFn
By the time I passed him, my jaw ached. I hadn’t realized how tightly I was clenching my teeth.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkq98nx66K4
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTQlkh5QhR
Something chuckled beside my ear.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCQnj4BXtH
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByo4trvYpq
“Heh… heh…”78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeG4l8qXXxi
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBxxGsnIna
It sounded like air leaking through a damaged throat. Each breath caught with a faint, wet sound.
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡITvdvwPiZm
“Do be careful where you're heading, little one.”78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHhKnZPLYF
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Hyu1YQ8bv
The voice was almost cheerful.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnWAnyzOjG
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3DVj6sGte
I felt the words against my ear, close enough that I jerked my shoulder up.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbdUHByhAf
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡniRUBQQkLz
His shoes were still several paces behind me.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJbcqV8rJ6
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOV3Cb9BZ2q
I didn't wait for the signal. There was a gap between the cars, and I crossed so quickly that a driver sounded his horn.
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7CfMs3e1N
─────────────── ☾ ✧ ───────────────
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6lubMKFCT
On the other side, I kept walking.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MZWw1ooSo
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1P5SpD3ga
Then I began to run.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1RI95AmTC
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1hvAPKUfi
My shoes slipped on a drain cover. I caught myself against a wall and kept going, my breath loud inside my head.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8aZxNjDeJ
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0AJT8TaG7A
The next junction came into view.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASFp2isJx8
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl29rdvYv8d
He was already there.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ734OzZrRWZ
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26ecePrkIh
This lamp stood farther down the road, beyond the turning I needed to take. I could see him clearly from where I stopped.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLyUMALQgcv
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmaKv4FoZn
He was facing me.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjHZZ65H9o
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdA7PWP11K0
His head rested sideways against his left shoulder.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgzs56lw8C
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1gwy9r7Jl
The hat had stayed on.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7Pq8lCEff
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKj25jpLkm
I waited for him to straighten. My own neck tightened as I looked at the angle of his.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjyIvSd3Ax
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzntRv1npw
He tilted farther.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Nbu17ueES
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8TkiSf2ng
Slowly.
Until the brim lay almost level with his shoulder and his face pointed up at me from beneath it.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3lzhWZmur
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9o901vfCaI
A tiny red light appeared in the darkness.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VKTBktrUr
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZEJx3SIxe
Then another.78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4GoYhsSRX
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoBqkXU26x
I turned into the side street.
78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLTWU1xHJQ
─────────────── ☾ ✧ ───────────────
and then Add to home screen.