Behind the Mask

Chapter 5

I suddenly felt animosity around me and chills ran down my spine as I stared at the man in front of me. My eyes…he is aiming for eyes, I thought to myself.

I unconsciously took a step backward while keeping my eyes on him, and without wasting even a split second, I quickly turned around and ran outside of the store. I ran without thinking where I was going; the only thing that was running on my mind was that I had to get out of there.

My legs trembled in every step that I took and my body shivered whenever the wind touched my sweating back caused by the unexplainable fear that was growing inside me.

I did not know how long I had been running and where I was, but my feet did not stop; it was like they were moving on their own. Then suddenly, I felt someone grabbed my arm from behind and forced me to stop and turn around.

When I came to my senses, I found myself staring at Kaya who was panting and sweating in front of me. “W-where are you going? And why were you running?” she asked between her breaths.

I could not respond immediately then my eyes, filled with horror, looked behind her. No one was there. The man I saw earlier was not there – he was not following me.

“Hey! What happened?” She asked again and this time, she was grabbing both my arms. “Why you look so frightened?”

I stared at her eyes for a while, completely confused about what happened. I ran impulsively because of the sudden fear that rushed in my body, but now that I was standing here in front of Kaya, I was not sure anymore if what I saw was true or was just my imagination.

What if…I was just overreacting a while ago and that man meant no harm? I thought to myself and noticed how cold my hands had become.

I swallowed to ease my dried throat, then words finally came out of my lips “…N-nothing. I was…I was looking for you.” I lied.

“Huh?” She frowned and looked at me confusingly. “Didn’t we agree to meet at the restaurant I told you about? I saw you went the other way while running that was why I chased after you.”

I anxiously looked around and realized that she was right; I was running in the other way and we were already a bit far from the restaurant.

“S-sorry,” I weakly said while pulling a fake smile to hide how frightened I was. “I panicked when I realized that I took too much time at the bookstore and… forgot the exact restaurant that we agreed to meet at.”

Kaya stared at me for a while, clearly telling me that she did not want to buy my excuse. “…You’re acting weird, Annika.”

I knew that she would not stop asking me about it, but I didn’t want to tell her the truth because I was still confused and I did not want to raise false accusations.

I forced a laugh to ease her suspicion. “Really, it’s nothing,” I said then averted my eyes. “Uhm…anyway, have you ordered already there?” I asked, intentionally changing the topic of our conversation.

Kaya’s eyes widened like she remembered something. “Oh, that’s right,” she said. “There is something on their menu that I want to try and I already ordered it.” She hurriedly pulled my arm and we went back to the restaurant.

I was not sure if that was enough to make her forget what happened, but at least I did not have to worry about answering her questions for now.

I was lost in my thoughts the whole time we were eating at the restaurant. I could not get over about what happened earlier and as time went by, I became more and more doubtful of myself.

My mind was starting to believe that I was just overreacting at that time. I mean, the guy did not really harm me or anything, but my gut was telling me otherwise.

After our dinner, we went to the train station and got on our separate ways, so I had to go home alone; her house was in the opposite way from my apartment.

I was actually hesitant to take the train because I knew how packed the trains were during this time and I was worried that I might encounter that guy again, but I had no choice. I did not have extra money with me to take a cab.

I carefully watched my surroundings as I entered the train. If I saw him again, what would I do? I asked to myself.

I kept my guard up the whole time of the train ride and felt great relief when I reached my destined station without encountering the same thing again. However, as I was preparing to get off the train, I unconsciously turned at my side.

There were a lot of passengers and we were all squeezing each other but…my eyes caught a glimpse of someone from the small space between the other passengers on my side. A few meter away from me, was a man who was staring at me.

Normally, I would just shrug it off, but that man was wearing a mask and black cap, like the stranger I met at the bookstore a while ago.

My mind went blank and the fear I felt before quickly rushed in me. At that time, the only thing my whole body knew to do was to run away. I slowly took a step backward, then the moment the train stopped, I quickly ran off – pushing and bumping other passengers on my way out.

I heard the other passengers complained, but I did not have time to think about them. I was panting and my hands and feet turned cold. Where should I go?

I was terribly panicking that I became unaware of my surroundings and only focused on the path ahead of me. Then suddenly, my foot hit a signage stand on the floor and I fell on my knees.

I flinched and groaned when I felt the pain on my knee, but I shrugged it off. I have…I have to get out of here. I quickly tried to stand up, but before I could take a step to run again, someone grabbed me on my shoulder.

I was frightened that I instinctively turned around and slapped the hand of the person who was holding me, only to find out that it was one of the security personnel inside the station. He was looking at me with a surprised expression then the look on his face hardened.

“Ma’am, you were running inside the station and caused troubles to other passengers.” The security told me in an annoyed and serious tone.

My head was throbbing as I tried to process what was going on and turned around to see if the man I saw on the train was following me, but there was no one.

“Ma’am?” The security asked me again.

I looked at him and did not respond for a while. “…T-there was someone following me.” I weakly said. His eyebrows furrowed and when he was about to speak again, the man I saw on the train suddenly filled my sight. He was running and looking around.

My muscles tensed up as I watched him turned at my direction and walked towards me, but I thought, there was a security guard beside me so he couldn't pull off anything. Then he stopped where we were – he was panting hard.

“Miss,” he said between his breaths after removing his mask. “Why did you run? I was about to give this to you.” He said then reached something to me.

I looked at it with fear in my eyes, and it took me a while before I could recognize that thing on his hand – it was my wallet.

“It fell when you missed to put it properly inside your bag. I could not give it to you inside the train.”

I was speechless and looked at him with doubt and suspicion. I could not really remember anything about that man I saw at the bookstore except he was wearing a mask and a cap. That was why I immediately assumed that it was him.

But somehow, as I scrutinized the man in front of me from head to toe, my instinct was telling me that they were not the same person.

I slowly reached my hand and got my wallet. “I-I’m sorry. I mistook you for someone that was why I ran away. But thank you.” I said then lowered my head at him and turned at the security personnel. “I apologize. I thought someone was following me so I quickly got out of the train and ran.”

The security snorted. “Next time be careful. The station is packed during this time so you might cause inconvenience to other people if you run like that.”

“I’m sorry.” I apologized again and lowered my head at them.

I closed my eyes in my defeat. What the hell was I thinking? I need to pull myself together.