Thanks to MaeveSolis for beta
…
There's fog in front of him, fog behind him and fog all around him. He feels like he sticks in one place, not moving at all and passing through the same dividing strip he passed the last time. The panic rises, but then he sees an abandoned car he'd never seen before, and it goes away.
He doesn't want to walk on the sidewalk, because it's easy for something to hide between the dim and empty houses.
…
Peering into dense grey mist as he moves forward and listens attentively to the quiet noise his pocket radio makes, waiting for it to become stronger, louder and disturbance to appear as the high bow-backed figure appears in the fog.
Somehow it doesn't scare him. It doesn't look like his past, normal life and it certainly doesn't look normal at all.
He's afraid of the absence of fear.
…
Her muted voice gives way through the dense mist: "James!"
He stops, waiting for her to come closer. She approaches, and they walk together. Her heels are tapping on the asphalt, and the sound of it is muted too as if it were coming through a downy pillow.
…
Then he stops again.
"What are you doing here?"
She freezes, turns to him, but her look is steady. She isn't surprised.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you were alone in that park for… how long? And, maybe, you were alone in that entire town…" He takes view of an empty street and shakes his head in incomprehension. "You were alone in that strange empty town surrounded by nasty creatures and you weren't trying to get out. Why? How did you show up here, dressed in that outfit, calm, passionless? You look like all of it doesn't concern you, as if it's natural -,"
"Are you afraid of me?"
He breaks off. She crosses her arms on her chest and tilts her head, "Or you don't trust me?" She doesn't wait for him to answer and continues, "actually, it's all the same."
She steps forward and rounds on him. He turns his head towards her.
"What are you-"
She leans to him from behind and whispers: "You're all alone here, aren't you? And you want someone to be here for you, you want to trust someone…" She pauses; her breath is warm to his neck. "And you want that someone to be afraid. You want him to show you - it isn't normal. And you're afraid of those, for whom it isn't unnatural, right? That's why you're afraid of yourself."
He closes his eyes.
…
She steps back, and now she stands in front of him, arms crossed.
"There's a good way to make sure if the person you are with trusts you. All you need to do is stand behind his back. If he doesn't move or turn – he trusts you. If he turns around to stand face-to-face, then he's not. And if he turns his head – he wants to trust you."
…
"You know, James, everybody has some kind of emotional barrier. When we reach the turning point, it suppresses our emotions and doesn't allow us to lose our minds from sorrow or fear or happiness. And you feel like all around you is absolutely normal, even if it isn't. You realize it isn't normal, bur you react as if it is. Look familiar?"
He stays silent.
"It isn't this town, James. It always happens. And I'm not hiding anything from you. And I don't expect you to trust me-,"
She hangs her head for a moment and her blonde hear falls down to her face, covers it from his gaze. And then she lifts her head and looks him in the eyes, "although, you can trust me."
She turns around and goes forward.
…
A second later he overtakes her and walks side by side with her. And then he lets her walk behind his back.
…
end.
…