I'm going to try to update fairly often, as I'll be posting each chapter as I finish them. But please be patient with me! Also please note that I do not own nor have any affiliation with Marvel or any of the songs featured in any forthcoming chapters.
Chapter 1: One Late Night
Walking alone from campus to my apartment probably wasn't the best idea this late at night. But I enjoy the walk, as it gives me a chance to reflect on my day and all the things I have to do tomorrow. Following the dim streetlights that lead me through the dark, I put in my earbuds and put my phone on shuffle. Seldom do cars go by and the voice of Eric Bazilian resonates in my ears.
'All you zombies hide your faces
All you people in the street
All you sittin' in high places
The pieces gonna fall on you'
There wasn't many students around this time of night, and most of the faculty that was here were probably up in their offices doing some late night paperwork or something along those lines. My Directing class is one of the few at NYU that let out at 12:30 am. Most of my summer classes I decided to take later in the day, this one being the latest, since I'm by no means a morning person.
I am not in a big hurry to get home, but my surroundings make me anxious, as it should. I'm not exactly the most intimidating 23 year old ever; I'm only 5'1 and 140 pounds, which is pretty damn small. The walk isn't very long, only about a mile and a half, but I surround myself in a bubble of paranoia, constantly looking over my shoulder.
This is New York City after all. The big apple. The center of my universe where I hope to pursue a career in stage management someday. I like the chaos of it all. It's the complete opposite of my impossibly boring upbringing. Even though I'm alone in this giant population, I'm never truly alone since I was surrounded by others. Whether that's good or bad, I don't care.
Making the turn, I realize that this section of sidewalk along the park isn't lit. There's no streetlights until about two blocks ahead, and I begin to walk a little faster. I feel a piercing sensation in the pit of my stomach, feeling as though I'm being watched. Not one to ignore my instincts, I start up a light jog and turn the volume on my music way down.
'Only Noah saw it coming
Forty days and forty nights
Took his sons and daughters with him'
Even though I expect to see someone behind me, I still jump when I do, letting out a squeak. He stood a few meters behind me. "I'm sorry, have I scared you?" he asks in a surprisingly soothing voice. I'm still on my guard though. "Yeah, that was actually pretty terrifying, thank you" I say, clutching my chest, trying to get my heartbeat to return back to normal.
Taking a better look at him, I notice his striking blue eyes that appear almost as though they are glowing. His pale skin cutting through the darkness. Long hair slicked back, darker than the blackest raven. His look peculiar, yet weirdly charming and prepossessing. And I felt a certain intrinsic magnetism towards him.
He's easily more than a foot taller than me and a hell of a lot stronger than me. But I'm not intimidated by him for some reason. As we watch each other, my curiosity grows. He's dressed in some sort of thick black leather with what looks like green lining; way too warm for this summer night. For whatever reason, he's interesting, and I can't seem to shake the feeling.
For only a moment, I glance behind me to the streetlights ahead. I turn back around to find him gone, as though it had been my imagination. I stand there for a minute just staring at the spot where he once stood. But eventually I chalk it up to being too tired and I turn to go, resuming my jog just to be safe.
'All you zombies show your faces
All you people in the street
All you sittin' in high places
The pieces gonna fall on you'
Soon enough I reach my apartment building, entering the glass doors and keying in my code to get into the lobby. The ceiling lights are comforting after the long night, it being close to one in the morning at this point. All I think about is crawling into bed while on the elevator. It would be wednesday when I woke up, meaning I didn't have class until three in the afternoon. I think about how much I hate getting up in the morning and having to go somewhere, and begin to plan my day tomorrow.
My cats are there to greet me when I walk in the front door, the little fuzzbabies scratching at my legs as I kick off my pastel pink converse and throw them into the pile with the other ones of varying pastel colours. They follow my like ducklings to my bedroom where I snake under the covers of my bed. I don't bother to change clothes or even take off my false eyelashes; ain't nobody got time for dat.
Like usual, the cats hop up and cuddle up around my head as I begin to think about that man again. How he was so . . . captivating. Entrancing, almost. I wonder if he actually was someone real as opposed to a figment of my imagination. And part of me almost wants him to be real. He had filled me with a peculiar curiosity that I want to further explore. Drifting off into dreamland, I picture him one last time before I fall asleep.
