"I hate you!"
"No you don't."
"How do you know?"
"How do you know I know?"
"This is why I hate you."
"No it isn't."
"Stop it!"
"Stop what?"
Sixteen-year olds Eliza and Zach were lying on the ground, right under a big oak tree, arguing. It was routine for them, Zach would say something that annoyed Eliza and in response she claimed she hated him. They would fight like this until a truce was made, although it did no good considering they would start up again once Zach said something else that annoyed Eliza. This time it was about whether "Dr. Who" or "Gossip Girl" was a better show.
"You know what; this isn't even a fair fight. I'm obviously going to win…you've never seen Gossip Girl. Therefore you cannot criticize it," Eliza said ever so humbly.
"Except I can because the idea of a TV. show being based on a group of preppy teenagers whose lives consist of gossiping is, well, not that interesting. Now Time Lords…that's something that appeals to the averagely intelligent human." Zach knew he wasn't going to win, but egging Eliza on like this was way too amusing.
At that very moment, Eliza sat straight up. Her body was stiff, her eyes wide open and staring off in the distance.
"What's wrong with you?" Zach had noticed the immediate change in her attitude and could feel something was up. He followed her gaze past the row of bikes and the library parking lot, and saw it.
Standing just beyond the sign that let cars know Davidson Library received a book excellence award, was a figure. Dressed in all black, it was the same figure both Zach and Eliza had seen every day that week, popping up when least expected. The figure was a man, they guessed based on his lengthy height, and although not very big, frightened them with the way he moved. It was like the man was made of water. Not the type of water you see at the beach, with blue waves and seashells being pulled out by it's undertow, but the type of mysterious, calm water that you find at an uninhabited lake. The mysteriousness was chilling, the calmness uncanny.
He was walking toward them.
Eliza jumped up and grabbed Zach's arm. Every second it seemed the man came closer than humanly possible. Every second they wasted time standing there. Turning their backs, Eliza and Zach hurried through the oak tree's fallen leaves, not realizing the man had picked up his speed.