I was always up early, in the few hours before the sun actual rose, and set about to my daily tasks. I had stayed in one of my many safe zones scattered around the city, it was a habit of mine to always anticipate the worst from everyone. Fearing treachery on the streets had lead me to create the multiple of well defended homes, and after my emotional turmoil yesterday, I had chose to stay at my current residence.

Still in the earliest hours of the day, when the sun had not yet begun to rise, I set off in the direction of the repair shop. I knew that what I was doing went against nearly every rule of survival on the streets. I was not supposed to feel emotion, I shouldn't be returning to a failed robbery site, I shouldn't want to see that girl again. My decisions rattled around, battling for dominance over the rules I had lived by for 17 years.

Getting back into the repair shop was almost like spreading butter with a steak knife, too easy. The locks held no troubles for anyone who had been in the business of braking and entering for as long as I had, and of course the hinges were well oiled and made no noise when I entered. My breath caught in my throat as I vanished, because in front of me, cooking her food, was the same girl from yesterday. I couldn't help walking over to stand behind her, she was dressed in what had to be her pajamas, and my brain just stopped working at the site of her.

Yesterday, I had gotten the feeling she had something else about her, something almost primal, instinctive and dangerous. Her actions as I stood behind her only proved my point, because in a voice of silk, laced with fear she spoke to a presence, she spoke to me.

"H-hello?"

I nearly jumped back to the material plain in fright, how did she seem to sense my presence? I backed away from her, taking myself to the couch in an attempt to put a little distance between me and her. After a little while, she seemed to forget about whatever she sensed, and she began to ask herself many personal questions. I couldn't help but imagine her blushing if she knew I had heard her, speaking of love and wanting a man.

I shook myself trying to clear these thoughts, and in a moment of haste, I left out and decided to wait in the repair shop. It wasn't long tell the girl came running out of he home, clearly in a rush to get to something important. My heart sank as I began to think she may have gotten a call, or been invited by a guy to a picnic in the park, and at that moment my eyes turned cold again, and my hands unconsciously went to pet the handle of my wrist blade. If another man entered this picture, I would make sure he left it in a hurry.

Blinded by a fit of jealousy, I hadn't noticed the girl drawing close to where I was, still wrapped in the plain of the dead.

"H-hello"

This time, I managed to stay in my current existence only by force. I jumped into the air, and came back down just as fast, landing in a way that would have broken my tailbone, and bruised my backside for a week. I scrambled to follow the girl as she went out the door, still detailing ways to remove any potential suitors in my mind. As the girl turned to enter a new building, a doctors office, I halted my progress, somethings were just a little bit to personal to have someone hanging around.

I waited for the girl to finish her appointment at the doctors office, then I set off with he, matching her pace and staying as a silent observer. The girl stopped to get some food, and while she ate, I sat opposite from her, imagining a way to maybe introduce myself. I didn't have time to think of a good way of showing myself, because after eating very little, the girl began her progress again. This time we stopped in the super market, and I observed some other girl speaking with the one I was with, from the way she tensed up, I figured the girl I was following did not want to speak to the other girl.

On the walk out on the streets, the girl happened to take a shortcut into a narrower ally, and in doing so, I was forced to draw closer to her. I could feel my existence reaching out, gently brushing into hers, and once again the girl stopped, calling out to something she couldn't see. Down another alley, when I was forced to come closer to her, she began to sing, not a song of joy, but of heart brake. I could almost here the pain in the words as she sang, and without realizing, I let my aura brush over hers, covering her in the warmth I couldn't help but feel in her presence. I know she felt me more than she had before, but instead of a tense reaction, she seemed to relax a little, almost as if I had comforted her just by being around.

We made it back into the girls apartment above the repair shop, and I watched as the girl just lay onto the couch. I drew myself a little ways away, not wanting to disturb her in her own home, but I couldn't help wondering what it felt like when my aura came into contact with hers. The dead auras of the other spirits, always had a cold, clammy feel to their presence, and I often tried to avoid all contact with them.

The girl, started to speak towards me, I guess that my presence had helped her in some way, because what she said was a thanks. "If you are there... don't say anything... I will be embarrassed if you do... I just wanted to thank you... if you really are following me for whatever reason, for that I don't know... it's just nice to see someone cares... if you are looking for food, go to the kitchen there are apples in the bottom drawer of the fridge... if you are looking for money, sorry I got none..." After a few minutes of silence, she spoke again, "I-I am going to take a nap on the couch so... uh make yourself at home..."

It wasn't long before she fell asleep, but what she said had taken me by surprise. Not only did she know that I was around, she somehow guessed that I had a physical form that would require food, the stating about money, well it may be time to forget my past. I stepped into her kitchen, quietly materializing, and grabbed an apple from her fridge. I went over to the window ledge, and leaned down back in my spirit form.

I had fallen asleep, because next thing I remember hearing was crying, and in a flash I was back by the girls side, as she lay in her father's arms crying. I reached out, letting my aura brush against hers again in an attempt to help calm her down, but she seemed to distressed to sense me. I stayed with her while she cried, and followed her as she went to prepare for bed, but I turned away when I realized she was about to change. Being in the same room as her, it took all my concentration to keep my eyes from wandering, to keep from looking at the girl while she changed. While I may be a thief and killer, I still held a gentleman's heart and would not look on the poor girl in such a way.

I heard her crawl under her covers, and I turned to see her staring up at the ceiling. Without thinking, I allowed myself to act on impulse and crossed over to the girl, brushing my lips over her forehead. After that, succumbed by fear and embarrassment, I left the room and traveled back to my nearest safe room.