Page 50 of Venomous Desires

My mind searched for an escape as I took a step back, then another. My pulse pounded in my ears.

The man took a step forward. The distance between us shrank. Panic surged through me. My hand fumbled in my pocket for my phone, but it slipped from my grasp, clattering to the ground. I cursed under my breath, eyes never leaving the man.

He paused, a cruel smile spreading across his face. The gold watch caught the light again. I bent down slowly, never breaking eye contact, and grabbed my phone. My fingers shook as I dialled the only number I could think of.

His smile widened.

He knew I was scared.

He thrived on it.

Though the darkness barely exposed his face, unlike last time, he wore a long trench coat today. Buttoned from the front, his both hands pushed inside the pockets.

He didn’t look homeless today either, so what was the purpose of haunting a broke person like me? What did he want? I neither had money nor anything valuable to give him.

His whole demeanour dripped with utter ease. It was too cool... too blank. Amused, despite appearing emotionless and icy.

His hair appeared messy as he had been running his hand through it, and I watched as he put an unlit cigarette hung between his lips.

The light flickered again, and then it died down. The darkness wrapped around him like it were a part of him.

I swallowed the unease creeping up my throat, and it had little to do with the darkness and more with the person moulding it around him.

I couldn’t see him anymore, and it took everything in me to look down at the screen. Damn, she wasn’t picking. Panic surged, and I had little time to run over my options. I didn’t even know what Russia’s emergency number was, for God’s sake.

The fact that I didn’t know where he was anymore, or what part of the darkness he was striving in, was chilling. The phone in my hand vibrated, and a haunted shriek echoed in the air.

Mine.

I didn’t even think and quickly picked it up.

“I-Ivan...” I panted, even though I had been standing in the same place. My breath came in ragged gasps, and my heart pounded so loudly I was sure it would give me away. Another stupid thing I did, and as realisation gnawed, I backed away on trembling legs, looking towards the darkness where he was and over my shoulder where another lane was.

There was a pause, and I heard shuffling from the other side as Ivan’s hard voice rebounded through. “Where are you?”

My mouth hung open as an influx when I felt a shadow in my left flickering. I needed to get out of here. Now. “I-I think there is someone... following me.”

“Fuck! Stay wherever you are, I’ll be there soon.” Ivan’s voice was a distant urgency.

“It’s...” I started, but my voice was a choked whisper.

Another shift, and I backed away.

“Send me your fucking location. Now.” I heard clanking and then the hum of a roaring vehicle through the phone.

My fingers fumbled with the phone, shaking so violently that I could barely press the buttons.

I was lightheaded, but I didn’t stop. I ran. Ran down to the other side of the park. I didn’t know when Ivan would come, but for the time being I needed to get to the nearest street or find a bustling place or anything. I looked over my shoulder just in time to catch him standing near the bench where I was sitting earlier. I wished this was a nightmare, but there was no ounce of deceit in the way he tilted his head and looked at me. I could feel his eyes boring into me as he bent down slightly and picked something up from the bench.

My eyes widened as my hand flew to my hair and I patted it. The pin I wore this morning, supposed to be on my head, was now between the stranger’s fingers as he inspected it and then his grin widened, and he pecked it.

This psycho just... kissed the pin.

It sent chills down my spine. Decimated me. Tore a shred of heart as I realised how deranged he was. Unhinged.

In my life, I had never been as frozen as I was right at that moment. And it had everything to do with his cold yet amused eyes, devoid of any care and absolutely terrifying.

I was now on the other side of the road, separated by a mere strip of asphalt, but that must have been an illusion because why did it feel like he was toying with me? Taking his sweet time playing with my fear, thriving in it. If he wanted—judging by his tall frame and the muscles I knew were hidden beneath that oversized coat—he could have chased me down and ripped out my soul like a Grim Reaper.