hidden identity (charade)

c l i o .


* * *

Her apology is shrugged off, “hey you walk away from this intact, right?” There was something about the way he spoke, his voice that also registered with her. She knew that voice. A shiver runs down her spine, and forces herself not to visibly shudder. How did she know it? Why did it fill her with a sense of discomfort? She shuffles on the balls of her feet nervously, her eyes quickly darting around them. They were alone, fear beginning to tug gently at her. She tries to push it away, willing to give the boy a chance, encouraging herself not give into her gut feeling. A feeling that was screaming at her to run.

He introduces himself as Micah. She didn't know the name. Maybe she had been mistaken. Maybe the boy really was a stranger. She wanted to believe it too, to push aside the growing discomfort-

There is a slight jingling sound, like metal gently tapping together. Her eyes begin to ravel to her side before the sound of Micha coughing distracts her. He gives her a wide smile, almost a charming one, his hand scratching the back of his head as he says “No, I don’t think we’ve met. What’s your name, anyway, girl I've never met?" A slight frown tugs at her brows, but quickly it slips away as she gently shrugs off her discomfort, the warmth of his smile melting some of the fear that still lingered.

"Clio-" Then suddenly it hits her and she is taking a step back. It was the voice that plagued some of her more recent nightmares, the one of the half masked man armed with a knife, pressed against the soft flesh of her throat. "Y-you!" She cries, trying to put as much distance between them as she could on the narrow path. "I do know you! You attacked me a few weeks ago!"

The images of the knife pressed to her throat, she could still taste the fear. It was metallic in her throat, leaving behind an after taste that had taken days to get rid of. She could feel his breath again her ear, along the back of her neck. Her knee's felt weak, her heart racing one hundred miles an hours.

* * *

It had been late, the sun long gone, hidden beneath the horizon. She had been on her way home, a gift for her siblings clutched tightly between her fingers. It had taken her weeks to save for it, weeks of hard work, long hours, so that she could see their faces light up. It was a set of rings. Three, one for Jasper, one for Elizabeth and one for herself. Each engraved with a small infinity sign, symbolising that they would forever have each others backs. That she would be there for them forever. That her love was unconditional.

* * *

"You stole from me." She says quietly, refusing to look him in the eyes. "Do you know how longs its taken me to be able to walk these damn streets alone again?! without constant fear?" Sudden fury cursing through her. He had caused her so much pain, her mind tormented for weeks after the attack. Hands shaking, she balls them at her side, trying to turn her fear into anger, refusing to let Micha- his name tasted like ash in her mouth- see just how much he had shaken her. "

c l i o .


* * *

“I think you have the wrong guy,” he lies. easily. She notes the way his voice changes, the note of humour and worth replaced with something else, something more dangerous. She feels her stomach clench, doing back flips, but she refuses to give into her fear. “But if you did have the right guy, wouldn’t it be a bad idea to let him know?” The fury that had been simmering beneath her skin started to boil, to burn away the fear that threatened to consume her. Did he just threaten her? She swallows hard, her fear internally battling against the rage that surged within her.

He might have been right, she should have kept it to herself. But her fear had gotten the better of her, throwing her into the deep end of a dangerous saturation. He takes a step back and Clio forces herself to look him in the eye. He looks just as panicked as she does. Despite herself she feels the war within her falter and she feels herself starting to feel sorry for the boy. Her mind racing over the endless possibilities of why he had robbed her that night. Maybe he wasn't doing it for himself? Maybe he had no choice? Maybe he knew no better-

Stop it! She screams to herself, shutting down the thoughts, closing the gap and allowing her mind to continue the battle of fear and anger. He had pressed a knife to your throat. He threatened to hurt you, to kill you even, if you did not listened. She reminds herself, he is dangerous. “Maybe I didn’t see you and you didn’t see me.” Clio takes another glance around them, the walk ways still empty, leaving just the two of them.

She should listen to him, be grateful that he had not stabbed her and ran. She looks more closely at him, at the way the beads of sweat had formed on his brow, the way he had put space between them. It didn't look like he wanted to hurt her, and she felt herself relax a little, her mind calming allowing clear and coherent thoughts to pass through. “So you just keep doing your shopping and I’ll go home to my little brother. Sound good Clio? Girl I’ve never met.”

Little brother.

She had noticed the way his voice had slightly changed as the words escaped his lips. Is that why he had done it? She knew that she should walk away, that she should put her head down and run, run back home to her two younger siblings lock the door and pray that he would forget her. But she finds herself taking a step closer, her fear seeming to have lost the Great War, her anger taking major casualties. "Is that why you did it?" She asks quietly, her eyes never leaving him.

Walk away, Clio. Walk away, her mind screamed at her, pleading with her as every instinct inside her told her to run. "You pressed a knife to my throat. You haunt my night and days. I won't pretend that we haven't met."

What are you doing?

Trying to get yourself killed?