Day 20 - It would have been insane...

It would have been insane 

Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

She didn’t call the police. She wanted to, but what could she possibly say that would make sense? She thought she was in danger? She thought the man was hiding something? Was that a crime? He had left. He had done nothing and said nothing and she had no evidence of any wrong doing. The police would have thought her a paranoid fool, or a prankster or perhaps something worse.

He had given a name and a backstory in explanation of his physical ailments. The name was likely false, but the tattoos and scars were real. Perhaps link-able and traceable. If he were a wanted man, then those could at least give the police a region to search. If he were a wanted man, then he would have known that showing them to her would give her the ability to identify him. And if he were a wanted man and knew she could identify him then he would have likely done something about it.

Maybe she was just paranoid. He had done nothing. Said nothing. He had walked away. Walked not run. But if he had ran then she would have been suspicious.

Stop thinking, she told herself. But still, there were options like the internet and doing her own research. She could still remember his tattoos. She could try looking that up. Stop inviting danger, she reminded herself. But still, perhaps she had a civic duty.

Once upon a time her mother told her she had a gift – an ability to read people, see their thoughts, and feel their feelings. Her gift right now was her ability to keep quiet. Normally things happened when she was close to someone. Most often while touching them. Still, she had always wondered what her range was. Was it a skill she could develop? Would it be based on her desire or the person in question? He was such a specific individual. She held him in her mind. She remembered the feel of his skin, the look in his eyes, and the design of his tattoo. She was sure she could reach out. She was sure of it. Her gift right now was her ability to keep quiet, she reminded herself. She had no idea what might happen – if she could reach him, feel him, find him, perhaps he would know she was there, and then he would know her suspicions and might return.

Once you tell yourself not to think about something it’s practically impossible not to think about it. She took a deep breath and tried to clear her thoughts. It would be nothing but trouble. Focus on something else, she told herself. Whistle a tune. Sing a song. Read something. Meditate. Watch something. Move on move on move on. Ignore all else. But what about her dreams when she slept? What about her unconscious mind? Now she was just drilling the idea deeper into her psyche. The man, if he were a danger, was now cemented.

 

Three days later she had a random thought about Arizona. The song and the state. A week later she woke up and could have sworn she was in a hotel room until her eyes focused and her dream quickly faded.

What was his name again? She couldn’t remember. That was a good thing. The random thoughts? Well, she’d try to focus on something else, she told herself. Perhaps those would fade soon as well.