MENACE

CHAPTER FOUR : A Walking Mine

"Hmm... so you're Rita Norman ?"

Rita nodded in affirmation and sat upright, hiding her growing anxiety. It was her third time getting interviewed for a vacant job position that day. The first two was from the marketing department and sales company, however both immediately turned her application down the moment they saw her face or heard her name.

"We apologize... but you seem unsuitable for this position, you may now leave."

Rita felt like being struck by lightning under the rain. Her shoulders felt heavy as she'd not been taking proper sleep for a whole week as she went to look for a new job.

Feeling her head dizzily spun, she decided to sit down on a bench and stared out in the cumulus cloud sailing at the sky. She reached out her hand and tried to cover the orb of brightness, today seemed too hot. She felt thirsty.

Pop!

" Aww.. my balloon blew up!"

A small stand that sells balloons and ice-cream not too far away stood next to her.

"You gotta compensate me with ice-cream!"

"Ehhhh? But it wasn't my fault !"

Two kids can be heard arguing, and suddenly Rita can see her younger siblings in them. They were so close together but also didn't get well as they keep fighting over nonsense things.

I miss them, but I need to protect them. Rita sighed and wanted to clear up her head so she walked at the nearby stand.

"Excuse me, how much is this?"

She asked while pointing at two flavoured ice-cream.

"It's £6, Miss."

" I want two."

"Right away!"

When she received the pair of ice-cream, she looked at the two kids who were about to break into a fight.

"You shouldn't blame your friend for your blown up balloon."

"Huh? Who are you?"

The kid who seemed hot-headed shifted his glare at her and immediately looked at ice-cream she's holding.

" Here, today is pretty hot so don't lose yourselves over what's already gone."

Now Rita realized her own words, she couldn't blame the suspicious looks she got from the two children and the ice-cream vendor also eyed her.

"Well, I'm not here to interfere. I saw you buying that balloon moments ago with amount of coins. This ice-cream also price quite high for this public place. So please have them."

Rita seriously didn't know what was she explaining to those kids and only saw them stepping away.

"..Uh, mom told me to never receive from strangers."

"Mhm..me too.."

They hesitatingly looked away and ran, leaving Rita with a pair of melting ice-cream on her both hands.

" It's better not to get involved with that woman."

She heard someone mumbled and there were already plenty of eyes shooting unpleasant gazes at her.

"I thought her face looked familiar, she's that woman on the newspaper."

"Yeah.. that miraculous survivor from that m******e -"

Rita didn't realize that the ice-cream was already melting and it wasted on the ground. She hurriedly wiped her hands with tissue and her legs moved on their own to shun the growing looks she's getting.

' As if I'm a weird existence..'

"Excuse me, Miss? You're Rita Norman right?"

Rita jolted when a guy with glasses suddenly blocked her way.

"May I ask you some few questions? Although it's been a year already, I wanted to ask you about your thoughts from the train m******e incident."

He persistently pushed the recorder on her face and with thirsty eyes, he eagerly waited for her response.

"I..." Rita couldn't gather some words to say but only stepped back.

"Yes?" She couldn't take it any longer, so she spun and walked in a different direction.

"Wait! Miss Rita Norman !"

She tried kept her vision away from those who stared at her oddly or even the random silhouettes— she felt like being preyed upon.

'I need to get away..'

'Far..'

Rita arrived at her small apartment and like a chased criminal, she packed her bags quick.

She only bought few things with her to easily move in case of getting into circumstances. Although she took a flight from her home, and decided to settle down for a week in the capital city . She tried to apply for a next job to cover her expenses as she already quit her company.

Most importantly, I need to find settlement to possibly get better... To make some distance away from people who know me from that incident .

Rita clenched her fist as she had a feeling that something dangerous might happen again on her watch. Hence the only choice she needed to do is to withdraw.

"Now I feel like a walking red sign." Rita sighed ridiculously and informed the landlord for her leave.

That said, she still got some savings on her bank account for her travel expenses so she tried to decide next where would she go last.

She didn't got any close friends. Also she already got rid of any communications or cut off any ties she may get from her previous work or at her hometown.

Rita looked at the moving lights , as it was already past midnight while she's amidst traveling onto the place.

Maybe this whole plan is just dumb. That person could've been messing up with me or it was just a whole prank. Rita immersed while closing her eyes and tried hard not to remember the person who sent her warnings.

First of all, what is his deal with her? How does he know her and her location? Also, why did he bother to send those warnings when he was the one most threatening? Rita couldn't understand his intentions.

'Maybe I'm not catching up and tend to overthink seriously.'

Thinking about her recent big decisions, she thought how it actually seemed rush, as if she's only following what her instinct told her.

To run away.

Running away from home like this, it makes her no better than before. Although this time she's doing it with only for the safety of her loved ones. She felt like separating herself from others. After that horrible incident, her life seemed been taken away. She couldn't find a place where she could breathe without worry.

I never imagined my social anxiety would get worst at this point. Rita sighed hopelessly and thought of her possible plans.

I should change my identity and appearance then stay quietly somehow.

Also, I need some quiet place, and get a simple job to save more money.

Rita could only hopefully dream for positive things to happen in the future as she closed her eyes.

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