Written In Stardust

CHAPTER ONE

I really wanted to quit this job. The salary isn't enough, and I'm always overworked and staying overtime. The stress I feel isn't even worth it, not when it follows me all the way home. Jeez! When will I finally have the courage to submit my resignation letter to my grumpy boss?

I looked around; the streets were almost deserted. Most establishments were closed, save for the 24/7 convenience stores. I'd been waiting here for a while now, but still, no ride had come by. It felt like I was never given a choice when I got off work this late. I knew I had to walk home because I didn't want to grow roots waiting for a ride that might never come.

"I swear, if I get r***d or held up here, I'm resigning first thing tomorrow!"

I took a few deep breaths while staring down the road I had to walk. I couldn't shake the images of those haunted, creepy roads from the horror movies I'd watched. My heart started to beat faster, my imagination running wild.

"We can do this, self. Aja!"

I gripped the strap of my backpack tightly and began to walk down the dark, silent, and terrifying road, praying to every saint I knew that I would make it home whole and alive.

"s**t," I whispered.

I slowed down as I felt people walking behind me. Damn it! I slowly turned to confirm my suspicions, and my knees almost gave out from fear. Two men were standing not far from me. It was dark, but the light from the moon gave me enough visibility to make them out, though their faces were hidden by the hoods of their jackets.

I almost screamed in terror when they started walking toward me again.

"Oh, God!"

I quickly walked away, repeatedly glancing over my shoulder. But their strides were longer than mine, and the distance between us shortened with every step. I squeezed my eyes shut and began to run, fumbling for my phone and dialing a number without looking, my attention fixed on the men.

"Hello?"

"Help!" I burst out crying, gasping for air as soon as I heard a voice on the other line.

I'd never run so fast or for so long in my entire life. The person on the phone answered, but I couldn't reply. When the men saw that I was on the phone, they sped up, forcing me to run even faster. I just kept crying for help, hoping the person on the other end could help me.

I couldn't run anymore. It was getting harder to breathe from the fear and crying, and I knew my knees were about to give out from exhaustion. Lord, is this it? I was on the verge of giving up when I saw a man standing next to his car, the driver's side door open. He looked like he was about to get in, but he was still on the phone.

"Help me!" I screamed, loud enough to make him turn in my direction.

I practically threw myself at him as soon as I reached him. I hugged him tightly around the waist, sobbing and catching my breath.

"Help me, please!" I cried, clinging to him even tighter and burying my face in his chest.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Some guys are chasing me," I answered between sobs, my voice shaky. "I've never seen them before, and I think they want to harm me."

I didn't let go of him. My whole body was shaking, and my knees felt so weak that if I wasn't leaning on him, I would have collapsed right there.

"Hey, you're safe now," he said in a calm voice. He gently held my shoulders and eased me back from his chest.

I looked behind me to see if the men were still there. A huge weight was lifted from my chest when I saw that they were gone. I almost fell, but he quickly grabbed my back to support me.

"Okay, have a seat and calm down," he said, helping me into the driver's seat of his car.

I was still catching my breath and crying non-stop. The fear was overwhelming; I truly thought it was the end. I was so sure I was going to end up in the morgue and take an early trip up the stairway to heaven!

"Lady, look at me."

I felt his hand on my cheek, and he gently lifted my chin until our eyes met. My tears suddenly stopped as I stared at the familiar pair of eyes looking back at me.

"I want you to take a deep breath, slowly. Okay?"

Even his voice sounded so familiar. I hadn't fallen or hit my head, so a concussion was impossible, yet I felt like I was hallucinating.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

"Yeah," I answered unconsciously, still staring at him.

"Now, tell me what happened."

My eyes widened, and my jaw almost hit the floor as it finally sank in who he was!

"Lady, are you okay?"

"Are you?"

He paused for a moment before stepping back and glancing to the side, biting his lower lip.

"Oh, my!" I covered my mouth with both hands, staring at him.

"I can't believe it. After all these years, there are still people who recognize me here," he whispered, but it was still loud enough for me to hear.

He stood up, placed his hands on his waist, and looked back and forth between the road and me.

"I think you're okay now to tell me what happened out there?" he asked seriously.

My brain still couldn't process that he was right here, in front of me. I had just talked to him, and I had hugged him!

"Lady!" He snapped his fingers in front of my face.

"Huh?"

I felt like my soul had completely left my body and was now traveling somewhere else.

"I said, can you tell me what happened earlier?"

I looked back at the road I had just run down, and the fear I'd felt came rushing back.

"There were some random guys following me."

"Did they hurt you, or did they take anything from you?"

"No," I shook my head.

I heard him exhale, as if he had just been relieved of a huge burden.

"It's already late. Why the hell were you walking alone?"

"I wanted to go home. I was coming from work, and I don't have a car."

He quickly looked around before turning his gaze back at me.

"I'll take you home then."

I wanted to squeal with excitement. This was a dream of mine for half of my life, but I didn't know how to react, as my knees were still weak from fear.

"Thank you so much for your help," I said sincerely, smiling weakly at him. "I'll just wait for a taxi here." I slowly stood up and looked around.

I wasn't comfortable taking a taxi because of the news about robberies and murders happening to taxi riders, especially late at night. But maybe getting into his car would give me a heart attack instead. I had wished for years to meet him again after their band disbanded, but I never expected to see him in this kind of situation.

"No, I insist. My conscience won't stop bothering me, so I need to make sure that you get home safely."

Before I could protest, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and guided me into the passenger seat.

"Fasten your seat belt," he reminded me before closing the door beside me.

I watched him as he walked over to the driver's side.

"So, where am I taking you?" he asked, putting on his seat belt.

I gave him my address before he started the car. Our apartment wasn't that far by car, but it would take an hour to walk, depending on how fast you were.

"I'm sorry, but we need to report what happened to you to the police. They need to secure that place to prevent this kind of incident," he said, breaking the silence between us.

I didn't answer, my hands clenched tightly together in my lap. My heart was still pounding, and I was still shaking, though not as badly as before. I wasn't sure if it was because of what happened earlier or because of him.

"Okay, I'll just call them to report it."

He dialed a number on his phone and put it in his earbud.

"Hello," he said, his eyes on the road. "Is this the police station? Yes, I'd like to report a possible robbery earlier. No, it's not me; it's my friend who managed to escape. No, we didn't see their faces because it was dark. Sorry, my friend is still shaking, and I don't think she can give you the details of what happened right now. Her name?"

I looked at him quickly, and he gave me a brief glance.

"Do you mind?" he mouthed.

"Calista—Calista Sienna Clarkson."

He raised an eyebrow at me before looking back at the road.

"Yes, her name is Calista Sienna Clarkson. No. She's fine, just shaken up. Okay, if she's fine by tomorrow, we can drop by to file a personal complaint. Thank you."

After he finished his call with, I assumed, the police officer, he didn't speak again. The ride to my apartment was silent.

"I really appreciate your help," I said softly before getting out of the car.

"You're welcome. If you're available tomorrow and you're feeling better, we can drop by the police station to file a complaint because they need your personal statement."

"Okay."

"Take care next time. If it's late, just book a cab or ask someone to walk you home to be safe."

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind." I opened the door and, before I got out, looked at him again. "Thank you."

After getting out of his car, I quickly walked into my building and didn't look back. I was afraid that if I did, I might change my mind, not leave, and just go wherever he was going.

I let out a deep sigh while riding the elevator, finally realizing that I hadn't been breathing properly the whole ride.

I walked down the hallway to my floor in a daze. Lord, I don't know if I should thank you. After more than a decade of praying that you would find a way for me to meet him in person, it finally happened. But did it really have to be this way? Lord, did I have to be traumatized first? Did I have to almost die? You're unbelievable, Lord.