Meetings

Boots splash water from a puddle as racing foot steps echo throughout the alleyway. The leather of the boots creaked as many bodies turn a corner. Breathing heavily, Sa fights off the urge to look behind at her pursuers - knowing it would slow down her run. How many were chasing her as she ran for some safety; she did not know. One more corner and she ran head on into a man listening to an mp3 player. The pair crashed onto the sidewalk as her pursuers came upon the scene. A baffled, red-headed woman asked, "You seen a woman run around here?"

The man, who when the group of pursuers came upon him had fallen on top of Sa and hid her, unbeknownst to him, turned toward the red head. Confused, he glanced around and replied, "What's going on? I just got hit by a bicyclist and am not even sure who I am right now."

Bearing their teeth, the group of pursuers grumbled unintelligible words and ran off in hopes of finding Sa.

When she came to, she saw a man standing over her and checking her pulse. "What just happened? I was being chased... I turned a corner, and now I'm lying on my back with a man touching my neck. I don't recognize a thing either," Sa thought as she tried to recall where she might be and why a man might be checking her pulse.

He had a concerned look on his face as he took his hand away from her neck and sat down next to her on the pavement. His hand went into his pocket and pulled out a small mp3 player and the many pieces left of it. Brow furrowed, he returned the pieces to his jacket and turned his attention to a conscious Sa. Worry shot through her as she began to realize that the chase may have never ended, and she had been captured by her pursuers. Panicked, she tried to push herself up off of the pavement. Grunting, the man fought her flailing arms and forced her to lie back down on the sidewalk.

Eyes closed, she realized that her struggle was in vain when she realized how much of her strength was expended in her flight. when she opened her eyes again, she looked at the man sitting next to her and then looked around her to see where she ended up. Realizing her exhaustion, she closed her eyes again as she heard the man start to speak. "You know, when you rudely bump into a stranger, have them cover your butt and break their property; the least you could do is stay awake and introduce yourself to them and apologize."

Slowly opening her eyes, horror set in as Sa remembered how she came to be lying on the concrete of downtown. Embarassed, she reopened her eyes and looked at the man sitting next to her. She remembered everything now - the collision, the man rolling on top of her, her pursuers treating him rudely by trying to find her. Her heart sunk as the image of the broken mp3 player came to mind as a result of her reckless running. Eyes misting, she sat up again and turned toward the upset man.

Looking through tears, she saw a mischievous smile on his face. Perplexed, she wiped the tears away from her face and looked again. On the verge of laughter,, the man sat there with a roguhish shine in his eyes. Upset, Sa uttered, "You aren't really upset, are you?"

With a chuckle, he replied, "No, not in the least. My name's Damon."