Dara’s POV

Raven- colored hair. Hypnotizing eyes. Intimidating stance. Mysterious aura.This was how I see the newly- moved stranger across our house.

Raven- colored hair meant bad luck. Hypnotizing eyes meant trouble. Intimidating stance meant danger.  Mysterious aura meant curse.                                                                                                                                             This was how my family and other people around the neighbour see the newly- moved stranger across house.

He just moved in that abandoned house across ours just two weeks ago. That day, from my bedroom window, I noticed him almost immediately because of that expressionless face of his, as he moved all of his things inside that house. I also noticed that nobody from our “friendly” neighbours bothered to help him or even just offer help. People passed by him as if he doesn’t exist, as if he wasn’t moving around his things in that house. I couldn’t help but to come up with reasons why it was like that. Then, slowly, I find myself staring at him intently, always observing him.

I noticed that he was young, about my age maybe or a little bit older. I noticed that same expressionless face, not giving away anything nor getting something. I noticed that though he was lean, he was strong enough to carry his things with less effort. I also noticed that he moved with certainty yet still full of caution. It was as if he was as gauging every action he will make though he seemed to be used doing it. I noticed that he walked with confidence, no insecurity or hesitation in a step can be seen or felt. I also noticed that...

... he already shut the door of his house, concealing himself and snapping me out of my trance- like observation. After  I blinked for a few times and trying to went back to reality, I succumbed myself again into thinking about him and all of the observations I had came up with.

Though out of all the observations I made the first day I saw him, what strike me the most was that he was wearing a mask.

A week after he moved, I’d came to know why he was not being help by anyone in the neighbourhood.

Danger and trouble. Curse and bad luck. Misfortune. My family and neighbors saw him as that. I didn’t know why they thought of him as like that when in fact, he was new here. They didn’t want to tell me. Even my teacher who came to our house everyday didn’t answer me when I asked her about him. She even told me not to waste my time looking at him when once, she caught me staring at him.

Of course I didn’t listen to them. They didn’t tell me the answers I wanted to know so why should I follow them. Well okay, it was only part of the ‘reason’; the main reason why I didn’t do so was simply because I couldn’t stop myself. I was kinda attracted to ‘dangerous and mysterious’ guys, thanks to the books I had read.

More days passed by, and observing him has become a habit of mine. He was always wearing a shirt matched with dark jeans and sneakers. His usual get- up color was either red or black or a combination of both. Wherever he went, the same bag pack was slung on his right shoulder though it looked like it was empty. These were some of my new observations of him. But during all those times that I observed him, I noticed that he didn’t notice me, always looking at him from my window. Not that I really wanted him to notice me...

...Well, a little part of me wanted that. Only a little. But fate looked like it wanted to listen more to that little part.

It was windy that one afternoon and I loved it. I opened my window much wider than I used to. I was writing my story when my alarm went off, signalling that he already arrived. Yeah, I noticed that he went back home from school, I guess, at the same time. Rarely were cases when he went back his house at an earlier or later time. So after silencing my alarm, I looked once again outside my window and as if on cue, I saw him walking towards his house. Then I really became confused of what happened afterwards. Like what happened in those movies and stories’ plot, the wind blew quite stronger this time, making my paper flew and my ballpen fell on the floor. And for the first time, I find myself staring at those hypnotizing orbs. After what seems like a decade but was actually just a couple of seconds, I felt my heart beat a bit faster, making me aware of everything. After that, I just saw my hands drawing the curtains closed and placing it on top of my left chest. Gathering courage despite the still fast and loud beating of my heart, I took a peek from my curtains again and saw that he was not there anymore.

For the rest of the afternoon, I didn’t dare to open the curtains anymore; though it slowly swayed every now and then because of the wind. I just lied on my bed, thinking of his eyes; and of the reason why ‘it’ happened today. Then I find my thoughts drifting into where this ‘him noticing my presence’ will lead into.

Well, I really didn’t like for it to lead into something since I’m contented with just staring and observing him from a distance. Though there was still a part of me that wanted for it to lead into something.

And as I have said before , fate liked to listen more in that little part of me...

Is it too boring? Too confusing? Too long? Too (supply your own description of the first chapter in the comments section) ... kekekeke^^ Thanks for reading and commenting in advance.

PS. I know, Dara sounds like a stalker here. Kekeke. She’s not.