Sandra hummed to herself as she pulled on a pair of wedge heels. She straightened, looked herself over in the mirror by the doorway, and fluffed her hair to get that extra volume. Now she looked perfect. Satisfied, she headed out the door, locking it behind her as she did.

The pub wasn’t far from her house and given the beautiful weather - cool but not too chilly - she felt inclined to take a scenic stroll. From her dainty cross-body bag, she fished out her wireless earbuds and tucked them snugly into her ear. After locking the front gate, she reached into her shorts for her phone. A few taps through the settings paired the device to her earbuds and she navigated to her latest tunes.

The deep sound of a double bass filled her ears as she muttered the lyrics under her breath. Her heels clicked on the pavement in time with the rhythmic beat of the drums. As the melody took over her body, her heart lightened.

Music was the one constant thing in life that made her happy. Even though disaster and heartbreak plagued her career, it was the only thing she could turn to. Music would never betray her. For each chapter of her life, there was a piece of music. Each memory, a song.

As she walked past houses that resonated with laughter and raised voices, all she could hear was the electronic shredding of the guitar from her earbuds. Adrenaline ran through her veins. She pumped her legs faster until the urban neighborhood dissolved into beautiful countryside.

As if on cue, the music ended and switched to a soothing piece. Sandra relaxed her pace and took in the idyllic scenery. Birds chirped in the distance, their melody a nice complement to the tinkling piano keys resounding in her ears. Seeing that no one was around, she skipped and did a little twirl on the empty sidewalk.

Giggling, she felt free and away from prying eyes. No paparazzi, no reporters, no crazy fans. She should come back home more often to do this. She could even churn out more songs this way too.

The music came to a stop. She waited for her phone to shuffle the next song, eager for something more heart-pumping. When the shrill whine of a violin pierced her ears, her breath caught in her throat. Flashes of a tall and skinny man shrouded in shadows burnt into her eyes.

She hissed sharply and gulped for air. Why was this song still on her phone?? She could have sworn she had wiped it from memory.

Never mind that. She stopped and dug into her bag with trembling fingers. No wait, it wasn’t in her bag. Tears welled in the corner of her eyes as she frantically tried to scramble her mind together.

She pushed her hand into her shorts pocket, finding her phone. She fished it out and slammed her thumb down on the “Pause” button. The chilling music came to an abrupt halt. A shaky breath escaped from her lips. The knotting tension in her shoulders eased up.

With the absence of the music, a deafening silence enveloped her. She looked up, her senses on full alert. There were no cars, no sound of civilization. The birds had stopped singing.

Sandra pulled the earbuds out and hurriedly stuffed them in the other pocket of her shorts. Her wide doe eyes flitted from left to right. The beautiful scenery before her morphed into an evil and menacing prison. The shimmering red of the sunset flashed like a warning sign. The tall trees that lined both sides of the road boxed her in. She wanted to run - run as fast as she could - but her legs refused to budge.

A sudden stab of ice lanced through her. The chill spread down her back as she felt a pair of eyes roam down her body. Her hair raised on end at the invisible touch. A cold draft tickled her exposed skin. She shuddered, a whimper breaking from her lips.

Her head swiveled stiffly to the back. Fearful eyes drifting down the road, it stopped on a male silhouette in the distance. Sandra’s breath hitched. The man was standing stock still. Arms by his side, he stared at her.

Unnerved, she opened her mouth to cry for help. Nothing came out. Her mind screamed at her body to move but her muscular functions had shut down. Petrified, she watched him walk towards her. His movements were silent and with purpose, almost as if he were toying with her.

Her heart pounded like a drum in her ribcage until all she could hear was her own heartbeat. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, trickling down her cheeks. She bit down hard on her trembling lip until she tasted the coppery tang of blood.

A few metres away from her, the man's silhouette caught the last glint of the sun through the gaps in the trees. A familiar face stared back at her and it took her several seconds to recall who he was.

Sighing in relief, Sandra rubbed her chest to soothe her hammering heart. She tried to muster a smile under the now-sweaty texture of her skin. With the back of her hand, she wiped the sheen off her forehead.

“Oh, Percy.” She gave a shrill laugh, her nerves still in a wreck. “You scared me. You should have said something.”

The plump teen gave her a curt nod, his eyes hidden by the long bangs. “Sorry, Ms. Sandra.”

“Are you headed to town?”

“Yeah. My mum sent me on an errand.” He lowered his voice as he looked at his feet.

The conversation came to an abrupt halt. Having recomposed herself, Sandra studied the awkward teen. She recalled him as being the odd one out in her class. Isolated and an outcast. With his demeanor, she presumed the others picked on him too.

Outside of class, he was even more of a sloppy dresser, with sweat pants and a tee that had a small stain. She guessed he wasn’t the kind to care about appearances either way. Noticing him shuffle from one foot to another, she followed his gaze to her exposed thighs. Instinctively, she took a step back and slung her bag to the front to cover a little of her skin.

“Hey.” She brought his attention back to her face. “I guess you need to make a move?”

Percy’s eyes shot up and he nodded his agreement. He mumbled his goodbye, turning to walk past her. She watched him go and after a minute or so, reached into her pocket for her earbuds. Time to destress after that unnerving experience.

When she looked back up, Percy had stopped. She couldn’t see his eyes from that distance but she could feel his eyes on her. That same chill coursed through her veins as she felt his invasive touch on her skin. It burned her. Vulnerable and exposed, she wrapped her arms across her chest.

Before she could say anything, he turned away and continued down the road. She shivered as she saw his shadow disappear into the distance, glad that he was finally out of sight.

Pressing the heel of her hand to her forehead, she felt an oncoming headache. Was it possible for a young boy to have such a creepy aura? Reluctant to believe that, she told herself she must have imagined his lecherous gaze. He was only a teen, a shy and awkward one at that, she reasoned. Besides, she had just relived a bad memory and must have been feeling more sensitive.

Yes, that must be it. She shook off the nagging thoughts and pushed the earbuds into her ear. Time to refocus, drink herself silly, and enjoy her night with Thomas.