Desdemona struggled to remember just how many times she had stared at this now worn leaflet in the past week. By some miracle, one of her favorite bands decided last minute to extend their tour to a lucky few pit-stops further down the coast, beyond the normal tourist hubs on the wealthier islands. Jueves didn't often see major musicians come its way because traveling there was so difficult. Erratic, monsoon weather conditions that surrounded the island year-round made it a somewhat undesirable destination for some but if one managed to get there the flourishing, natural beauty and vibrant people would make the trip worthwhile. Free Atlas would be in the capitol city, Mariluz, tonight. Despite the long shift she had just pulled at the mountain tourist villas, she desperately wanted to go. A siren call for her if ever there was one. The city wasn't far from her village. She could always catch a bus or call one of her cousins and hitch a ride down with them but, since they worked early mornings further down the mountain, she'd be alone from then on. 

In the city. At night. 

The mere thought frayed her nerves. The familiar tightening in her chest spread to her shoulders and abdomen like indifferent vines overtaking the walls of an abandoned building. Just as she felt her breath begin to shorten, she suddenly became aware of a person standing to her left. He was a tall, strange looking young man. A black, wide brimmed hat hung from his neck that contradicted the wool sweater and jeans he work despite it being the middle of summer. He seemed to be reading the same poster. A bitter envy crept into her heart. Someone like him could wander the night with so much more ease than she ever could. Des let her eyes linger just a little too long and with a turn of his head, there eyes met. Despite the initial jolt of shock from the sudden eye contact, she held his gaze. A few awkward seconds passed. 

"You were staring." His voice was surprisingly soft, but still deep in tenor. 

She was taken aback by his bluntness but was still quick with an excuse. "Sorry, I thought you were someone I knew." 

He glanced at the poster, then back to her. His olive eyes were piercing yet oddly melancholy. "Are you going?"

She hesitated. "No."

"Why not?"

She didn't want to answer that. A headache began to form. A dull, relentless throbbing that spread from her neck to the back of her head as he remained next to her. 

He pressed further. "You seemed really interested."

"Just piss off." Her voice reverberated harshly in the space between them. 

Her lips tightened into a thin line, nails digging into her palms as her cheeks heated up. Passersby seemed indifferent to their squabble, but the few stray looks they did manage to accumulate loomed over her self conscience. Why the hell was he pushing her? A quiet anger built up in her chest, like hot lead threatening to summit her throat in a sharp reflux. Was it for him or herself? Clearly, this was a sign she wasn't cut out to make it to the city. If she couldn't even effectively fend off a pushy stranger without losing her cool, there was no chance. She'd be better off heading home. Glancing up at this persistent man, Des noticed something akin to concern in his eyes. 

"If the city scares you, then let's go together." His words rung with earnest promise. "I watch your back, you watch mine."

Des's stomach fluttered with an odd mixture of panic and adrenaline. "You're just assuming that's the issue. Even if it were, I don't know you so why the hell would I trust you?" 

He gave pause to that. "I'm not really asking you to. Scary as it might be, you'd have to take a chance here." 

She wasn't entirely convinced but she found a small, reckless part of herself wanting to take that chance. She lived so mundanely day to day and such a risk tempted a side of her that desperately craved some sort of shake up to her routine. His appearance didn't exactly inspire confidence; cold, discerning eyes, the way he towered over her, the dark colors of his clothes likening him to a sort of shadow. The more aware she became of her own vulnerability the more anxiety seeped into her head with all this anonymity but, the last bus to Mariluz would be there soon. She could either take the leap and go on this adventure or she could play it safe and wait for the next bus to take her back to her village. She could hope Free Atlas might come back one day. 

"Let's go, then." The thin veil of mistrust was still present, but her mind was made up. 

As he turned his eyes towards the road, she was able to get a better look at his hat. It wasn't dissimilar to what many farmers her grandparents' age wore. Strange. This whole thing was strange and probably one of the single stupidest decisions she'd ever made. Yet here she was, throwing herself into the midst of the uncertain and the unfamiliar.