An Unexplained feeling!

He looked spooky to her. His eyes were boring into her as if they were hunting down, searching for a missing clue.

Despite detesting the look, Sarah felt a rush in her body. It made her feel weak, desired and above all hungry for something unexplainable. She got scared and looked away. She quickly fumbled for her things on the desk and clumsily stuffed them into her huge hobo bag, leaving in a hurry.

She walked down hurriedly down the lane, feeling a strange chill down her spine, which made her walk without looking back. However, she wished she had done so, as she would have known that she was being followed, not by someone anonymous, but by him. He had the same strange, yet scary look in his eyes as he walked silently, with his jacket hood on and hands in pockets. He looked calm, composed and strangely at peace as he watched the nervous girl almost break into a run now.

Sarah reached her doorstep and browsed for keys, but to her dismay found that her bag did not have it. Nervous and panicky, she quickly looked for her mobile, which beeped, suggesting immediate charge.

‘Damn’, she cursed under her breath as she looked around for some help. She was looking around, when her eyes stopped to see the same haunting eyes.

He was standing behind a bush, with soft, yet desiring eyes. She froze. She did not know what to do. She ran down the flight of stairs to grab a cab, when a hand rested on her shoulder and swiveled her around.

‘You dropped your keys!’

It was the same boy, except that he now looked less haunting and friendlier.  His extended hand held the keys.

Sarah looked shell shocked and got frightened at the prospect of taking the keys from him.

Taking a hint of her nervousness, he slowly bent down and placed the keys on the concrete pavement, backing away slowly, while keeping his gaze fixed on her face. His gaze softened as his eyes traversed the girl’s soft, yet sensuous features. The porcelain skin, sharp nose, full pink lips and rosy cheeks made him go weak, but what he loved more was her eyes. They were deep, dark, and mysterious and he loved the way the eye balls danced in the almond framed eyes.

‘Thanks!’ she said as she picked the keys, while staring at him. She was all set to get into the house, when she turned around and looked at him.

Sarah could not explain what happened next, particularly what she said. She was surprised why she asked him at all.

‘Do you want to have a cup of coffee?’

The boy shook his head.

‘Thanks, but I don’t mind tea though!’ he said looking amused.

He walked calmly, yet gracefully to her as she moved away, making way for his entrance. She couldn’t help, but catch his irresistible manly musk fragrance, which made her feel the chills once again.

He looked around watching her paintings, her not-so-well-kept apartment as she poured tea into cups.

‘You have really nice paintings!’ he spoke softly into her ears, making her spill some of the coffee on the rug.

‘Umm, that was clumsy of me,’ she said as she started dabbing the rug with a cloth towel. He quickly bent down, and took the towel from her, brushing her fingers.

Sarah smiled coyly as he looked down at her, while dabbing the rug. She quickly looked away, but he smiled. He knew that she cared.

She was still surprised at what was happening to her. It was as if an irresistible force was drawing her close to him, with no explainable reason.

‘Thanks for the tea’, he called out as he moved to grab his jacket. She recovered from her thoughts and came to him.

‘This is for you!’ she said softly, handing a small packet.

He looked at her puzzled, yet took the package, thanking her.

‘That’s your Christmas present for leaving me home and helping me find my keys!’

‘Oh! So much for the help. Anyway, I really appreciate this!’ he pocketed it and was about to leave, when something caught his fancy.

‘What do you do to feel special on Christmas?’

Now it was her turn to feel puzzled.

‘Well nothing really much. I just put the Christmas tree, hang in decorations, some bells, mistletoe and some stockings with presents. Why do you ask?’

‘Nothing, just curiosity I guess. Anyway, I did notice the decorations, so knew you do all this to feel well. I don’t know if I should tell you, but there’s a mistletoe right above your head, which means that you should be kissed!’

And suddenly before she realized, he had grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer. Gently, he kissed her on the lips, making her go small in his arms.

She let go of him, quickly looking away, while tucking hairs behind the nape of her neck.

“What is wrong with me?” she thought. “Why didn’t I stop?”

She was feeling embarrassed. She gulped as she watched him smile mischievously.

‘I’m sorry, but it was really hard to stay away! I mean the mistletoe…’ and they both broke into a laughter.

The boy then touched her cheek gently and smiled, wishing her a merry Christmas. She saw him out, before waving him goodbye with a shy smile.

The girl closed the door, still feeling the wetness of the kiss on her lips. She touched them gingerly, before shying away. She knew she had to meet him soon.

It’s very difficult to interpret strong feelings for someone and this was what exactly Sarah had been feeling about him since that day. No matter how unexplainable it seemed, she just couldn’t get over him and his thoughts. His thoughts made her go weak and crave for him more and more.

The next day she decided to decipher the mysterious feelings of her for him. She decided to confront him. She reached the library early, which is where she had met him and looked around. He was nowhere.

‘Oh sh*t! I never asked his name!’ she declared irritably to herself.

Sarah suddenly realized she couldn’t go and ask someone, as she had never seen him with anybody known in the library area. With no name and no known person, it was getting difficult for her to find him. The day was about to end with a long holiday season and Sarah felt helpless and hapless in her futile attempts.

Feeling tired and worried that she had lost him, she made way for her apartment, when she caught a familiar scent. She turned around, but there was no one. Although there was nobody, she continued to feel the same musk fragrance strongly. She followed the scent and walked on.

She turned away from her home and walked near the church that was right across. She walked towards the cemetery behind her and stopped.

‘Why is the scent so strong in here?’ she wondered out loud. She decided to move back, but something caught her attention. As she walked into the cemetery, towards a tombstone, she noticed the scent becoming stronger and stronger. She stopped in front of the tombstone, which read ‘In loving memory of Mark Shepherd’. She stooped down, to touch a letter which lay over the dusty marble stone.

It was a letter to her.

‘Dear Sarah,

I saw you on the first day and fell for you. I loved your smile, your gestures of tucking the hair behind the nape of your neck. I wanted to come and talk to you that very day, but things were differently scheduled for me.

While following you, a car came and rammed into me, killing me instantly. I was buried last week, but since I had desired for you so strongly that I got my last wishes true. It is because of my strong feelings that you started feeling for me, thinking about me, seeing me, when nobody else could. I was fortunate to have my last wishes come true yesterday, when you invited me over, accepted my friendship and sealed it with a kiss.

I wish I could say that I will meet you again, but I can’t. I am going now. Don’t go about searching for me or make attempts to find me. I’m happy to have met you and to have you as my parting gift. Please go back home and have a happy life ahead.

The Christmas decorations will always remind you of me, especially this mistletoe.

Love always,

Mark.’

Sarah had no clue as to what was happening to her. She clutched the letter in one hand and a mistletoe leaf in another. Tears poured down her cheeks as she gently caressed the marble stone. She now understood why she had the strong feelings for Mark.

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