Page 24 (1/2)

Everything about him infuriated me That stupid skull, his open eyes, his existence entirely They were less scary here, either because I was used to the me But in the streets of Paris and at the theater, they were so out of place that it was innately terrifying It ed here

I continued to stare at hile person here, capturing us and believing ere angels just because ere beautiful I took a step toward hi off the path and onto the dirt

He i my actions

I stopped, surprised that he moved away “You afraid of me?”

Silence

I took another step toward him

He ain

“I asked you a question”

Nothing

“You just stand out here all day and night with that stupid skull on your head? What’s the point? You don’t have anything better to do with your time?”

All I received was a blank stare, his eyes visible between the bones of the eye sockets

“You’re pathetic, you know that?” I turned back to the path and continued on my way

This time, he followed me

I stopped and looked at him over my shoulder

He stilled

My eyes narrowed “Don’t follow ain

His footsteps were audible on the cobblestone

I turned back around “Did you hear what I said?”

He slowly cocked his head sideways, like a dog trying to understand its owner, and there was so so weird about that

Furious, I marched to him with my palms out, ready to shove him back and down the hill

But he ran, getting away from me as fast as he could

“That’s what I thought—bitch” I ain

But he followed ain