People Watching

Bethany sat on a soggy wooden bench, placed just at the edge of some old park and overlooking the busy urban street. The young woman's eyes locked onto a man in a windbreaker and jeans, walking at a quick, but not necessarily hurried, pace. He looked like the kind of guy who wasn't afraid of anything. Who could take on the world. What if he was one of them?

Probably not. He had said that if you ever saw one of those things, and were paying attention... A trained girl like her should know. The man passed crossed the street, and BB's eyes darted over to another person, the first one she could find. This one was a middle-aged woman in rain boots and a look overcoat. It was raining, yes, but she still seemed a little off. So she was strange, yes. But she didn't look like she was immortal.

Beth smiled. She felt so much danger around her. It had been years since she'd been so frightened... or felt so alive. Ever since that day, not too long ago, her entire world had changed. She loved it. It was as if at any moment, someone could just pop out, grab her by the throat and-

The woman flinched, her heart stopping for a moment as she had to restrain herself from karate chopping whatever dumb bystander decided to tap her on the shoulder. She whirled around to look at them, the look in her eyes caught between one of surprise and one of annoyance, "Can I help you?"