And so the story continues fifteen minutes at a time…
Day 12: “Ah yes, the pen. Only slightly more disturbing than fingerprint powder,” Christopher said.
“Ah yes, the pen. Only slightly more disturbing than fingerprint powder,” Christopher said.
“Not really,” Anna replied. “Finger print powder can be dusted off. Ink is forever.”
Christopher smiled as he wrote his name and phone number on the page. He handed the pencil and notebook back/. Anna closed the notebook and slipped the pencil into the spiral binding. She tried to make it look natural and not like she was trying not to disturb anything he added to the pencil.
“Looks like the rain is slowing enough for me to get going,” She said as she slipped the notebook back into her bag. She tightened the straps. “Tomorrow at the Wiilow?” she told Christopher.
Tomorrow,” he replied. He didn’t reach for her hand to shake, but instead nodded at her as she slung the bag over he shoulder and picked up her umbrella. As plenty of others were getting ready to take their chances outside it didn’t seem strange to leave now. She unsnapped the binding of the umbrella but didn’t open it. Anna picked up her empty cup and walked over to the trash can. She then gave a little wave to Christopher as she stepped outside, popped up her umbrella and stepped outside.
As compact as the umbrella was it gave more than adequate coverage as she left the coffee shop. She walked down the street, her steps hurrying as she followed along with the others, the ran making small tapping sounds on the fabric of her umbrella.
‘Not all men shake hands with women,’ she thought as she walked. She came to a corner and turned right along with several others, relieved to be out of sight of the coffee shop. To get home she would have had to go straight for a few more blocks and then turn left. To the right she not only had several shops she liked, but if she kept going there was a small back up rea she kept in case she had to run. It was risky thinking that she might lead someone to one of her back up areas, but it was only one of her back ups and seemed better to sacrifice one of the general back ups than her primary home.
‘It has supplies,’ she reminded herself. If someone saw her go there then they would know of it, but with the supplies there she could eliminate any sort of tracker on herself as well as set up a few necessary spells before heading home.
Remembering her errands, she stopped at a few of the shops she wanted, picking up things she could use. In truth she had been putting off errands and getting involved in her research projects. Now was as good a time as any other to restock.
When she thought she had done enough shopping to satisfy anyone watching that she was telling the truth, Anna took some of the twisting side streets and alley ways towards one of her hidden back up locations. She had several throughout the city in each direction, not knowing which way she would need to run if it came to it.
‘Plus if I have to run, I can hit each of my locations and be almost as well stocked as if I took everything from home.’
Ten til Midnight 