Malik felt like he had been left hanging by a thread. a few months ago, life had been as normal as a young man with a dying mother could make it. the months after her death had been rough. Malik had gotten over his mother's death very well. he and his mom had always been religious. he believed she was in a better place, a place where she was well and hole, and where he would go to meet her some day. what malik hadn't counted on was what her death had revealed, how close the supernatural plane actually was. Religion was tolerated in some places because it wasn't like the supernatural things were actually there among normal life. As long as religion was kept in its private circle, and didn't infringe on others, and miracles didn't pop up, religion was brushed off as mild madness. Only the nails which stuck up too far had gotten smashed, although the noose around some beliefs were tightening in ways most had not noticed at all. however religion was not the worst of Malik's concerns these days. It was that he had seen without a doubt that supernatural things were in the hear and now. How had he not seen them before? He was walking down the street and people who he had once thought of as normal stood out as other. Malik could see beings of the higher planes. He didn't believe in all higher planes but it was hard to doubt things for long when he could see the ghost at the crosswalk, the dark aura surrounding a homeless man, or a shield which had saved the lives of a family as their car had spun out of control on a slick road. Malik had seen all these things and more just this week. Malik knew not to speak of these things, but if anyone else knew of such things hidden among the world of flesh and blood, so did they. Malik felt like the only human in the world who even knew these things existed. He couldn't speak on these things to anyone. People disappeared sometimes for speaking too much about such things.

yet the pretense of normal life as he was living now seemed impossible to maintain as he walked to his afternoon job. School in the morning, then straight from school to work. He was trying hard to finish obtaining his Highschool degree. Already he was behind due to his mother's death and the drama he had seen in the last few months. He'd made a non-human friend. He'd seen her dragged away. he'd definitely not told anyone about that. The worst thing was suspecting that he might not be human either. After he finished school, he didn't know what to do with himself. He felt like an alien in the land he had grown up in and that feeling was far from one he enjoyed.

all these things he was not actively thinking of as he got to the crosswalk, but they tainted his mood into a worried one. He kept himself a little extra watchful in watch of imagined people who somehow knew more about him than he knew about himself. of course no such person would show up as the crosswalk light turned green, and likely not even after. The day was suffocatingly normal.

Malik kept up a brisk pace as he glanced at his watch. He was currently on a tight scedule, and he didn't want to be late for his job. He's been left with certain necessary obligations to take care of, his dead mother's final hospital bills being one. Also there was just life. It was hard for him to figure out the point now of many things but he couldn't just stop now. He'd thought about it, once the final bills were paid and he passed his last classes, he wasn't sure he'd stay in this job or even this town. He hoped he could figure out the answer of what he was actually meant to do soon.

Malik Turned right at the next crossroads rather than cross another street. It was then he noticed that he'd been sensing someone's attention on him. He had not paid it mind at first, focused instead on his job which he needed to be at in a few Minutes, but the fact that the attention hadn't left had slowly pushed its way up in his awareness. It felt like other times, not when he had been followed but when he ended up detecting something before something related happened. He glanced behind him. If it was just paranoia on his part no one should be there, but it wasnt just paranoia was it?

Of course since Malik Had turned to look behind him he actually saw Braz, and she was too close for him to ignore. "What the Hell? Are you following me?" he asked, his mood going from concerned and introspective to clearly annoyed. He took several steps away from her, widening the distance between them by several more feet. He didn't feel like he had time for this, but he was sure that he should not just ignore it either.

There probably was such a thing as a way for non-human beings to make themselves known to one another, but Malik didn't know it. The whole not human thing was all very strange to him. Malik would eventually learn that his eyes were usually one of the first things to set him apart, especially when upset due to their unique shade of blue in contrast to his brown skin.

The female looked threatening that much was true, or at least like a rebel type. If Malik never saw her again, it would probably take a while for him to forget what Braz looked like. Plus there was the baseball bat.It didn't really make Malik afraid. Braz didn't seem truly evil or anything, but she probably did have a motive.

Malik crossed his arms in front of his chest. "how come?" He asked firmly. He felt rushed but he also was curious. Most people just didn't start walking behind strangers after all.

"Better not treat me as too interesting." Malik warned although he did not provide a reason for the warning. His tone didn't quite seem like a threatening one, but it was uneasy. Meanwhile his gaze remained direct and sharp. "Don't keep following me alright? Its creepy to trail people you don't know." Malik turned and began a brisker pace down the street hoping that Braz would not be a few steps behind him.

Malik could not entirely relax, but he was thankful to observe that he was not being trailed. Shortly enough he got to his workplace. It was a food service place but malik's job was more of the backroom type. He entered to angered yelling, for Malik's boss had become upset with the way one of rhe new employees had done a task. It was hard to not cringe even though Malik wasn't being the one scolded. "What happened?" Malik asked, striving to be the calmest one in the situation. The answer was a rant about the new employee and the disorder that he had caused by organizing things incorrectly. "I'll fix it." Malik Volenteered, already moving to make right the issue. The employer exasperatedly shook his head and stormed out. Malik was puzzled. His employer usually was a bit more patient than this, so maybe something was up.