Tensed and afraid of being seen, Wren peeked through the studio's transparent doors, the outline of her right palm showing through the glass. Only half of her body laid on the glass and the other half on the wall around the door.
Anyone who could have passed at that time would have heard the sound playing from inside which was around ten times louder than a phone's speaker.
'From the top guys' Wren read from the mouth of the instructor. If only they could all leave and she would be alone inside, 'my time was running out' she kept thinking to herself. The studio was normally empty on Tuesday evenings. Wren took out her phone from the small pocket positioned in front of her black namsack and looked at the time.
"Five thirty two, six hours and twenty eight minutes left." she sighed, looking from her phone to the studio.
"why aren't you inside?" a small voice asked. Wren turned her head cautiously towards the little figure making sure to move a step back.
"you don't want to go inside?" the girl asked again. Wren slightly raised an eyebrow and glanced back at the studio as if to ask 'this place?'
"you don't like talking?" Wren kept her eyes steady without blinking almost like she was studying the young female. "You are pretty though." the girl added with a tilt of her head and a wide smile.
Wren was ready to let the girl walk passed her into the studio when two bodies pushed her into the small child. Wren had never been a fan of physical contact, in fact she avoided it for reasons that were peculiar to others existence. She may look like she's a definition of secretive because she is, starting with her daily attire of oversized hoodies.
The contact from the two people behind her made her fall into the girl in front of her.
"I'm sorry-" She started, trying to pick the girl up when she felt it. That feeling she had once every year, like the world had paused for a second and her blood had turned cold. She knew without seeing that the irises in her eyes had gone pallid completely lacking colour. Wren's palms were tight around the child's thin arms holding unto her like she was struggling to breathe, she had not noticed how hard she was pinning the child until she started whimpering.
"MARIA!.. MARIA?" the voice of a third person called out. Wren had come back to her former state and the beads in her eyes were back to black.
"Maria?" Wren asked staring at the owner of the voice. He was tall with an oxblood shirt tight around his lean muscles and black trousers to match. Was it because he's long hair was neatly tied at the back of his head that made his asian glow prominent. Wren didn't fail to notice the resemblance between him and the supposed Maria. "Her name's Maria?" she asked again, scampering backwards on the floor.
He nodded surveying the state the two girls were in while bending down to help Maria up. He offered a stretched arm towards Wren but she slowly stood up immediately apologizing, put the hood of her sweater over head and walked away.
_ _ _