Good on promises

By the end of his sentence, the masked stranger had brought out a sleek, ink-black smart phone, a latest model and visibly expensive. The sullied flower still held in his firm grip.

Eleanor who had previously felt aggrieved was baffled by the actions of the stranger. Why was he speaking for her? Why was he defending her? He was even doing the attacking for her.

The torrent of questions occupying her mind caused her to ponder in silence as she observed the mysterious man beside her. He was clearly not a simple man, that much was self-evident. His dark mask hid his identity well-enough for her to not be able to recognize him even with the ghosts of familiarity dancing around him.

She changed the direction of her gaze, now glaring at the bumptious jerk. She had a razor-sharp tongue which was not tied due to her status as a 'pauper.' She was capable of defending herself and verbally assault the 'pig in the suit,' but she decided to let the masked man continue his puzzling behavior. She was curious to see what he intended to do.

The man in her thoughts was busy clicking on his phone, seemingly messaging someone. After a minute or two, he looked up from his phone, pocketed it, and uttered a few parting words-

"You'll regret this," and with that, he caught hold of Eleanor's snow-white hand and tugged her to follow him. Her feet betrayed her as Eleanor was pulled by the ambiguous stranger, her pace giving the illusion of her walking at her own will.

After bearing the choking silence until a certain distance, Eleanor exploded. She yanked her hand out from his gentle yet firm hold and gazed at him with inquisitive eyes. Out of the several questions raging in her mind, she verbalized one.

"Why did you do that?"

She was not angry. How could she be? He hadn't harmed her. He had simply left her confuddled by his doubtful, warm actions. They didn't make sense.

He looked deep into her jade-like eyes with a piercing glint that made her want to avert her gaze. But, she resisted the temptation. She looked him straight in the eye, waiting for a response.

In the end, he was the one who broke the stare before turning around and directing it in a random direction, eyes hazy and unfocused.

"This is a pretty flower. I didn't like how he insulted it." His deep voice held no emotions, though, there was a tiny hint that he was not only talking about the bent flower still in his left hand's grasp.

But Eleanor didn't get that. She decided to let it go. There are mean people, but there are good ones as well.

"Thank you," she muttered gratefully, giving him a nod. She was about to turn before she stopped and faced him again.

"What did you mean when you said he would regret it?" she asked when she remembered him fiddling on his phone, typing something.

"Don't worry," he directed his gaze at her again, his eyes softer than before, "I just made good on my promise."

Eleanor couldn't help being captivated by this mystical being. His inexplicable actions and presence blared warning bells in both her mind and heart.

Before she could ask him further to elaborate, he cut her off-

"Where are you going? Let me accompany you."

"Oh! There's no need," she hurriedly rejected. One look at the drowning solar sphere and she knew was going to get a good scolding.

"I am running late and need to hurry up home. You're new here, right? If you're still in town and we meet, then I wouldn't mind taking you on a tour if you want." And with that, she jumped on her cycle and quickly peddled away.

The hooded man continued staring at her disappearing back, obscure longing painfully transparent in his clouded gaze.

He stared for a long time even after the setting sun's luminous glow sucked her away at the horizon.

At night-

In a cozy sized cottage, located near the outskirts of the town, a girl lay sitting down beside her window.

Her eyes glowed radiantly under the moon's white light, and her long chocolate waves spread on her shoulders rustled with the gentle breeze.

A sigh escaped her pouty lips as she recalled the day's events, a blush creeping up her neck to her cheeks and painting the pale skin with a splash of a rich, red hue.

That man, why did he have such an effect on her?

She couldn't wait to figure out this feeling. She anticipated meeting that enigma again, and her thoughts regarding him were soon put to rest as her eyes closed. Her head dropped down to be supported by the window sill, the hushed, cool wind, and tranquil moonlight, providing a peaceful ambiance for her to fall into dreamland.