Keep Having Fun

Damon sat comfortably in his balcony, sipping from the glass of wine in his hand enjoying the cold evening when Zuka appeared before him. Damon hoped he had found something meaningful.

"Did you find out anything?" Damon asked him.

"Yes I did. Her name is Ashley. She lives four streets away from where she works and she lives alone. She really is not ordinary just as you said, she sensed my presence in her house last night and this afternoon I was at the restaurant watching her and even though I made my self invisible, she still saw me." Zuka explained to him finding somewhere to sit.

If Zuka hadn't disappeared when Ashley turned on the lights in her room, she would have seen him. But he was really surprised she saw him this afternoon, despite being invisible.

"She saw you?" Damon asked again also surprised.

Zuka nodded. "She even asked her friend if she could see me but she could not." He said.

Damon had told Zuka to keep an eye on the girl, to find out her name, where she lived and anything else that could be different about her since they couldn't read her thoughts. And now he confirmed it that she really wasn't ordinary. Damon would have thought she was a witch but he knew very well that she was human.

"Show me where she lives." Damon ordered and Zuka did as he was told.

"You may go." Damon then told him.

After Zuka left, Damon decided to go see for himself. He teleported to the street where Ashley lived and looked for the house Zuka had showed him. He sighted the house without stress. It was painted brown on the outside and was small even standing in front of it.

The lights were still on which meant the girl was not asleep yet. Damon thought of going in invisible but then she would sense someone and even see him so he decided to wait.

While waiting, he looked around taking in every detail of the environment she lived in. Damon heard her giggle at some point and wondered why she was giggling. Soon after, the lights went off and he walked closer to the door and tried to listen. It took a while before she fell asleep. When he could tell that she was fully asleep, he got into the house. It was really a small apartment, the outside already said it all.

Damon looked around the room and found her lying on a mattress on the floor covered in blankets. He inspected the house. It was just a room with a bathroom and a kitchen. He reasoned that for her to be living in a place like this she was only managing.

He walked over to where she was sleeping and bent over to look at her. Very soon she stired in her sleep. Was she waking up? Did she feel his presence? Damon quickly stood up and wanted to leave.

The girl stired again and again and he knew she was having a bad dream, she was also sweating. Damon put his hand on her forehead to calm her down but images of a girl running and falling came to his head and he removed his hand. He felt her relax but she was also starting to wake up. As she started to open her eyes, Damon disappeared before she saw him.

He teleported back to his house and sat near the fire place, thinking. They still needed to keep an eye on her. Could she be the one he was looking for? There was only one way to find out.

He was going to start watching her by himself now, maybe even get closer to her. Damon was so desperate to find the woman he loved, and he was going to do anything to find her to be with her again even if it took him another four hundred years. And if it happened that this lady was the one then he would hate himself even more knowing that she had to live like a poor person in her new life.

The next day, Zuka came to him.

"She and her friend from the restaurant will be hanging out this evening, at a petting zoo." He informed.

Damon nodded and dismissed him. He waited for the day to go by and when it was almost evening, he decided to give them a visit at the petting zoo. There was only one in town so definitely, that would be the same one they would be at.

***********

Ashley loved animals and was super excited when Natalie told her they would come to the petting zoo. This was going to be her first time at a petting zoo also.

She made sure to feed and play with as many animals as possible. She and Natalie started with the goats, they fed them grasses and played with them, Ashley couldn't help touching their long horns all the time even though she was told to be careful as they could get angry. Then they took care of some sheep. Ashley loved the hair on their body as it was so soft.

"You know sheep skin is used to make clothes, rugs and other stuff." Natalie explained to Ashley.

"Really?" Ashley was surprised.

"Yeah. Their wool which is this hair on their body is also used to make different things." Natalie said and Ashley felt the wool even more.

"How?" She asked again.

"It is simply cleared off their body and I think processed into whatever."

The girls made sure to take pictures together with the animals.

After a while, Ashley and Natalie decided to go different sections and meet again at where the goats were. Two officials each followed them, in case they needed help though there were many other visitors especially children around too.

Ashley walked by different cages of animals. She stopped in front of one cage that had two monkeys in it. The animals were busy enjoying the bunches of banana that they had. Ashley always heard people say monkeys love bananas but this was her first time seeing them eat one. After watching the animals for a while and taking pictures, seeing how funny they were with their long hands and funny faces, Ashley continued walking.

There were a lot of children around playing with different animals.

Soon they got to where the rabbits were, a lot of people were also there. Ashley bent down to pet one. She wanted to carry it but she was scared when its mouth almost touched her hand.

"It doesn't bite." She heard someone say beside her.

When she looked she saw Damon. What was he doing here?

She watched him bend down to carry the rabbit and give it to her. Ashley collected it from him and just looked at it since now she didn't know what to do.

She started to play with the animal and avoided looking at the man beside her. Ashley remembered that he had helped her that night after she fainted and she had not seen him since then to even thank him so she turned to him to thank him but she didn't see him.

Huh? Where did he go?

She decided to not let it bother her, she would thank him when next she got the chance. She gently put the rabbit back and turned to the official who had been with her.

"Where are the giraffes kept please?" Ashley asked the lady.

"This way." She said and led Ashley in a particular direction. Ashley had always wanted to see a real life giraffe and she wasn't going to leave here till she saw one and maybe even fed it.

There was a high fence barricading the viewers from the tall animals. There were two of them poking their heads over the gate. Ashley wanted to feed them. The lady with her gave her a small bowl containing lettuce.

"Give them one petal at a time and be careful." The lady instructed and warned. Ashley nodded and climbed a small stool to feed the animal. After feeding for a while she thought of taking a picture even though she wasn't the only one around and she felt shy but people were also there having fun so she let go of her shyness, brought out her phone and turned around to take a selfie with the giraffe.

Ashley took a couple of selfies and decided to get going and just then she lost her balance and fell off the stool.

"Are you okay?" Some people asked her, worry on their faces and she nodded and thanked them. She was glad she didn't get hurt.

She met with Natalie at the goat area where they already decided to meet and they were asked to wash their hands before they left.

Next, they headed to a karaoke bar. While they were still in the taxi, Ashley went through the pictures she had taken at the zoo, smiling at each one of them.

"You enjoyed yourself didn't you?" Natalie asked her and she nodded.

"Yes I did, until I fell after taking a picture with the giraffe." She said and they both laughed.

"I'm glad you had fun but we're going to have even more fun at the karaoke bar" Natalie told her happily. "You can sing right?" She then asked, her expression changing into one that said 'you should know how to sing'.

"Yeah no worries."

At the bar, they ordered drinks and turned on the karaoke machine.

"What song should we do?" Natalie asked.

"How about that your favorite song which you listen to and sing almost all the time at work." Ashley suggested.

"Oh... how many times do I have to tell you the title is I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift."

"Sorry I'll keep it in mind this time. That would be the only song I know so let's do that."

Natalie set the song and they both took mics and sang. They literally sang their voices out. Till they got exhausted.

Ashley realized she really needed stuff like this. It helped her forget her worries and fears even if it was just for a while but it was worth it. Now, she wasn't going to avoid stuff like this anymore instead she would try as much as possible to hang out often and mix with new people. After all they couldn't know what was up with her unless she told them.

Natalie was the best, she thought. And singing at a karaoke bar was like the best experience ever.

"Can we do more of these next Sunday, I mean hanging out having fun?" Ashley asked her friend as they walked along the street.

"Of course. You need fun and I'm glad you want it now. We'll probably go shopping or go to a haunted house." Natalie teased and noticed Ashley's face tensed up.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm not just into the idea of going to haunted houses." Her dreams were already enough haunted houses.

"Alright babe no haunted house but there is still alot we can do many more Sundays to come."

"Thanks for having my time Natalie."

"You're welcome sweetie. I'll take a cab from here make sure to take a bus alright I don't want anything happening to you." Natalie instructed her with concern on her face.

"I will. Goodnight." Ashley assured and hugged Natalie.

"Goodnight."

Ashley stood there for a while waiting for the next bus, but instead a black car pulled over and Ashley became scared. The car looked nothing like a taxi. She was not going to be kidnapped, was she?

Oh no! Please let a bus come quickly. Ashley prayed.

The window of the car was wound down and Ashley looked to know what would happen next. But her eyes met with a very familiar face.

What was he doing here again? Has he been following her?

"Where are you headed?" Damon asked her.