#42 - Perception

Today’s words: Hideous, Maddening, Base, Crocin

Word count: 617

Completion time: 49 minutes

Summary: A person might recall the exact same situation very differently, depending on whether someone complimenting them is attractive or not

I was sitting on a bench by the river, waiting for a few friends to join me so that we could catch a bus into the town centre. There was a slight chill in the air, making me wish that I had brought a cardigan or something, but the thought of walking fifteen minutes home and fifteen minutes back was off-putting for a lazy one like me. 

To take my mind off of it, I focused on a few fluffy ducklings and a mother duck that were bobbing by. ‘I wonder how self-aware ducks are?’ I pondered to myself as the mother dipped her head under the surface and shook her head once she came back up. Once I turned away from the ducks, that’s when I saw him. 

He was standing a few feet away from the bench, looking at me with a faint smile on his face. Quickly looking away, I mumbled an, ‘Oh my god,’ under my breath; for I swear I had not seen true beauty ‘til that day. Double-checking to see if he was real, I almost jumped out of my seat when I saw him walking towards me, not once breaking eye-contact; I was stunned. He looked a little like Jared Leto but with dark, almost black, eyes; his tousled hair matched his eyes, sweeping across most of his forehead; as he smiled, a couple of dimples appeared by his cheekbones; and his teeth were pearl-white, like a movie stars’. 

Heavenly.

Stopping by the bench, he smiled wider and looked down shyly. “I’m really sorry... I just had to come up to you because, you look...” he timidly brought his head up and looked me over, sending shivers all over my body, “...like, really good in that dress.”

A cocktail of giddiness and glee washed over me.

~

I was sitting on my own on a bench by the river, waiting for a few friends to hurry up and join me so that we could catch a bus into town. It was a little cold, which should have definitely made me run home to get a coat or put on some jeans, but the thought of getting up again was off-putting.

To try and take my mind off of the ever-increasing goosebumps, I focused on some grey ducklings and a mother duck that were in the river. ‘Are they as cold as I am?’ I wondered to myself as the mother put her head in the water, shaking her head once she resurfaced. Once I turned away from the ducks, that’s when it happened.

He was standing close to the bench I was on, staring at me with a hideous, maddening smile on his face. I quickly looked away, mumbling, ‘Oh my god,’ under my breath; for I wondered if that day was going to be my last. Double-checking to see if he was still staring, I jumped when I realised that he was almost power-walking towards me. Our eyes locked and it became hard to look away, I was paralysed.  He looked like the base ingredient of a really shitty cocktail – his eyes were never-ending pools of black, like a terrifying abyss with crocin-red threads framing them; his greasy hair stood up at all angles, sticking to his forehead; and as he smiled, he revealed a set of teeth the colour of bright urine.

Horrific.

Lingering by the bench, he grinned and looked down at my legs. “I’m really sorry...I just had to come up to you because, you look...” he looked up, not forgetting to inspect every inch of me as he did so,  making me tremble, “...like, really good in that dress.”

A wave of disgust washed over me.