29

~Brielle

The Gaze Reader women didn’t let me stick around.

Quickly, she ushered me out of her tent, pulling the flap back behind me. When I turn around, the market had moved on, people having pulled down their stalls to return back to their homes. How much time has passed? The sky above me has gotten darker too, ominous clouds rolling over, casting shadows over the littered grounds. It might rain any moment now.

Just as I was about to find shelter elsewhere, I notice someone looking at me, standing on the porch of a nearby house. It’s a girl, not looking too old, but definitely a few years older than me.

When she notices me looking back at her, she turns around, but doesn’t walk inside her house. Then, she looks over her shoulder at me again.

I decide I need to see why she is so interested in staring at me.

As I approach, the girl doesn’t move, but she looks away, trying to pretend she wasn’t scrutinizing me. Maybe it’s because I’m not from here, and it’s obvious. Regardless, I’