The air outside was damp, which made it feel even colder.
I wrapped my coat more tightly around me, thinking once again that I should have replaced this damned coat long ago with something more suitable for walking. Lately, I had been spending an unusual amount of time outside, and clothes like this were clearly not meant for it.
The pavement was covered in the same ugly slush I'd seen earlier from my office window. Grey, with a hint of brown — a thick mixture of snow, mud, and chemicals. If someone didn't know where they were, they might think they'd wandered into some ghetto rather than the respectable centre of the city.
I had covered barely a few feet before I was soaked through. The cuffs of my trousers were filthy. A few splashes of that filth had already landed on my coat. It must have looked awful.
Despite this, I had hoped this mess would scare off the pesky insect that had been following me.
No such luck.
Michael had no intention of falling behind.
Unlike me, the bastard looked prepared. He wore a jacket and proper shoes, so he walked without much trouble. To him, it didn't even seem like a challenge.
Perhaps he was used to walking the streets. Or he knew from the start that sooner or later he would end up trailing after me.
Though, to be honest, part of me even envied him as my foot sank into the slushy snow again.
I picked up my pace. I couldn't say whether I was trying to get away from him or whether it annoyed me that he walked through that mess with such ease while I struggled.
It stirred some ridiculous sense of competition in me.
But in the end, my extra effort achieved very little. I only started to lose my breath.
The coat suddenly felt far too warm.
That discomfort pushed me to lose my temper, and I shouted over my shoulder, "Go home! Find something to do. Bother someone else for a change. What are you, a bloody stalker?"
Even without turning around, I was completely certain that the bastard was laughing at me. He clearly enjoyed watching me struggle.
"Why would I leave?" he said cheerfully, boots slapping through wet snow behind me. "You are far better company. Look at these people. Boring faces everywhere. Nothing happens in their lives. Why on earth should I go somewhere else when a fascinating character walks right here?"
"Leave me alone," I muttered. "I have no patience for whatever game you are playing."
He burst out laughing.
"Ha ha ha! Oh, Edward, you are wonderful when you are in such a mood. How could I possibly leave?"
His boots splashed somewhere behind me.
"And besides, I already gave you the key to your freedom. It is practically sitting in your pocket."
I kept moving forward, trying to ignore him.
"Since you refuse to do that," he went on, "I begin to suspect something." He sounded closer now. "My presence must be far less irritating than whatever it is you are hiding."
Saying nothing, I continued pushing my way through the slush.
"All you need to do," he added, "is satisfy my curiosity."
Another splash of wet snow sounded behind me.
"Once you open up, I vanish. And your life returns to its comfortable chain of boring, predictable days."
Then I slipped.
I didn't even see what caused it. My foot lost its grip, and for a moment I thought I was about to fall straight into that disgusting mess. The next moment, Michael grabbed my elbow and steadied me so I wouldn't fall.
I looked at him.
That smug, satisfied smile on his face, along with the entire situation, pushed me over the edge. I pulled my arm free, muttering something that barely resembled a "thanks".
I hadn't even managed a single step before my foot slid again.
The same miserable situation repeated itself.
Michael caught my elbow once more.
"Perhaps," he said, with a tone that sounded either genuinely concerned or perfectly fake, "we should abandon our little walk and sit somewhere instead."
Having found myself in that humiliating situation twice, my mood dropped even further. I was very close to snapping at him again. Everything around me gave me more than enough reason to act like a bit of a jerk.
But before I could say anything, a noise up ahead caught my attention.
There was a gathering. I couldn't make out what was happening at first. The noise coming from the group was getting louder and louder.
I took a few more steps forward, trying to see more clearly.
It was a protest.
A group was chanting something as they moved slowly ahead.
"Equal rights."
"Equal pay."
"Freedom."
They marched, shouting slogans as they went. I tried to focus on them properly, watching as I moved closer.
To my surprise, most of them had animal ears. Tails were visible beneath their clothes. Some were unusually tall, far too tall for a human.
They were hybrids.