| Lara sat at her computer in the Capsule Corp. office. She really didn’t want to be there. She wanted to be home with Cell and Seru. However, she knew that she couldn’t always take a day off. She looked at her watch. I think I’ll just leave early, she thought. She shut the computer down and told one of her coworkers that she was leaving. She drove down Main Street and saw a comic book stand on the sidewalk. Seru has been bugging me all week for the new Mondo Man comic book. She decided to get the book for Seru. She pulled over into a parking space on the side of the street. After paying for the comic book, a man came up behind her. She didn’t pay any attention to him and went on her way. However, the man came up next to her. Lara walked a little faster trying to get rid of him. He kept up with her. “Hey toots,” he said at last. “How ‘bout going to the bar down the street with me and I’ll buy ya a drink.” “No thank-you,” Lara said and kept on walking. I wish Cell were here… “Awe, come on. You ain’t married are ya?” “Not exactly, but my boyfriend won’t be very happy when he finds out that you’re bothering me.” The man laughed. “Hey, he won’t have to know.” Lara finally got very agitated. She turned around and gave him an elbow to the stomach. The guy bent over in pain. Lara ran to her car and quickly drove off. The man stood back up and smiled. He hopped into his car that was parked nearby. He followed Lara all the way to her house unnoticed. When Lara got home she found Seru playing outside with his cat. She walked up to him and said, “How was your day?” “Great! Dad and me went flying! It was so cool,” he said excitedly. “That’s good. Here, I got this for you.” She handed him the comic book. “Oh boy! Thanks a lot!” Seru started flipping through the pages. Lara went to the front door. Then she noticed a black wing peaking from behind a tree. She put her things down and went over to Cell. He looked down at her when she came up next to him. “You’re back,” he said. “Thank goodness,” she said. “I went to a comic book stand on Main Street and this guy started harassing me.” Cell uncrossed his arms and turned to her. “Are you okay?” “Fine,” she said. “I wish you were there though; then he would have left me alone.” Little did Lara know that the man was hiding behind the chimney. He smiled and left. After, Lara sat on her bed reading. Cell lay on his back with his hands under his head. She put the book down and turned towards Cell. “I’m really happy you’re back.” “That’s what you’ve been saying,” Cell said. “I know. But after that guy today, I feel a lot safer knowing that you’re here.” “That’s why I started training Seru. That way he could protect you if need be.” Lara put the book on the nightstand and cuddled up next to Cell. He in turn put his arm around her. During the night, the man returned to Lara’s house. He walked around looking through various windows. He looked through one in the back of the house and saw a kid’s room. In the corner was a bed where a boy, he guessed to be five or six years old, slept. Not finding what he was looking for, he went to another window. The next one he came to was the window to the room Lara and Cell were in. He peered through the window and looked to the right. He smiled. Cell lay sleeping soundly. Satisfied, the intruder walked back to his car and drove off. |