The train started moving.
The man started running alongside the train, attempting to peer in through the windows. His eyes met Daniel's and his face contorted into a frightening grimace. Danial wasn't sure how, but at that moment he knew that the stranger, the Scribe, knew he had his device.
The train began to pick up speed and the man was beginning to lag behind. He locked eyes with Daniel, and the student felt as though the man was staring into his very soul, his orange eyes seeming to grow more vivid compared to his surroundings.
Daniel tore his eyes away from the man's and down to the screen of the tablet. It was opened to a writing application. There were already several lines of writing on the screen. The most recent one read "Alisha had always been proud of her large breasts. However, they were rivaled in size be her equally large backside. She often rode the train home for a chance to show it off."
Daniel glanced up at the blonde woman in the tank top. Her behind had more than filled out the seat of her jeans. She glanced back at him and smiled, noticing him staring.
Daniel's attention was drawn back to the screen of the iPad. The display flickered. There was a new line of text, though the letters were bold and written in all capitals. "GIVE IT BACK," it read. The screen flickered once more and the new text was gone.
He knew he had to get out of there. He had the Scribe's writing implement. There was no way he could just hand it back, not now. He knew the writing implement was a major component of the Scribe's power, but it didn't know if it was the source, or merely the instrument. Either way, Daniel knew he had to do something.
He brushed the smooth, glass face of the device with his hand. Of course! He could use the Scribe's implement for himself. How hard could it be?
With a shaky hand, he tapped the next empty line, bringing up the keyboard. It this turned out to just be an ordinary iPad, he was going to feel really foolish.
He typed in "Daniel Stephens was at home, sitting in the living room."
He waited for a moment, staring intently at the screen, not wanting to look up. Was that it? Did he have to press enter or anything?
"Excuse me. Uh, would you mind getting off me, please?"
Daniel blinked. He no longer felt the rattle of the train, nor could he hear the clattering of the rails. He looked up to find he was in the living area of his apartment, sitting on the couch. No, that was wrong. He looked down to see he was actually sitting on a person who had been laying on the couch.
Daniel leaped up, clutching the device to his chest. "I-I'm sorry! Uh, sorry!"
The girl on the couch propped herself up on an elbow. She frowned, but seemed more confused than angry. "It's fine. You, uh, don't weigh that much. Did you not see me?"
Daniel merely stared, unsure of how to respond.
The girl sat fully up and straightened her long, brown hair. "Right. So you must be Daniel? I'm Abigail. I'm a friend of you roommate's. He did say I was going to be here today, right? He said you wouldn't be back for the rest of the day."
"No," Daniel said suddenly, his voice cracking. "I mean. Yes. Uh, I mean... Hi, I'm Daniel." He held out a hand to her while clutching the device to his chest.
After a moment's hesitation, Abigail shook his outstretched hand. "He did say you were a little odd." She smirked. "Anyway, thanks for letting me crash here for the weekend."
Daniel nodded. He had to get away and study the device. He had to know the secret of the Scribe's power, and he couldn't let himself be distracted. "Yes. That's... You're welcome. Uh, listen, I have-" he backed into an end table, knocking over a stack of magazines. "I have to go."
He turned and fled into his room, leaving Abigail to herself. He pulled out his research journal and began to furiously recount what had happened in the past few minutes. He then prepared to thoroughly examine the Scribe's implement.