Awkward Encounter

Looking at it from anywhere else, it would’ve been really funny to see the giant ridestock straddling the little pony. But sitting less than a foot away from his broad shoulders, cornered in as he took the outside seat of the carousel, Frankie was in full-on nightmare anxiety mode again.

To be sure, spotting him from afar earlier was one thing, but this sure felt like more of a reunion. One week ago, she encountered this terrible man for just a single day. Just a few miserable hours bookended in him legitimately trying to kill her. Quite unfortunately, he wasn’t behind bars or even just stuck in his dead-end job at Venge City- the greedy bastard was right next to her, drawn in by the allure of Kidney’s game like she had been.

In his eyes there was no hate. Even though he was looking straight at her, she could tell- he didn’t recognize his former employee through the fog of time and cheap hair dye. But as milliseconds ticked away and she could feel paranoia’s footsteps behind the coming beat of awkwardness, she had no choice but to reply.

“S-sure have!” She put a twang on her voice like she lived here. What was funny about Eagle Frontier was that the artificial culture of the outside hired employees had rubbed off on the live-in population over the years until this small chunk of Kansas sounded more like someplace deep in the south. “Get a- real kick outta this one, I do.” Masking her panic, she gave a sweaty smile.

“We’ll I’ll be! I do hope I enjoy.” The Texan exclaimed, earnest as a child.

The ride hesitantly beginning to move, Frankie was close to falling off her horse any second. Katie was in front of her, so she couldn’t see the trouble she was in as she had the time of her life. She wouldn’t even turn around as she did her best to cheer up Saint many times over.

She breathed. It’s gonna be okay, the prey told herself. It’s better than Bozo or a cop. This guy’s so stupid he can’t even tell it’s his former employee he’s looking at. So long as he doesn’t talk to me. So long as he doesn’t make any more pointless small talk, I’ll be just-

“Wait. Do I know you?”

Utter panic.

“I don’t know many folks out- outside my park…”

“I just… there’s just somethin’ about you is all. Forgive me if I’m bein’ strange.”

She tried not to face him.

“No problem.” The culprit sat in her fear, feeling the seconds turn to hours while he kept looking at her.

He wouldn’t stop looking at her.

“I see thousands of people every day, so it’s really no surprise, normally… but you… you, I don’t know. Musta some strong feeling attached to ya.”

“Why, I… I couldn’t imagine why, sir…”

He looked forward for a moment- enjoying the attraction- but returned to her all the same.

“No, I definitely think I know you. Why can’t I put my finger on it? You’ve been to ‘Venge, yeah?”

“Maybe. I been… lotsa places.” She could feel her accent slipping. He was leaning in.

“Something about you…”

“Please stop, sir…”

“Wait a second-“

Her teeth chattered.

“It’s YOU! You’re one of those UNGRATEFUL BRATS!”

Frankie jumped off the still-moving ride, Katie turning to spot the clang of her feet against the floor.

“Frankie?!”

Saint’s eyes bugged out a little seeing his new best friend’s sister jump the line’s fence, a tall, burly man dashing after her with painfully gritted teeth.

“Not again- not again!” She cried, past mistakes dripping from her guilty conscience.

Frankie wasn’t wrong in thinking the man was an idiot. What she’d failed to assess were the limitless bounds his anger writhed in- how he was the type to hold a grudge not just for a week, but decades on end- and there was no way in hell he’d forget the feelings that drove him to wanna crush this girl in his bare hands in the first place.