I heard a loud chime that seemed to reverberate throughout the white washed walls of Alpha Cafe.

Alpha Cafe was home to all the inhabitants of Nellyville. Most of them usually came by either as tourists or as people who were running away from their dark past.

It was a small town and not much was talked about but, it was obvious that it was well knitted as most of the people who stayed here always acted like one big happy family. Gossips were the centre of attraction and not a lot went by unnoticed.

At first, I did admit that I wanted somewhere quiet, a place that one hardly knew and where I would live an unobserved life.

I had thought that this was the right town for me to start over, to wash away all the sickening memories of the past and to move on with my life but was it all a faux? I mean, just within weeks of me moving here, I was already being stalked by someone I knew nothing about. That itself, was reason enough for me to run away and never look back on my decision.

I knew I was being careless in overlooking some strange events that had been happening and trying to will myself to believe it was eventually going to be okay and I would be able to live in safety with my kid without any upheaval.

The whole town was brewing with mystery. Whispers and snickers here and there was always the norm, alongside bland looks which was enough to creep the hell out of one. But I refused to let it bother me.

Maybe, there was an underlying tone somewhere, something I was probably missing, and might have been overlooked. At the same time, I tried keeping my ears open for any news that would doubt my sense of reasoning.

I was pulled out of my thoughts suddenly; when the beardy, old man at the counter, placed the black, paper, cup of coffee I had ordered previously in a brusque manner.

I rolled my eyes, looking at him critically, before searching my black hand bag for my purse. He was a big burly man who looked to be in his sixties with white beard that covered the side of his face, chapped lips that looked like it had been bitten the hell out of, big brown eyes and a crooked nose. He had on an extra large sized t-shirt with a cream knickers that seemed to hug his mid-section nicely, and his stomach was protruding from the shirt.

The expression that was written on his face when I had first stepped into the cafee was one of surmise, as if I had committed a crime and was a suspect. I didn't let that bother me though, but I still couldn't shake off the weird feeling that seemed to settle in the pit of my stomach.

Finally getting hold of my purse, I zipped it open and took out some dollar notes, slapping it on the counter and taking hold of the hot, steamy coffee. He gave me a slight smirk and peered closely before taking the change from the counter and slowly counting it.

The sun was starting to come up and the drowsiness of the town seemed to dissipate. I used the chance I had to look round the cafeteria and take note of what the few early birds were doing.

From my peripheral view, I could see an old man who was dressed in a dirty sweatshirt and white shorts, holding a teacup to his lips and his eyes fixated on a newspaper.

There was another elderly woman who sat at the far end of the cafee, her gray hair was pulled up tightly in a bun, her face was filled with wrinkles and her eyes were constantly darting around. They seemed to collide with mine and I gulped slightly. The woman gave me a devious smile and a scrawny look that suddenly made chills travel up my spine to the small of my back.

I gave her a light smile in return and turned to collect my change from the counter guy whose name I didn't particularly care to know.

"Here's a fifty," he said, bending over the work top to stare at me.

I nervously took it and fiddled with my purse, my coffee now placed on the counter. That done, I grabbed the paper cup, feeling the heat embrace my fingertips, and was about leaving when I felt cold, rough hands hold mine in place. I paused and turned to stare at the man.

"Don't go nosing around in other people's business," he said, giving me a look of speculation. His eyebrows were furrowed slightly, and he ran his tongue in a meticulous manner along those chapped lips of his. I tried swallowing and felt something sink deep in my throat, making me almost gasp for air.

"I just wanted to let you know that," he concluded, letting my hand go and rubbing his gruffly on his shirt. All I could do was nod and make my way hurriedly out of the cafeteria.

This was actually my first time of making a public appearance since the three weeks I had moved in. Not wanting the stares and attention, I decided it was best to keep to myself and not go nosing around just like the beardy man had advised.

I pushed open the sliding doors and breathed in the cool, crisp, morning air. It filled my lungs and did little in alleviating my worries. I tried to shrug the thoughts of the events that happened earlier, out of my mind, and made for my car.

What I saw as I turned down the street corner, stopped me dead in my tracks.